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July 21, 2017

Watch: Back When The F-105 THUD Was Cutting Edge

It’s Hard To Believe the Thud Was Ever Brand New But Here’s Proof

The 1960 Republic-produced film “Mach of the Thunderchief” was made to promote the company’s new (at the time) F-105 Thunderchief jet. The film features the process of designing and testing the Thud and includes a great deal of information about how Republic Aviation built 833 of them at their Farmingdale plant on Long Island in New York. Although they entered service with the United States Air Force (USAF) Tactical Air Command (TAC)’s 335th Tactical Fighter Squadron (TFS) of the 4th Tactical Fighter Wing (TFW) in August 1958, F-105Bs did not become fully operational until 1959. The film was shot only a year after that. Enjoy “Mach of the Thunderchief”!

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Designed initially as a high-speed low-altitude penetrator carrying a single nuclear weapon internally, the Thud was adapted to become one of the primary USAF attack aircraft of the Vietnam War. Thuds flew more than 20,000 sorties but close to half (nearly 48 percent) of the total number of Thuds built were lost (to all causes) during their service in Southeast Asia. F-105Gs were also adapted to serve in the dangerous suppression of enemy air defenses (SEAD) Wild Weasel role. The Thud became a legend in Vietnam, and tales of the heroic missions flown by Thud pilots are still told in officer’s clubs, ready rooms, and on flight lines today.

F 105 Thunderchiefs Mt Fuji — Official US Air Force Photograph

The F-105 was the largest and heaviest single-seat, single-engine combat aircraft in history, weighing in at about 25 tons fully loaded with 7 tons of ordnance. At sea level the Thud was capable of flying at speeds exceeding Mach 1; at altitude Mach 2 was well within its capabilities. When it became apparent that Thud losses in Vietnam might well exceed more than 50 percent of the total number of airframes built, the Air Force replaced the F-105 with several different aircraft- primarily the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II and later the General Dynamics F-111. The F-105G Wild Weasels remained in service until 1984, when they too were replaced by mission-dedicated F-4G Wild Weasel variants of the Phantom II. Thanks go to PeriscopeFilm for uploading this excellent film.

Republic F 105B 060831 F 1234S 049 — Official US Air Force Photograph

Profiles in Aviation: Al “Blackie” Blackman Has Been Fixing American Airlines Planes for 75 Years!

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July 20, 2017

Profiles in Aviation: Al “Blackie” Blackman Has Been Fixing American Airlines Planes for 75 Years!

Azriel “Al” Blackman is a man who has had his talented hands in American Airlines (AA) aircraft for 75 years. This nonagenarian has seen entire generations of equipment, and the talented mechanics that kept them in the air, come and go. Beginning work with AA (then American Export Airlines) in 1942 at the age of 16 after graduating from Aviation High School in Manhattan, he is now not only the holder of the record for the longest career as an airline mechanic, but a walking talking encyclopedia of knowledge about aircraft and aeronautics.

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And the things he has seen over 75 years! Setting aside world events over his career, just consider the development of the aircraft during Al’s tenure. He first worked on the Consolidated PBY Catalina, Martin PBM Mariner, and Vought-Sikorsky VS-44 flying boats (the Flying Aces) with American Export Airlines and American Overseas Airlines during the 1940s. American flew a mixture of Douglas DC-3s (or Flagships in AA parlance) along with Fairchild 100s when the company dropped the Export and later the Overseas parts of their name. Throughout the 1940s and 1950s Blackman worked on Lockheed Connies, Boeing 377s, and Douglas DC-4s, DC-6s, and DC-7s along with a smattering of Convair 240s for AA.

Vought Sikorsky VS — Vought-Sikorsky VS-44A

When the turbine-powered Lockheed L-188 Electra began flying in AA colors Al smelled jet fuel for the first time. When the Boeing 707 and Convair 990 came into operational service Blackman worked on those too, along with the BAC One-Eleven. From that point on, just about every generation and/or type of Boeing, Douglas, Fokker, McDonnell Douglas, British Aerospace, and Airbus airliner AA flew garnered attention from Al Blackman at some point. 717s. 727s. 737s. 747s. 757s. 767s. 777s. DC-8s. DC-9s. DC-10s. MD-11s. MD-80s. MD-90s. A300s. A310s. A320s. A330s. 146s. And more!

For perspective, consider this: “Blackie” had 28 years in with AA when they bought their first 747s and 45 years in when they bought their first 737s. It’s been more than 50 years since he retired the last reciprocating engine airliner American ever flew. He’s seen revolutionary planes like the 727 and DC-9 come and go. DC-8s flew their entire careers with AA under his care. Same for the 747 and DC-10. Everything AA flies today began operations while Al has worked for AA- from 767s to Embraer 190s. Imagine what it must be like to have worked on many if not all of the former American Airlines jetliners sitting out in the Victorville, Mojave, Roswell, and Goodyear commercial aircraft boneyards.

Al Blackman Mural at JFK — Photo courtesy American Airlines

When Al reached 70 years of service with American he was honored with a mural depicting him on the wall of the AA maintenance hangar at their JFK facility and a ride for him and his family in the Flagship Detroit, a fully restored Douglas DC-3 complete with period-correct American Airlines paint scheme. “These things leak oil all over the place,” Blackman quipped about the DC-3 after the flight. “When they’re not leaking oil, it’s not good. They’re not running well.” Now that Al has 75 years in with AA, the decision was made to honor him with a special livery on one of the 777s flown by AA. The special commemorative scheme was revealed on the 75^th Anniversary of Al’s first day at American. The 777 then embarked Al and his family and took off on a flight over Manhattan and Long Island so Al could see some sights…as if he hasn’t already seen enough of them over 91 years!

QV2A8296 — Photo courtesy American Airlines

Every year Al passes his first day Anniversary AA has to make a new pin. They also have to design it because each of his Anniversaries is a first-ever occurrence for an AA employee. Because his nickname is “Blackie” his 75^th anniversary pin is adorned with black diamonds. Blackman arrives at JFK airport for work at 0500 every workday. He is a crew chief and as such reviews the maintenance tasks completed by the overnight maintenance shift and coordinates completion of any outstanding work. He does have a few limitations, but they’re FAA mandated limitations because of his age and not his competency or ability. He’s no longer allowed to climb ladders or drive on the airport roads and personal tool use is limited, but Al’s not planning to retire. According to him, “When you like what you do, it’s not work.” As far as his personal preference among the aircraft AA flies is concerned, Al is on record as preferring Boeing aircraft because according to him they’re the easiest to work on.

Al Blackman Miliarty — Photo courtesy American Airlines

Al served his country in Korea performing maintenance on Bell 47 helicopters and light aircraft. According to “Age Is Just a Number,” the story he penned for AA’s in-flight magazine American Way, he worked at a facility co-located with the Army’s 4077^th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital in Korea. Yes, M.A.S.H. Yes, that M.A.S.H. Al worked on the pristinely restored Vought-Sikorsky VS-44A flying boat Excambian now displayed at New England Air Museum. Al works with mechanics whose fathers worked with him for many years; many of them many years ago.

508B0882 AA — Photo courtesy American Airlines

When not working for American Airlines, Al volunteers with the Historic Aircraft Restoration Project (HARP) working to restore vintage aircraft in Hangar B at Gateway National Recreation Area’s Floyd Bennett Field in New York. When Blackie reached 50 years of service with AA he was honored with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Charles E. Taylor Master Mechanic Award, which is only bestowed upon those with 50 years of aviation maintenance experience, 30 years of which must be as a FAA certified mechanic.

Yankee Stadium Family Photo — Al Blackman and family pictured at Yankee Stadium. Photo courtesy American Airlines

Thankfully and in this writer’s opinion correctly, American Airlines is not using Al’s Anniversary story to try and deflect any of the vitriol about the airline industry in general these days. Al is just Blackie, the father of two and a happily married man for decades. His dear wife Delores, who passed away six years ago, knew how much her husband enjoyed his work and his co-workers. Al says she would tell him, “’Go to work, bum,’” she used to say. “`Go play with your friends.’”

Thanks go to Fox 5 for uploading the video of their news story about Al’s 75^th Anniversary with AA to YouTube and to American Airline Media Relations for providing some of the biographical information about the incredible career and life of Azriel “Al” Blackman.

508B0965 — Photo courtesy American Airlines

VFA-211 Made A Cruise Video You Absolutely Must See To Believe

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July 19, 2017

VFA-211 Made A Cruise Video You Absolutely Must See To Believe

The Fighting Checkmates of Navy Strike Fighter Squadron Two Eleven (VFA-211) went aboard the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (CVN-65) in March of 2012 for a deployment in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. When the Big E returned to Norfolk eight months later, she was laid up and then decommissioned. VFA-211 created a cruise video during the deployment that is poignant, funny, dramatic, and in places starkly beautiful. The flying scenes are simply awesome. If this is the first cruise video you watch you’ll have to watch a bunch more of them to find one that looks better than this one does. The audio cuts out for about five minutes roughly 25 minutes in but you might not even notice. Thanks to YouTuber Triple Nickel for sharing this video.

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Along with the Fighting Checkmates on the Big E’s final deployment were Carrier Air Wing One (CVW-1) consisting of VFA-211, VFA-11 Red Rippers flying the Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornet, VMFA-251 Thunderbolts flying the Boeing F/A-18C Hornet, VFA-136 Knighthawks flying the F/A-18E Super Hornet, VAQ-137 World Famous Rooks flying the Grumman EA-6B Growler, VAW-123 Screwtops flying the Grumman E-2C Hawkeye 2000NP, and HS-11 Dragon Slayers flying Sikorsky HH-60C and SH-60F Seahawk helos. The Enterprise made port calls at Piraeus in Greece, Jebel Ali in the United Arab Emirates, Manama in Bahrain, Naples in Italy, and Mayport Naval Station in Florida USA before retiring to Norfolk in November of 2012.

US Navy 100512 N 8446A 003 An F A 18F Super Hornet assigned to the Checkmates of Strike Fighter Squadron VFA 211 lands aboard the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise CVN 65 — Official US Navy Photograph

The final deployment of the Enterprise was also the last time the World Famous Rooks deployed flying the venerable Grumman EA-6B Prowler. They subsequently transitioned to the Boeing EA-18G Growler. VFA-211 (call sign Nikel) began as VB-74 in 1945. They began in 1945 flying Curtiss SB2C Helldivers. They have also flown Douglas AD Skyraiders, Vought F4U Corsairs, Grumman F9F Panthers, North American FJ Furies, McDonnell F3H Demons, Grumman F-11 Tigers, and Vought F-8 Crusaders. The squadron was designated VF-24 or VA-24 for many years. In 1959 VF-24 and VF-211 swapped air wings and designations. VF-211 transferred to Naval Air Station (NAS) Miramar in California during 1961 and remained based there for 35 years, finally moving to NAS Oceana in Virginia during 1996 when Miramar became a Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS). VF-211 transitioned from the F-8 to the Grumman F-14 Tomcat in 1975 and flew them until 2003 when they were re-equipped with Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornets and re-designated VFA-211.

US Navy 100515 N 0593C 098 An F A 18F Super Hornet assigned to the Fighting Checkmates of Strike Fighter Squadron VFA 211 launches from the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise CVN 65 — Official US Navy Photograph

Douglas Was Selling Every Skyhawk They Could Build When They Made This Film

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July 19, 2017

Douglas Was Selling Every Skyhawk They Could Build When They Made This Film

This film, produced by the Advertising Film Department of Douglas Aircraft Corporation during the early 1960s, highlights the Douglas A-4 Skyhawk light attack aircraft. The film has some great visuals (even if they aren’t exactly HD). It’s an obvious sales film for the Scooter, but it’s a good one and goes into details such as how Ed Heinemann’s design utilizes external cockpit strengthening as opposed to internal bracing, the integration of fuselage longerons for strong points, the main gear attachment points machined into the wing spars, the wet wing and other structure details, the new (at the time) buddy refueling tank description and attachment process, and J65 (later J-52) engine details and installation / removal. This one is more educational than your average early 1960s sales film. It was uploaded to YouTube by PeriscopeFilm.

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The film was shot at the Douglas factory in Long Beach, California as well as aboard the aircraft carriers USS Hancock (CVA-19) and USS Forrestal (CVA-59). A4D-1 and A4D-2 Tinker Toys were filmed at several Naval Air Stations (NASs) and Marine Corps Air Stations (MCASs) as well as at what is now the Naval Air Weapons Station (NAWS) at China Lake in California. Skyhawks from Attack Squadron FIFTY SIX (VA-56) Champions, VA-76 Spirits, VA-83 Rampagers, VA-113 Stingers, VA-153 Blue Tail Flies, VA-192 Golden Dragons, VA-195 Dambusters, and Fleet Air Gunnery Unit Pacific (FAGUPAC) appear in the film.

Douglas A 4B Skyhawk production in 1950s — Douglas A-4 production line.

Pilots Prepare Special Charters To Chase The Great American Eclipse

General Aviation News

Charles Atkeison

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July 18, 2017

Pilots Prepare Special Charters To Chase The Great American Eclipse

ATLANTA — Pilots will team up with eclipse chasers in August for special flights above the clouds as a rare solar eclipse blazes a trail across the United States from the Pacific waters to the Atlantic coastline.

The eclipse’s line of totality on August 21 will be visible beginning over Oregon’s coast and continuing in a diagonal 73 mile-wide path to the South Carolina coast during a 93 minute period. It is along this route which has photographers and astronomers eager to board a special eclipse flight.

Private pilots have already begun preparing detailed flight plan as they prepare to go up with an astronomer or photographer to capture the sights as our moon passes directly before the Sun. This will be the first solar eclipse exclusive to the majority of the United States in 99 years, and millions are preparing to document the event high above the dust and possible clouds for a unique view.

“A full eclipse is a rare event, and I hope to get a rare view of it from a small plane,” said Andrew Kalat, a private pilot and aviation photographer from Atlanta. “Flying two miles above the surface will hopefully give me a very interesting view of the moon’s shadow as it moves across the earth.”

Andy’s flight plan will provide him with only three or four minutes of eclipse totality as he soars southeast over the last 55 miles of Tennessee. He adds that his Cessna is not a stable platform for direct photography of the eclipse, and will instead capture the sights of the celestial event using multiple camera in a unique way.

“I look forward to very quickly flying from day to night and back to day again,” Kalat explained. “To capture and share this, I plan to video with an aircraft mounted GoPro, and capture still images with a digital SLR. I’m going to focus more on capturing interesting images of the ground during the eclipse.”

He is not alone. Many pilots are working with airports along the path of totality to prepare their own flight plans for special charters in what maybe a busy, narrow path — including one commercial airliner.

Of the major commercial airlines, Alaska Airlines has announced they will fly a private charter of invited guests and VIP’s off the Oregon coastline providing the first views of the eclipse from an altitude of seven miles. Alaska has organized trips like this in the past too.

“As an airline, we are in a unique position to provide a one-of-a-kind experience for astronomy enthusiasts,” Alaska Airlines vice president of marketing Sangita Woerner states. “Flying high above the Pacific Ocean will not only provide one of the first views, but also one of the best.”

In addition to flying during the eclipse, many eclipse chasers will charter private aircraft to fly into airfields along the arc of totality. A few pilots confirmed to Avgeekery that if the weather is overcast, they can quickly take-off and relocate to an airfield with clearer visability.

(Charles A. Atkeison reports on aerospace and technology. Follow his updates on social media via @Military_Flight.)

This Small Greek Island Is A Spotter’s Paradise on The Aegean Sea

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July 18, 2017

This Small Greek Island Is A Spotter’s Paradise on The Aegean Sea

Skiathos Island National Airport (‘Alexandros Papadiamantis’- IATA code JSI and ICAO code LGSK) is located on the Greek island of Skiathos in the Aegean Sea. The island is a popular tourist destination and sees roughly 3,300 aircraft movements per year on the airport’s single 5,341 foot (1,628 meter) runway 02/20. What makes JSI so popular with planespotters is that there is a publically accessible road that passes in very close proximity to the end of runway 02. A similar situation exists at Princess Juliana International Airport (SXM / TNCM) on the island of Saint Martin in the Windward Islands of the South Caribbean. JSI compares favorably for planespotters, but it is no less dangerous to stand in the jet blast of an airliner taking off from JSI that it is to do the same at SXM.

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JSI hosts primarily seasonal charter flights from originating airports all over Europe- perhaps part of the reason why the island and its airport are referred to as “the European St. Martin.” The airport is capable of handling jetliners up to Boeing 757-200s in size, weight, and capacity, but Boeing 737s, Airbus A320 series, and turbine powered commuter aircraft make up most of the traffic.

Airlines such as Aviolet, Blue Air, British Airways, Condor, Finnair, Germanair, Meridiana, Olympic Air, Scandinavian, Small Planet, TAROM, Thomas Cook, Thomson, and TUI Fly Netherlands operate flights into and out of JSI. Even Greek Air Force Alenia G.222 airlifters come and go. When landing on runway 02 these jetliners often clear the roadway and adjacent parking and viewing area by 75 feet or less. It makes for a really close up look at some impressive aircraft. Thanks to YouTuber Cargospotter for uploading this highly entertaining video.

Olympic Air DHC 8 402Q on short finals at Skiathos Flo Weiss — Photo Credit: Flo Weiss

You Can’t Get Any Closer To Red Flag Than This Unless You’re Aircrew

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July 18, 2017

You Can’t Get Any Closer To Red Flag Than This Unless You’re Aircrew

Las Vegas is known for casinos, wild nights you hope nobody ever finds out about (some of you for sure), scorching hot summers, and Nellis Air Force Base, home of the Thunderbirds and the largest aerial combat training exercise in the world – Red Flag.

Continue

Northrop And McDonnell Douglas Built Two Fine Tactical Jets Together

Military History

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July 18, 2017

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Northrop And McDonnell Douglas Built Two Fine Tactical Jets Together

Some Say The YF-23 Was Better Than the YF-22. Who’s Right?

The Northrop / McDonnell Douglas YF-23 was Northrop and McDonnell Douglas’ response to a United States Air Force (USAF) request for an advanced tactical fighter (ATF) to counter the newest Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-29 and Sukhoi Su-27 fighters then showing upon spy satellite images in the Soviet Union. This ATF was to be capable of supercruise, or prolonged supersonic flight without the use of afterburners. The ATF was also required to be stealthy, have the best possible survivability, and be easy to maintain in austere conditions. Sounds like a typical set of Air Force requirements to me! At first the Air Force required a short-field capability that would have required the engines on the ATF to be equipped with thrust reversers, but this requirement was later removed.

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Stealthy By Design

Northrop’s YF-23 incorporated several stealthy design features. Radar cross section tests determined that the design of the aircraft made the jet look like a spider on radar. Many off-the-shelf parts were incorporated into both designs to reduce prototype costs. The YF-23 utilized a central management computer system of advanced design and capability. The design of the control surfaces allowed for both flaps and ailerons to be used in opposite or unison which provided enhanced maneuverability and an aerodynamic braking capability. Tail surfaces were all-moving surfaces used together with the wing flaps and ailerons to control the jet. The YF-23 did not incorporate thrust vectoring.

1280px YF 23 front right view — Official US Air Force Photograph

Black Widow vs. the Raptor

Black Widow, the first prototype YF-23 (PAV-1) was powered by Pratt & Whitney YF119 engines and first flew on August 27^th 1990. The second prototype, Grey Ghost, (PAV-2) was powered by P&W YF120 engines and first flew on October 26^th 1990. The two YF-23 prototypes flew a total of 65 hours over 50 sorties in 1990. The Lockheed / Boeing / General Dynamics YF-22 was the only other finalist in the competition for the production ATF contract. Though both aircraft were advanced designs that met the Air Force requirements and the YF-23 was faster and stealthier, the more agile YF-22 was the winner of the competition for the production ATF contract.

1280px YF 23 top view — Official US Air Force Photograph

Where Are They Now?

The YF-22 became the F-22 Raptor. The YF-23s became oddities. At one point in 2004 Northrop Grumman proposed a bomber version of the aircraft. Both YF-23 airframes remained in storage until mid-1996, when the aircraft were transferred to museums. YF-23A, PAV-1, Black Widow, Air Force serial number 87-0800, registration number N231YF is on display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force near Dayton in Ohio. YF-23A PAV-2, Grey Ghost, Air Force serial number 87-0801, registration number N232YF, is on display at the Western Museum of Flight at Zamperini Field in Torrance, California. The Western Museum of Flight produced the documentary video shared above.

The Naval Aviator For A Day Program Makes Special Kids Into Stars

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July 17, 2017

The Naval Aviator For A Day Program Makes Special Kids Into Stars

Hannah Dunaway completed the Naval Aviator for a Day program at Naval Air Station (NAS) Meridian and received her Navy Wings of Gold back in 2014.

In this short video produced by Jim Albritton for Batson Children’s Hospital in Jackson, Mississippi where Hannah is a cystic hygroma patient, United States Navy Lieutenant Commander Clinton Watt and Lieutenant Kristin Acton guided the 13-year-old Vicksburg girl through the day-long program. Training Air Wing ONE (TW-1) rolled out the red carpet for Hannah and signed off on her Carrier Qualification, LSO Qualification, Control Tower Qualification, and Firefighter Qualifications. This is one of the great things done not just by Navy commands but by all service branches for at-risk children. Enjoy this girl’s experience from 2014.

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About TW-1

TW-1 was commissioned on August 2^nd1971. In addition to training fledgling Navy and Marine aviators, the wing also trains and hosts as instructors foreign exchange pilots from France, Italy, and Spain. TW-1 consists of Training Squadron SEVEN (VT-7) Eagles and Training Squadron NINE (VT-9) Tigers. TW-1 provides intermediate and advanced training to students who have previously completed the Primary Flight Training syllabus in the Beechcraft T-6B Texan II trainer. VT-7 and VT-9 train Student Naval Aviators in the Boeing T-45C Goshawk. Upon completion of the Advanced Flight Instruction syllabus at NAS Meridian the Student Naval Aviators are designated Naval Aviators and receive their Wings of Gold.

T 45C of VT 9 landing on USS Theodore Roosevelt CVN 71 in 2013 — Official US Navy Photograph

Smithsonian’s ‘Art of the Airport Tower’ Captures their Unique Architectural Designs

General Aviation News

Charles Atkeison

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July 17, 2017

Smithsonian’s ‘Art of the Airport Tower’ Captures their Unique Architectural Designs

ATLANTA — Poised over looking the runways of the world’s airports — both large and small — the air traffic control tower is a beacon calling forth aviators to their destination and they provide an informative send-off.

Often under appreciated by the general public, a new traveling exhibit from the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum has captured the most unusual and fascinating designs of the world’s air traffic control towers.

Composed of 85 stark photographs, Smithsonian Museum photographer Carolyn J. Russo’s beautiful hard cover book, Art of the Airport Tower (Smithsonian Press 2015), is now a striking exhibition capturing the architectural beauty of many of the airport towers across the globe.

Fifty of the book’s artistic images and informative captions have been lifted from its pages and placed on display. The exhibit is a treat and the coffee table book is a must-have for the aviation geek.

In the midst of a nationwide tour, the Tellus Science Museum near Atlanta is currently hosting the exhibit until September 17. The Smithsonian affiliate is home to many aviation and space flown hardware.

“This is a fascinating exhibit – it combines photography, architecture, and aviation in unexpected ways,” Tellus Science Museum Executive Director Jose Santamaria said on Sunday. “It is very unique and the images are stunning.”

As one focuses on Carolyn Russo’s photographs, the subject of her work becomes very intriguing to the viewer as the architectural design stands out from a close range. Russo spent nearly seven years touring the planet, visiting 23 countries and photographing the designs of control towers of nearly 100 airports.

“Airport traffic control towers have a powerful presence — they watch over the vastness of the airport and sky, are a nonjudgmental cultural greeter, a choreographer or conductor of the aircraft dance, a mother bird caring for her flock and an omniscient, intelligent structure keeping humans safe,” Russo points out as she gazed across her work. “I saw them as the unsung heroes of the airport landscape and tried to elevate them beyond their height and amazing architecture.”

The control tower located at Edwards, AFB in the California desert is famous for pioneering military aviation; and assisting NASA in the landing of the space shuttle orbiters. Today, KEDW control tower rises above the dry lakebed supporting a well trained staff overseeing the air navigation of around 40 different types of airframes at any given time.

The aerodynamic architecture of Edward’s white tower leads the exhibit as guests arrive.

“I’m trying to pick up a vibe from the tower and looking for an aspect of it to show its best trait,” Russo explained as we stood focused on one of her photographs. “It’s kind of like making a portrait, your looking for a component that defines the structure.”

Many of the towers she visited required special provisions by the country’s government or by airport officials. “For instance, with the JFK tower, for me to be on that airport property I had to have an insurance certificate of $10 million,” she said. “And with that experience they were some of the first towers I photographed.”

At the Stockholm Arlanda airport in Sweden, Russo photographed its control tower from directly below providing an dynamic, three dimensional visual not seen as you travel past on the taxi way. The air traffic control at ESSA supports over 80 airlines flying in and out of Scandinavia’s busiest airport. The photograph is a favorite on the tour.

“Carolyn sees things that other people don’t see,” said U.S. and world aerobatic champion pilot Patty Wagstaff on Sunday. “Her eye for detail is amazing, and she’s able to take something beautiful but big — like an airplane or a control tower — and focus in on the details that give the piece character.”

The two have known each other for over 20 years, and Russo refers to Wagstaff as her dear friend. “She has a really unique viewpoint, and it’s this that makes her one of the great modern photographers,” Wagstaff added.

Russo loves each of her photographs and will not select a favorite; however she does have a favorite back story from her travels, “The best one was when I was photographing the Jakarta (Indonesia) tower, that was a very quick trip, and when I arrived they did not know what to think of me,” she recalled. “They said we need to look at every one of your images before you leave here to make sure I wasn’t up to some tricks.”

Russo adds that during her visit, Jakarta’s officials went from, “what do you see in our tower” to being very supportive of her after seeing a few of her own views of their control tower. “They felt very proud to be apart of this project.”

Art of the Airport Tower will travel next to the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, opening on October 9 and remaining on display until December 29.

(Charles A. Atkeison reports on aerospace and technology. Follow his updates on social media via @Military_Flight.)

No, A Passenger’s Epic Fart Did Not Force a Plane to Evacuate Yesterday

Airline News

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July 17, 2017

No, A Passenger’s Epic Fart Did Not Force a Plane to Evacuate Yesterday

American Airlines is denying a passenger’s supposed fart of epic proportions as the cause for deplaning the aircraft at Raleigh Durham International Airport yesterday afternoon.

In a bizarre story which originally appeared on local WNCN-TV that has gone viral, passengers reportedly complained of nausea and headaches spurred by a foul-smell in the cabin of American flight 1927 from Charlotte to RDU. The report cited an airport spokesperson for the fart revelation.

“The story is not true,” says American Airlines spokesman Ross Feinstein.

“We did have an aircraft from Charlotte to RDU this afternoon, that landed at 2:19 p.m. ET, and arrived the gate at 2:21 p.m. ET, that is currently out of service for an actual mechanical issue – and odor in the cabin. But it is not due to ‘passed gas’ as mentioned,” Feinstein said.

Airport spokesperson Andrew Sawyer also confirmed the story as false.

“A medical call for someone overcome by an odor was received after the plane deplaned normally,” he said

So, as funny as it would have been, another fake news story bites the dust…
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– Follow Mike Killian on Instagram and Facebook, @MikeKillianPhotography

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Fatal Crash of the P-51D Mustang “Baby Duck” in Atchison County Kansas Kills Two

History

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July 16, 2017

Fatal Crash of the P-51D Mustang “Baby Duck” in Atchison County Kansas Kills Two

Families and Friends of Two Aviation Enthusiasts are Reeling

At 1030 local time on Sunday July 16th the Warbird Heritage Foundation’s P-51D-25-NA Mustang, North American construction number 122-31945 and Army Air Forces serial number 44-72086, crashed in Atchison County, Kansas near the intersection of 234^th Street and Ness Road. Killed in the mishap were the pilot, 64 year old Vlado Lenoch of Burr Ridge, Illinois, and his passenger, 34 year old Bethany Root of Atchison Kansas.

Bethany Root FB Ladies Love Taildraggers Facebook — Bethany Root doing what she loved- flying. Photo courtesy of Ladies Love Taildraggers Facebook page

Pilot and Passenger Were Both Doing What They Loved

Lenoch had been flying the P-51D Mustang in the Amelia Earheart Festival along the Missouri River in the vicinity the day before. Lenoch’s passenger Root was the airport manager at Atchison County’s Amelia Earhart Airport west of Atchison from where the flights in honor of Earhart were being flown. She had been a special education teacher and ran a custom motorcycle shop in Indianapolis before learning to fly and working with McElwain crop dusters in the region. Lenoch began flying at 17 years of age and amassed more than 11,000 hours of flight time. He held a master’s degree in aeronautical engineering and worked for Boeing for many years and was still regularly flying a corporate jet. Lenoch was a licensed Airline Transport pilot with multiple flight instructor ratings and scores of type certificates including multiple warbird types, one of which was for the P-51 Mustang.

PA P51 F 0001 BH — The Warbird Heritage Foundation P-51D “Baby Duck” in flight. Photo courtesy of Warbird Heritage Foundation.

Vlado Was a Founding Member of Heritage Flight

Vlado Lenoch became a member of the Heritage Flight the year it was founded in 1997 and was one of its most experienced pilots. As a warbird competency evaluator Vlado helped ensure that warbird pilots were capable of handling their classic aircraft and that safety was always at the forefront of their flight conciousness. He was also a lifetime member in the Commemorative Air Force (CAF), the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA), and the Soaring Society of America (SSA). Flying was in his blood; his great uncle was a Luftwaffe Bf-109 ace in World War II. Lenoch leaves behind a wife and three children. It is believed Bethany Root was unmarried.

PA P51 H 0001 W J.L. Dienst and L. Hellstrom — 44-72086 in service with the Swedish Air Force. Photo courtesy of Warbird Heritage Foundation / J.L. Dienst and L. Hellmstrom.

The History of Baby Duck

Lenoch flew this particular P-51D Mustang often. The aircraft was built by North American Aviation of Inglewood in California in 1944. It was delivered to the Swedish Air Force in 1945 and flown by the Svenska Flygvapnet until May of 1953 when it was sold to the Dominican Republic Air Force. The Fuerza Aerea Dominicana flew the aircraft until 1984 when it was acquired by Johnson Aviation in Miami. From there the aircraft changed hands several times before it was completely restored between 2008 and 2011, after which it began flying in the colors of Captain Herbert G. Kolb’s 44-13157, a 353rd Fighter Squadron, 350^th Fighter Group Mustang flown out of Raydon in England with the 8^th Air Force.

PA P51 H 0007 W J.L. Dienst and L. Hellstrom — 44-72086 in the service of the Bolivian Air Force. Photo courtesy of Warbird Heritage Foundation / J.L. Dienst and L. Hellmstrom.

Remembering With Respect

Thanks go to the Warbird Heritage Foundation for biographical and chronological information about both Vlado Lenoch and the Mustang he was flying when he and his passenger Bethany Root died. Rather than illustrate this piece with a helicopter shot of the crash site or a story by the local evening news, we chose to link a video uploaded by AirshowStuffVideos of a Vlado Lenoch airshow performance flying Baby Duck. We hope you enjoy it. Rest in Peace Vlado and Bethany. Heartfelt condolences from us here at Avgeekery and ours to your families and friends.

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So Many Airbus Jets Were Born on Boeing Wings

JP Santiago

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July 15, 2017

So Many Airbus Jets Were Born on Boeing Wings

With the formation of Airbus Industrie and the launch of the Airbus A300 jetliner, the different consortium partners finalized their workshare of the project- the tail section was the responsibility of the Spanish, the British were responsible for the wings, the Dutch fabricated all the moving surfaces of the wing, the Germans built the forward and aft fuselage along with the top section of the center fuselage, and the French were responsible for the nose, flight deck, control systems, the lower section of the center fuselage and final assembly of the A300. Splitting up the construction of a commercial aircraft in this manner wasn’t necessarily new to the aerospace industry- after all, Boeing had about 65% of the Boeing 747 farmed out to various subcontractors with over 20,000 companies in just about every one of the fifty US states and some foreign nations. But what was novel in what Airbus was doing was that it was the very heart of the enterprise with the partner nations assuming near-equal risk. This would be how every Airbus jet would be built and each partner nation would build their sections to as near complete as possible. For Boeing, they retained oversight and control over what their 747 subcontractors would be doing and providing. For the A300, each Airbus partner wasn’t overseeing each other- they were more or less having to trust that each partner would provide a finished product that met the specifications and could be easily integrated into final assembly in France. This required each firm to work in near-perfect harmony and coordination with the other consortium members. There was no margin for error- it has been said that if a Swiss watch were scaled up to the same diameter as the A300’s fuselage, the tolerances on the A300 were much tighter than that of the Swiss watch!

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Parts were designed in such a way to facilitate this process, but other steps were necessary for proper coordination. At the Hawker Siddeley plant in the UK that built the wings, for example, they had special jigs that the wings could be “plugged” into that replicated the fuselage center section that they would join up with in the final assembly hall in Toulouse. More difficult was getting each nation to adopt the same production techniques. During the early days, engineers at Airbus joked how easy it was to tell whether a particular join in the aircraft was done by the French or Germans. But it had to work and with great perseverance, the A300 was coming to shape.

Surprisingly, in the early days of Airbus, the biggest problem they faced in getting the A300 into production was the logistics of having factories in France, Germany, Spain, Great Britain and the Netherlands all separated by significant distances. The straight line distance from Germany’s Hamburg production facility to the final assembly hall in Toulouse was 900 miles. It was originally planned that all the large sections would be transported by sea- this was why the German Airbus facilities were in Bremen and Hamburg which had easy sea access and the Hawker facility had good road links to the port at Liverpool. Toulouse, however, is about 100 miles inland with no sea access. The original plan was to transport the fuselage and wing sections up the Garonne River from Bordeaux on the Atlantic coast. Because of the depth of the river and the size of the components, they would only be able to up about 50 miles from Bordeaux at which point the components were transferred to a road convoy- to minimize disruption along the route to Toulouse, it had to be done at night and numerous telephone poles, trees and power lines would have to be relocated. Some of the transport vehicles would be near 100-feet in length and it wasn’t long before Airbus officials came to their senses and realized that this was a very inefficient and time-consuming process to get airframe components to final assembly.

Aero Spacelines 377SGT Super Guppy Turbine Airbus Skylink AN0586290 — Photo by Michael Gilliard (Wikipedia)

The A300 production manager was a German engineer named Felix Kracht. Before joining the nascent Airbus in 1968, Kracht had worked on harmonizing production methods and standards on the Franco-German C160 Transall military transport program. About the time that the A300 program had been launched, Kracht was familiar with Aero Spacelines and its founder, Jack Conroy. Aero Spacelines was established by Conroy to convert Boeing 377 Stratocruisers into outsize cargo transports for NASA. Not only did ASI design and convert the aircraft, they also operated the aircraft as well. The first conversion was done in 1962 using a retired Stratocruiser and was called the Pregnant Guppy which transported both Titan II stages for the Gemini program and Saturn stages for the Apollo program.

By 1970 a bigger and more capable Guppy had made its first flight- longer and more capacious than any of Conroy’s other designs, the new Super Guppy Turbine (377SGT) was turboprop-powered. The first 377SGT made its first flight after conversion on 24 August 1970 and the second 377SGT first flew on 24 August 1972. By this point, however, ASI was in financial trouble and that’s where Felix Kracht and Airbus stepped into the picture. He astutely realized its capacious fuselage and swing-nose loading were the perfect solution to the logistical problem of getting large airframe sections to Toulouse for final assembly. In 1970, Kracht had arranged for Airbus to purchase the first 377SGT with delivery in 1971. The purchase deal included a contractual commitment from ASI to build a second 377SGT as a back up for Airbus to serve as a back up for the first 377SGT. With ASI in dire financial straits in 1973 as the Apollo program was winding down, Airbus purchased the second 377SGT built. Plans then evolved once A300 production had been launched for a third and fourth 377SGT to be built for Airbus. By this point ASI was in no position to complete construction of two more aircraft, but they did complete sub-assemblies which were then completed in France. The third 377SGT first flew in 1979 and the fourth and final 377SGT first flew in 1980.

1024px Hh eads3 — Photo taken by Staro1 (Wikipedia)

Operating the Super Guppy fleet wasn’t cheap, but in terms of time savings and efficiency, the cost was worthwhile compared to any sea/ground-based transport option. As the battle with Boeing heated up in the late 1970s, Boeing criticized what was called the Airbus Skylink program but Airbus responded by overlying a map of Boeing’s subcontractors over a map of the Airbus partners to show the distances flown by the Super Guppies was shorter than the distances from Boeing’s subcontractors to final assembly in Seattle. By the 1980s, though, the age of the Super Guppy fleet was becoming a significant cost center for Airbus. In 1991, the French company Aerospatiale and the German company DASA formed a joint enterprise to develop and build a replacement for the venerable Super Guppy fleet, ironically based on the A300. Construction of the Airbus Beluga began in September 1992 with the first flight taking place in 1994. A total of five Belugas have been built with the last one completed in 1999 which allowed for the retirement of the Super Guppy fleet.

Super Guppy No. 1 was retired in 1996 and resides at the British Aviation Heritage Museum at Bruntingthorpe awaiting proper restoration. Super Guppy No. 2 was also retired in 1996 and is on display at the Airbus facility at Toulouse and is under the care of the group Ailes Anciennes Toulouse (“Toulouse Old Wings”). The Musée de l’Air et de l’Espace at Le Bourget was offered Super Guppy No. 2 initially, but they had to decline on account of space considerations. Super Guppy No. 3 was retired in 1997 and is on display at the Deutsche Airbus facility at Hamburg Finkenwerder, Germany. Super Guppy No. 4, however, continues to earn its keep, but no longer for Airbus. In an International Space Station barter agreement, Super Guppy No. 4 was transferred to NASA in exchange for delivery to the ISS by the Space Shuttle components from the European Space Agency. Now with tail number N941NA, the NASA Super Guppy transported ISS modules destined for in-orbit assembly and currently transports launch payloads.

As an interesting note on Super Guppy No. 4/N941NA- when Aero Spacelines was building the sub-sections for Airbus, the company found that there were no more spare Boeing 377 Stratocruisers that could be cannibalized to form the lower aft fuselage. The dismantled original Pregnant Guppy that first flew in 1962 was still available and was purchased for its lower aft fuselage which was incorporated into Super Guppy No. 4/N941NA. Now here’s what’s interesting- the Pregnant Guppy was converted from the third Boeing Stratocruiser prototype that made its first flight in 1948! That means that not just a significant portion of Airbus jets produced made their “first flight” on the third Stratocruiser prototype (so to speak), but so did some of the modules of the ISS.

See more of JP’s stories at TailsThroughTime.com.

The Magical Sound Of a TA-4J Skyhawk’s Pratt & Whitney J52-P-8s With Crystal Clear 4k Video–You Gotta See AND Hear This

Avgeekery

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July 15, 2017

The Magical Sound Of a TA-4J Skyhawk’s Pratt & Whitney J52-P-8s With Crystal Clear 4k Video–You Gotta See AND Hear This

The McDonnell TA-4J Skyhawk began service for the United States Navy in 1956 as light attack aircraft. The Skyhawk was produced to serve as a flexible mission aircraft with both one and two-seat variants. The two-seat model was most commonly used for training. The combination of the aircraft’s small lightweight airframe and 9,300-pound thrust Pratt & Whitney J52-P-8 turbojet engine, lead to its most popular nickname “Heinemann’s Hot Rod.”

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The aircraft featured in the video was given construction #13590 by Douglas Aircraft Company. When the aircraft was delivered to the U.S Navy on July 24, 1967, the Navy assigned a Bureau Number 153524. (Note, in the video you can see the number 3524 marked on the vertical stabilizer.) Production ended in 1979, with a total of over 3,000 Skyhawks manufactured.

Even though production had ended, the aircraft continues to actively serve in air forces around the globe today. #524 was retired from the Navy on August 5, 1994 completing a total of 6496.6 flight hours. The Collings Foundation acquired the Douglas TA-4J Skyhawk featured in the video through Congressional action in October 2000. In 2004, Number 524 was transported by truck to AvCraft in Myrtle Beach, SC for a restoration.

The video was shot in amazing 4k and 5.1 Dolby Surround Sound. Thanks to our friends at uniquephotoandvideo.com for sharing the footage.

The Royal International Air Tattoo Puts Europe’s Best Mix Of Military Aircraft On Display

Military History

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July 15, 2017

The Royal International Air Tattoo Puts Europe’s Best Mix Of Military Aircraft On Display

The Royal International Air Tattoo is a yearly event held at Royal Air Force (RAF) station Fairford in the UK. Each year the aircraft in attendance for the show are a cross-section of everything from civilian aircraft through warbirds and the latest military hardware. Arrivals for the show are often a good time for spotters and avgeeks to get a good look at which aircraft will be attending the show.

This video documents the arrivals for the 2017 version of RIAT ahead of the show that runs from July 14-16. There was a significant crosswind component on the active runway so some of the approaches and landings are “interesting.”

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Aircraft included in the video are a USAF Boeing B-52H Stratofortress, two USAF Lockheed U-2S Dragon Ladies, a RAF Embraer 500 Phenom 100E, a Textron Airland Scorpion Jet, a Gulfstream G550, a USAF Rockwell Boeing B-1B Lancer, a pair of French Dassault Rafales, several Lockheed C-130 Hercules airlifters, Saab J-39 Gripen jets, Aero L-39 Albatros jets, an EADS CASA C-295 airlifter, a couple of KC-135R tankers, a pair of Spanish Air Force Boeing EF-18A Hornets, and the Extra EZ-300Ls of the Royal Jordanian Air Force Falcons aerobatic team, one of whom experiences one of those interesting landings.

A Raytheon T-6A Texan II trainer makes an appearance, as do Alenia G.222 airlifters, the RAF King Air Display Team, French Mirage jets, Turkish F-16 Vipers, an RAF Tornado GR4, an Alenia Aermacchi M-346 Master trainer, and two of the few remaining operational F-4E Phantoms IIs from the Greek Air Force. That’s all the clues I’m willing to hand out. There are some very cool surprises in this video. Many of the aircraft are wearing special commemorative paint schemes too.

Take A Ride In This Pristine B-17G Flying Fortress Purchased For Just $5000 In 1959

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July 14, 2017

Take A Ride In This Pristine B-17G Flying Fortress Purchased For Just $5000 In 1959

The Boeing B-17G Madras Maiden, 44-8543 CN 7943-DL and registered as N3701G, was built by Lockheed-Vega and accepted by the United States Army Air Force at Lockheed-Vega’s plant in Burbank California on October 17, 1944. She was one of 2,750 B-17s built by Lockheed-Vega in partnership with Boeing. 44-8543 was first assigned to the Flight Test Branch at Wright Field in Dayton, Ohio. She was modified to be a Pathfinder aircraft and as such was equipped with the H2X Mickey (AN/APS-15) bomb-through-overcast radar system in place of the ventral ball turret. Between 1944 and 1959 44-8543 spent its entire military career as a research and development aircraft. She is the sole remaining Pathfinder B-17. Posted by Ed Whisenant, enjoy the video of his flight aboard Madras Maiden.

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As a military aircraft 44-8543 spent most of her time based in Ohio doing weather research and testing as well as being loaned out for other long-term test programs. Flown to the boneyard at Davis Monthan Air Force Base (AFB) in 1959, she was declared surplus the same year.

Purchased for the value price of $5,026 from the Air Force in August 1959, 44-8543 was registered as N3701G in 1960 (a value of about $42,000 in today’s dollars). She began a career unremarkable for B-17s flying during the 1960s, hauling produce between Florida and the Caribbean and doing what she could to eradicate fire ants as an aerial sprayer in Alabama. She was damaged in 1976 and sold three years later. Restored by the Vintage Flying Museum in Dallas and the Military Aviation Museum in Virginia Beach to her original military configuration and perfected by the Tillamook Air Museum in Oregon. Previously flown as Chuckie for several years, 44-8543 now wears the colors of the 381^st Bomb Group.

Tristar Experience L-1011 Lands Safely After Engine Issues

Airline News

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July 14, 2017

Tristar Experience L-1011 Lands Safely After Engine Issues

Rare L-1011 flight makes emergency return on what was supposed to be its last flight.

Update #1 7/15/2017: We received updated information that the jet made a precautionary return yesterday due to an oil pressure issue and a few other problems. After a few hours of maintenance, the jet was ready to go. The jet took off today again enroute from Tucson to Kansas City International. The planned flight takes it across New Mexico, the Panhnadle of Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas. Planned flight level is FL270. You can follow the flight here.

A Lockheed L-1011 TriStar on its first flight in over 15 years landed safely today in Tucson, Arizona after experiencing an “engine out” failure in the air over New Mexico shortly after takeoff from Tucson International Airport this afternoon.

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Profiles In Aviation: John Walmsley Was the Only Air Force Bomber Pilot Awarded the Medal of Honor In Korea

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July 13, 2017

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Profiles In Aviation: John Walmsley Was the Only Air Force Bomber Pilot Awarded the Medal of Honor In Korea

John Springer Walmsley Junior was born on January 7^th 1920 in Baltimore Maryland. He graduated from High School in Silver Springs in 1936 and attended the University of Maryland. In September of 1942 Walmsley enlisted in the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF). He was assigned to pilot training first at Maxwell Field in Alabama, then at Orangeburg in South Carolina, followed by Bush Field in Georgia, and finally Turner Field in Georgia where he received his wings and commission during November of 1943.

160408 D LN615 004 — Official US Air Force Photograph

First Overseas Assignment

Walmsley remained stationed at Turner Field as a flying instructor until the end of the war. During 1946 he transferred to Japan and spent the next three years as a bomber pilot in Douglas A-26 Invader medium bombers. Now an officer in the United States Air Force (USAF), Walmsley returned stateside from the Far East to attend the Air Tactical School at Tyndall Air Force Base in Florida, graduating in July of 1949. As a newly minted captain John became a specialist and worked with a series of air control and warning squadrons. He was also loaned to the Army at Fort Bragg in North Carolina for its training exercises, including Operation Swarmer, the 1950 mock invasion of the Eastern United States.

5th FAWS North American F 82F Twin Mustang 46 415 — 52nd FS P-82 Twin Mustang. Official US Air Force Photograph

Twin Mustang Pilot

Captain Walmsley was assigned to the 52^nd Fighter Wing Fighting Hawks to fly all-weather North American F-82 Twin Mustangs from McGuire AFB in New Jersey in February of 1951. In June of the same year John shipped out to Korea for duty with the 8^th Bomb Squadron Blackbirds of the 3^rd Bomb Group Grim Reapers Fifth Air Force flying Douglas B-26 Night Invaders. On June 27^th 1950 8^th Bomb Squadron B-26s flew the first Air Force bombing mission of the war from Yokota Air Base and staging from Iwakuni Air Base in western Japan.

B 26B 44 34350 8th BS 3rd BW Hernandez via Friddell

When Routine Was Anything But

When Walmsley returned to the Far East he joined the 8^th Bomb Squadron, then based at Kunsan Air Base (K-8) on the west coast of South Korea. Early on missions flown by the 8^th were generally routine bombing runs dropping 260 pound fragmentation bombs and shooting at targets of opportunity with the B-26’s wing-mounted .50 caliber machine guns. During the summer of 1951, the United Nations (UN) and North Korea seemed to be nearing a truce. However, as the negotiations continued, North Korean and Chinese troops began moving supplies to the front lines while negotiations were taking place- especially at night.

Strangling Enemy Supply Lines

The UN countered with Operation Strangle. This was a new interdiction campaign designed to attack supply lines using arc lights attached to the undersides of the B-26s. These super-bright lamps (80 million candlepower worth) would enable the B-26s to spot movement of trucks, personnel, and trains at night but would also draw fire from every Communist weapon on the ground that could be brought to bear. The North Korean and Chinese trains were heavily fortified as were the valleys through which the train tracks were laid and the roads snaked.

Getting Theirs at Night

Captain John Walmsley was one of the first pilots to volunteer for the dangerous mission. And so it began. The Night Invader pilot and crew flew 20 arc light missions and only three others. At this point in the war it would have taken about 60 missions to earn rotation out of the war zone and back the States. Emboldened by a successful 24th mission during which he attacked a convoy with 500 pound bombs and destroyed or damaged 16 trucks, John decided to fly his B-26 “Skillful 13” (tail number 44-34314) on a mission into North Korea alone on September 12^th 1951.

B 26C 44 34167 8th BS 3rd BW Hernandez via Friddell

Working on the Railroad

Walmsley’s September 14^th mission, his 25th, began as they usually did. Along with him in Skillful 13 that night were bombardier/navigator Second Lieutenant William D. Mulkins, photomapper Captain Philip W. Browning, and air gunner Master Sergeant George Morar. Nearly 100 miles behind enemy lines, they spotted an armed train moving supplies. Skillful 13 expended all available ordnance but only managed to damage the train. Walmsley called in a second Night Invader from Kunsan to finish the train off. When the second B-26 arrived Walmsley turned on his arc lights to illuminate the target for the newly arrived bomber.

Heroic Deeds Cost More Than One Hero’s Life

Walmsley flew over the armed locomotive no less than three times, illuminating it but receiving heavy and accurate antiaircraft fire from both the train and enemy emplacements along the rail line. Walmsley not only illuminated the train but also allowed his aircraft to absorb most of the antiaircraft fire. This allowed the other B-26 to finish off the train. But Walmsley’s aircraft was severely damaged. He was able to make it only about two miles from the now-destroyed train before hitting the ground. The only survivor of the crew was the gunner Morar, who was severely burned but survived the crash itself and was taken prisoner. He survived the war. Four weeks later the arc lights were removed from all UN aircraft and not used again during the Korean War.

B 26C 44 34687 44 34180 8th BS 3rd BW Hernandez via Friddell

Unique Recipients of The Medal

Walmsley’s crew each received a Distinguished Flying Cross for extraordinary heroism. Walmsley however, was awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously on June 12^th 1954. Walmsley’s widow, Flora Katherine, was presented with the Medal of Honor on that date at Bolling AFB in Washington, D.C. Walmsley was one of four USAF personnel awarded the Medal of Honor in the Korean War. All four were pilots who were killed in action. They were the only members of the USAF to receive the Army version of the medal because the USAF version was created later and not awarded until the Vietnam War. In recognition of the Wing’s distinguished service, the 3rd Bomb Wing was assigned to fly the very last bombing mission over North Korea an entire war after they flew the first bombing mission and only minutes before implementation of the ceasefire of July 27th 1953. John Walmsley would have approved.

Medal of Honor Citation

Capt. Walmsley, distinguished himself by conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. While flying a B-26 aircraft on a night combat mission with the objective of developing new tactics, Capt. Walmsley sighted an enemy supply train which had been assigned top priority as a target of opportunity. He immediately attacked, producing a strike which disabled the train, and, when his ammunition was expended, radioed for friendly aircraft in the area to complete destruction of the target. Employing the searchlight mounted on his aircraft, he guided another B-26 aircraft to the target area, meanwhile constantly exposing himself to enemy fire. Directing an incoming B-26 pilot, he twice boldly aligned himself with the target, his searchlight illuminating the area, in a determined effort to give the attacking aircraft full visibility. As the friendly aircraft prepared for the attack, Capt. Walmsley descended into the valley in a low level run over the target with searchlight blazing, selflessly exposing himself to vicious enemy antiaircraft fire. In his determination to inflict maximum damage on the enemy, he refused to employ evasive tactics and valiantly pressed forward straight through an intense barrage, thus insuring complete destruction of the enemy’s vitally needed war cargo. While he courageously pressed his attack Capt. Walmsley’s plane was hit and crashed into the surrounding mountains, exploding upon impact. His heroic initiative and daring aggressiveness in completing this important mission in the face of overwhelming opposition and at the risk of his life, reflects the highest credit upon himself and the U.S. Air Force.

Here’s some nice video footage of an operational B-26 Invader produced in 2016.

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Navy’s SCORPIONS in Australia for Talisman Saber 2017

Military History

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July 13, 2017