At Avgeekery, we’ve watched and reported on the disaster of Hurricane Harvey and the multi-faceted efforts to rescue those affected. While the human suffering is immense, there have been some amazing videos highlighting the heroism of first responders and by the activated National Guard and US Military. Here’s our full recap of the coverage thus far:
The UK Aircraft Spotter’s Ultimate Haven
Manchester International Airport (EGCC) has a special attraction in store for aviation fans. It’s home to the Runway Visitors Park, a unique location for aircraft enthusiasts to watch departing and arriving aircraft, and tour a host of historic aircraft including the British Airways Concorde, RAF Nimrod, Monarch DC-10 and BEA Trident. It’s also home to The Aviation Shop, where aficionados can shop for aircraft models and aviation related gifts. The park is located lies just off Wilmslow Road, and is a must see for aviation fanatics.
An Aircraft Spotter’s Heaven
The park is a must see for aviation spotters and photographers and provides an excellent viewing platform. Both of the airports runways are also visible from the viewing area. With over 500 aircraft movements per day, you can catch a glimpse a variety of aircraft ranging from the ATR-72 to Boeing 787.
Concorde Hangar
The British Airways Concorde G-BOAC is a must see for park visitors. The aircraft entered service in 1975 and transversed the globe for nearly 25 years. Visitors can tour the aircraft from nose to tail and even have the opportunity to sit in the seat in the flight deck. You may even catch one of the former Concorde pilots in the hangar! There is also a wonderful coffeeshop and cafe located next door!
The Aviation Shop
For model collectors and aviation memorabilia enthusiasts, The Aviation Shop offers a wide range of aviation gifts and accessories.
Static Aircraft Displays
Aside from the British Airways Concorde, the Runway Visitors Park features several outdoor static aircraft displays including the RAF Nimrod, BAE Trident, Monarch DC-10 and Avro RJX.
For more information you can visit the Runway Visitors Park Website by clicking on the link below!
Click Here for the Runway Visitors Park Website!
Article by Donald Gardner
Donald Gardner is the Founder and Editor of The Diecast Flier, a hub for model collectors and enthusiasts worldwide. The Diecast Flier features the latest model aircraft news, reviews manufacturer interviews and more. Click here to visit The Diecast Flier!
Special Paint Schemes On Fighter Jets Is The Uniform Of The Day As Oregon ANG Hosts Exercise
Exercise Sentry Eagle 2017 was the 30th time the large-force tactical exercise has taken place. The biennial event drew 48 visiting Air Force and Navy aircraft from around the country. Boeing F-15C and F-15D Eagle fighters attended the event from the hosting 173rd Fighter Wing (FW), Oregon Air National Guard (ANG) Eagles based at Kingsley Field Air National Guard Base (ANGB) near Klamath Falls.
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The Eagles prepared a specially-adorned Eagle that was hands-down the best looking F-15 at the event. Additional F-15Cs and F-15Ds attended the exercise from the 144th FW, California ANG Griffins based at Fresno ANGB and the 142nd FW Oregon ANG Redhawks based at Portland ANGB. Thanks to YouTuber Habujet for uploading this video.
In addition to the Eagles attending the exercise, General Dynamics F-16C Vipers from the 149th FW, Texas ANG Lone Star Gunfighters based at Kelly Field Annex, from the 54th FG based at Holloman AFB in New Mexico, from the Air Force Reserve (AFRES) 419th FW based at Hill AFB in Utah, and from the 162nd FW, Arizona ANG based at Tucson ANGB attended the exercise. The 149th recently celebrated their 70th Anniversary in style with a special paint job on their best-of-show F-16.
Also attending the exercise were Navy Boeing F/A-18E Super Hornets from Strike Fighter Squadron TWO FIVE (VFA-25) Fist of the Fleet with Carrier Air Wing SEVEN (CVW-7) and from VFA-151 Argonauts with CVW-9, both based at Naval Air Station (NAS) Lemoore in California. Rounding out the attending tactical aircraft were 56th OG Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning IIs from Luke AFB in Arizona. The passing of gas to the tactical jets was performed by the 116th Air Refueling Squadron Ace of Spaces, 141st Air Refueling Wing (ARW), Washington ANG Boeing KC-135R Stratotankers based at Fairchild AFB near Spokane.
Incredible! Italian Air Force C-27 Flying Upside Down At RIAT 2017
Last month visitors of the Amazing Royal International Air Tattoo 2017 (RIAT) in the UK witnessed a spectacular aerobatic display from the Italian C-27J Spartan, featuring many maneuvers not usually seen performed by an airlift aircraft. It even flew upside down, wich is a spectacular and incredible maneuver to perform with a military transport aircraft, like the C-27J.
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From JERRY TAHA PRODUCTIONS comes this amazing video. The video shows the C-27 performing this incredible upside down maneuver.
Not surprisingly, given the fact of its being a product of Italian firm Alenia Aermacchi, the Italian Air Force was the first country to begin operating the twin-turboprop C-27J medium transport, doing so in 2006. It has since largely replaced the Aeritalia C-222, previously G222 (C-27A Spartan in U.S. service) on which the Spartan was based, and taken part in multi-national operations, not least in Afghanistan.
The C-27J Spartan is equipped with the engines and various other systems also used on the larger Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules. In addition to the standard transport configuration, specialized variants of the C-27J have been developed for maritime patrol, search and rescue, C3 ISR (command, control, communications, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance), fire support and electronic warfare and ground-attack missions.
In 2007, the C-27J was selected as the Joint Cargo Aircraft (JCA) for the United States military; these were produced in an international teaming arrangement under which L-3 Communications served as the prime contractor. In 2012, the U.S. Air Force elected to retire the C-27J after only a short service life due to budget cuts; they were later reassigned to the U.S. Coast Guard and U.S.Special Operations Command. The C-27J has also been ordered by the military air units of Australia, Italy, Greece, Bulgaria, Lithuania, Mexico, Morocco, Romania, Peru, and Slovakia.
Video and story courtesy of Jerry Taha, a dedicated avgeek, writer, and videographer.
Just Try Not To Bust A Gut Watching This Absolutely Hilarious ENJJPT Class Video
The Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training Program (ENJJPT) has been turning out fledgling jet pilots for the United States Air Force and our NATO allies since 1981. Many of the classes passing through ENJJPT produce a video chronicling their experiences in the program. Many of these videos are funny, some are well beyond funny, and a few are downright hilarious. This video, produced by class Class 01-08 and entitled “The Video That Started A Tradition”, is one of the hilarious ones. Thanks to YouTuber robertf16 for uploading this LOL-worthy look at ENJJPT as seen through the eyes of its multi-national students.
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ENJJPT has been extended many times and expanded even more often. In 2016 the program added Romania as its 14th partner and was extended through 2026. The USAF hosts the program at Sheppard Air Force Base (AFB) in near Wichita Falls in Texas and provides the wing commander, vice commander, and operations group commander in the top three leadership positions.
Officers from all 14 participating nations fill positions throughout the wing. Because of the multi-national nature of the staff, during the 55 week program an American student pilot might have a Belgian instructor pilot, a Dutch flight commander, a Turkish section commander, an Italian operations officer, and a German squadron commander.
43 States Have Sent Military Personnel To Help With The Aftermath Of Hurricane Harvey
The rescue of a 98 year old woman by Air Force helicopter exemplifies the challenging conditions that our nation’s heroes face.
We’ve already done a few stories about Hurricane Harvey and the search and rescue / recovery assistance the military has provided in the affected areas. Texas Governor Greg Abbott has said that military assistance has been provided by 43 states so far. Abbott called up the entire 12,000-member Texas National Guard to assist with the recovery efforts and the other state National Guard units are working alongside Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and Coast Guard assets to provide manpower, equipment, and support. Here’s a video from The US Army YouTube channel.
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Air National Guard (ANG) units in Texas include the 176th Rescue Wing of the Alaska ANG, the 129th Rescue Wing of the California ANG, the 106th Rescue Wing of the New York ANG, the 920th Rescue Wing of the Florida ANG, the 103rd Airlift Wing of the Connecticut ANG, and the 125th Special Tactics Squadron of the Oregon ANG. Army National Guard helicopters and hundreds of personnel from Arizona, Utah, Nebraska, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Florida, Louisiana, and other states have and still are performing not only search and rescue missions but also bridging, water rescue, logistics movement, airfield openings and medical water purification tasks. Here’s a video from the CBS News YouTube channel.
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The Texas Army National Guard still has more than 20 helicopters working search and rescue and evacuation missions in Southeast Texas. Roughly 70 Sikorsky UH-60 Blackhawks, Eurocopter UH-72 Lakotas, and Boeing CH-47 Chinooks in Army colors are sharing the skies with Air Force Sikorsky HH-60G Pave Hawk, Navy Sikorsky MH-60S Knighthawk, and a total of some 39 Coast Guard Sikorsky MH-60T Jayhawk and Aerospatiale / Eurocopter MH-65 Dauphin helicopters. Add helicopters from the local Police, State, and Federal law enforcement agencies to the mix and it’s fair to say there are more than a hundred helicopters in the skies over Texas at any given time. Here’s a video from the CBS This Morning YouTube channel.
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Fixed-wing aircraft assisting with the aftermath of Harvey include Coast Guard Lockheed HC-130J Hercules and CASA HC-144A Ocean Sentry search and rescue aircraft, Air Force KC-130 and HC-130 Hercules tankers and transports, Air Force C-17 Globemaster III airlifters, and even Boeing E-3 AWACS and E-8 JSTARS surveillance aircraft and at least one McDonnell Douglas (Boeing) KC-10 Extender tanker too. The Air Force has also sent elements of the 347th Rescue Group including personnel from the the 38th and 41st Rescue Squadrons to the area.
In addition to the Navy MH-60S Knighthawk helicopters already in the area from HSC-7 Dusty Dogs and HSC-28 Dragon Whales, the service has dispatched the assault carrier USS Kearsarge (LHD-3) and the dock landing ship USS Oak Hill (LSD-51) with about 700 members of Marine Expeditionary Unit 26 to the area for relief assistance. The Marine Corps Reserve has sent Bell UH-1Y Venom helicopters from Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 773 Red Dogs to the region. Other Marine Corps assets in the area include inflatable boats, 7-ton trucks and other high-water vehicles, and even AAVP7 tracked armored personnel carriers- which look awesome driving / floating around flooded city streets!
The Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) has provided generators and 50,000 gallons of both gasoline and diesel fuel to keep the various military vehicles running. All told there are, in addition to the 12,000 members of the Texas Army National Guard, more active-duty personnel deployed in or prepared to deploy to the region. The Army has stated that more than 16,000 personnel from 23 states are involved. As search and rescue / recovery efforts continue it is important to note that the flooding in the Houston, Beaumont, and western Louisiana regions is not expected to subside not for days, but for weeks.
Air Force X-37B space shuttle to launch Thursday from Kennedy Space Center
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — The U.S. Air Force officially announced on Thursday the firm launch date for the next mission of the unmanned military research space shuttle scheduled to make its first flight riding a top a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.
The Air Force X-37B space plane is scheduled to lift-off from the Kennedy Space Center on Thursday to begin the program’s fifth experimental flight, and the first launched by SpaceX. The first four missions were launch by a United Launch Alliance Atlas V from Cape Canaveral AFS.
The military nor SpaceX would release the exact launch time or window due to security surrounding the mission.
This will be the third flight of the first autonomous Boeing-built X-37B spacecraft, and is expected to spend over one year soaring around the planet between 400 to 600 miles above. The Sept. 7 launch will also mark the fifth mission flown by both OTV’s to test new technologies and spacecraft systems in orbit.
“The many firsts on this mission make the upcoming OTV launch a milestone for the program,” Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office director Randy Walden said on Friday. “It is our goal to continue advancing the X-37B OTV so it can more fully support the growing space community.”
The Air Force refers to the Kennedy Space Center as the ‘Home of the X-37B’, with a specialized post-flight refurbishment hanger, and the capability to support OTV launches.
Next week’s launch will begin exactly four months following the conclusion of the fourth flight which lasted 718 days in space. Combined all four missions have loged 2,085 days in low Earth orbit.
“This mission carries small satellite ride shares and will demonstrate greater opportunities for rapid space access and on-orbit testing of emerging space technologies,” the Air Force added on Friday. “Building upon the fourth mission and previous collaboration with experiment partners, this mission will host the Air Force Research Laboratory Advanced Structurally Embedded Thermal Spreader payload to test experimental electronics and oscillating heat pipe technologies in the long duration space environment.”
The delta-winged craft’s launch from America’s Spaceport will occur from historic pad 39-A — the same launch pad which saw NASA’s Apollo moon missions and the space shuttle program launch from. Today, 39-A has been refurbished to support the Falcon 9 flights, and will be tested in 2018 to support the return of human-rated Dragon spacecraft designed to carry astronauts to the International Space Station.
The belly of the mini-space shuttle is protected with a black thermal protection system designed by NASA. Aligned with protective black and white thermal tiles, the mini space shuttle has a wing span of 14 feet, 11 inches from tip to tip.
About ten minutes following the Falcon 9 launch, it’s seperated first stage is scheduled to land back at Cape Canaveral.
(Charles Atkeison reports on aerospace and technology. Follow his updates via social media @Military_Flight.)
Remember When American Airlines Touted Its Brand New Boeing 707 Astrojet?
It Was the Golden Age of Air Travel
The film “The 707 Astrojet” was produced in 1961 by American Airlines and Pratt & Whitney Aircraft to introduce the flying public to their turbofan-powered Boeing 707 in American Airlines Astrojet colors. The film explains the unique aspects of the 707 and the experiences a passenger aboard one of the new jets would be likely to have. As you might expect, the principles behind the newly fitted Pratt & Whitney JT3D-1 turbofan engines are explained succinctly and understandably. Thanks to YouTuber PeriscopeFilm for uploading this time capsule film from a simpler age.
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The Luxurious Astrojet
American Airlines flew 707s between 1959 and 1981. The 707 was AA’s first jet-powered equipment. The Astrojet livery was actually fairly short-lived, but the polish and paint job has been used on at least one Boeing 757 and a couple of Boeing 737 “retro-jets” in the years since the original Astrojet livery was replaced beginning in the late 1960s. Tragically on March 1st 1962, American Airlines Flight 1, a Boeing 707-123B Astrojet (registration N7506A) bound for Los Angeles (LAX), crashed due to mechanical failure two minutes after takeoff from Idlewild Airport (now John F Kennedy JFK) in New York with the loss of all on board.
Watch How Lockheed Martin Breathes New Life Into P-3s From The Boneyard
The Lockheed Martin video “P-3 Orion Desert to Delivery” describes the transportation and refurbishment process used to pull P-3 Orion aircraft from the storage areas at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Recovery Group (otherwise known as the boneyard) at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base (AFB) for wing replacement and refurbishment so they can be returned to service. P-3s might be well on their way to being replaced by the Boeing P-8A Poseidon, but they are certainly not done yet. Thanks to LockheedMartinVideos for uploading this look at the effort to keep veteran but still viable aircraft going strong.
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The aircraft featured in the video (Bureau Number 158920) was delivered to the United States Navy on July 11th 1973. It was eventually reworked to P-3C Update III Mod specifications. The aircraft spent time with Patrol Squadron FOUR NINE (VP-49) Woodpeckers and VP-16 War Eagles before being stricken from the US Navy’s list on 11/2/2004.
The aircraft then served with the Taiwanese Air Force 33rd Squadron. After the airframe was returned to the United States it was stored at AMARG as AN2P0215. After its refurbishment at the Lockheed Martin facility the aircraft entered service with the United States Customs and Border Protection Service’s Air and Marine Operations (AMO) group as a Long Range Tracker (LRT) aircraft, most of whose P-3s have been re-winged.
These Are The Navy and Air Force Helicopters Supporting The Massive Military Assistance To Help Harvey Victims
US Navy Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron SEVEN (HSC-7) Dusty Dogs Sikorsky MH-60S Knighthawk and US Air Force (USAF) 48th Rescue Squadron Sikorsky HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopters are flying joint wide-area search and rescue (SAR) sorties in support of search and rescue operations in the areas of Southeast Texas affected by Hurricane Harvey. The helos are staging out of Easterwood Airport in College Station, Texas.
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The Dusty Dogs are normally a part of Carrier Air Wing THREE (CVW-3) but were detached and sent to the area along with additional Knighthawk rotorcraft from HSC-28 Dragon Whales. The USAF 48th Rescue Squadron Night Riders are a part of the 563rd Rescue Group, 23rd Air Force and are normally based at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base (AFB) near Tucson in Arizona. These videos were uploaded on the US Navy YouTube page.
This is the “B-roll” from the footage shot for the clip above.
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This is a short clip of rescue operations conducted by HSC-7.
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VIDEO: Dream Chaser Flies for Captive Carry Test over Edwards AFB
The engineering test article for Sierra Nevada Corporation’s Dream Chaser ‘spaceplane’ took to the skies on Aug 30 over NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center, located at Edwards Air Force Base, CA, conducting a “Captive Carry” test while attached to a Chinook helicopter.
“We are very pleased with results from the Captive Carry test, and everything we have seen points to a successful test with useful data for the next round of testing,” said Lee “Bru” Archambault, SNC’s director of flight operations for the Dream Chaser program.
Watch As The Military Converges On The Texas Gulf Coast In Response To Hurricane Harvey
This video highlights just some of the United States military’s mobilization in response to Hurricane Harvey along the Texas Coast. Every branch of the armed services are in place and working in the disaster zone. Elements of the Air National Guard (ANG) 176th Wing based at Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson in Alaska load up a Boeing C-17 Globemaster III with supplies and equipment and take off for Texas first. Next, a Coast Guard Sikorsky MH-60 Jayhawk based at Coast Guard Air Station San Diego sets out toward the catastrophe. Rescue footage shot aboard Coast Guard helicopters and small boats and Texas Army National Guard boats and high-water vehicles rounds out the footage. Thanks to YouTuber Gung Ho Vids for uploading this clip.
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There also are 16 UH-60 Blackhawk and CH-47 Chinook helicopters from the Texas Army National Guard conducting day and night wide area SAR missions along the Texas coast from Corpus Christi to Houston. The Department of Defense has also brought in and deployed dozens of Army and Marine Corps search and rescue (SAR) teams and scores of Coast Guard and other SAR-capable helicopters and supporting fixed-wing aircraft. The New York ANG and Alaska ANG have committed HC-130J Hercules and Boeing C-17 Globemaster III airlifters. The California ANG and Utah, Nebraska, and North Carolina Army National Guards are also assisting in the SAR efforts. Navy Helicopter Sea Combat Squadrons SEVEN (HSC-7) Dusty Dogs and HSC-28 Dragon Whales made their way to the Gulf Coast from Norfolk to assist in rescue and recovery efforts as well.
After forming as a tropical storm in the Gulf of Mexico, Hurricane Harvey came ashore as a Category 4 hurricane packing winds of more than 130 miles per hour at 2145 local time on Friday 8/25/2017. The storm devastated several coastal towns and did damage to towns along the entire upper Texas coast and as far inland as Austin and San Antonio. Because no weather systems were in place to “steer” the storm away from its point of landfall, the storm proceeded to meander and dump several feet of rain over thousands of square Texas miles. Houston and the entire surrounding area have been inundated by floodwaters. Louisiana has also been subjected to heavy rains and flooding by Harvey.
Here’s a bonus video of the damage done to the coastal town of Rockport which took a direct hit from the eyewall of Harvey.
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Commercial Flights In Houston Come to a Screeching Halt After Hurricane Harvey, Airline Losses Expected
Commercial air traffic into and out of the fourth most populous city in America has come to a standstill as Texas residents suffer the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, one of the worst natural disasters in Texas history. The FAA is speculating that George Bush Intercontinental Airport is set to resume at least partial operations by Thursday afternoon. However airport officials are warning that this plan is tentative and dependent upon many factors, not the least of which is the ability of would-be airline passengers to travel to the airport. Many roads leading to and surrounding IAH remain flooded or closed, including 59 and Will Clayton at the airport exit. The William P. Hobby Airport is not faring any better and has announced via Twitter that operations there should resume by Wednesday but airport officials have still not made a firm commitment.
Commercial flight cancellations are wreaking havoc on the US. airline industry as a whole. Southwest Airlines has been forced to cancel over 330 flights thus far, with more cancellations being added daily. That represents 8% of Southwest’s worldwide flights Monday, according to tracking website FlightAware. United Airlines’ second-largest hub is located in Houston and it has been one of the hardest hit, canceling 462 flights or 19% of its flights Monday. The projected financial losses for United could more than double the $125 million loss experienced by Delta Air Lines when it was forced to cancel over 4,000 flights out of Hartsfield Jackson International Airport after heavy storms in Atlanta in April.
HOBBY AIRPORT: This is a flooded runway and the roads just outside the airport. @abc13houston #HurricaneHarvey pic.twitter.com/GdILessABw
— Foti Kallergis (@FotiABC13) August 27, 2017
United stock has already fallen 13 percent this year through Monday. Southwest is expected to lose as much as $77 million in the third quarter since it is one of the major carriers out of William P. Hobby airport, according to a report out Tuesday from Helane Becker of Cowen & Co. Spirit Airlines, a discount operator, is also preparing to take an $11 million hit.
Meantime, President Trump paid a visit to the affected areas Tuesday, landing in Corpus Cristi and then traveling to Austin. At least 13 deaths are attributed to Hurricane Harvey so far and more than 1 million Houston residents remain homeless. Scores of families left destitute are piled into the George R. Brown convention center, as temporary housing facilities are bursting at the seams.
The Coast Guard has provided fixed-wing aircraft, such as the C-130, to bring life-saving supplies like bottled water and non-perishable food items to the evacuees. The Texas National Guard is fully deployed to assist with recovery. The Army Times reports that 16 National Guard helicopters have joined in the around-the-clock search and rescue missions, including 10 UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters, four UH-72 Lakotas and two CH-47 Chinooks. Guard Bureau Sgt. 1st Class Mike Houk says that the New York Air National Guard has contributed one C-130, two C-17s and three HH-60s to the effort which is bringing together rescue teams from around the country. Monday, helicopters from as far away as Utah and North Carolina will descend on the area to assist with recovery operations. Read more about the rescue here.
Watch The Film Intended To Portray The Peacemaker As A Nightmare For The Reds
Target: Peace is a film produced by Consolidated Vultee in 1949 to introduce the American public (and the Russians) to their new B-36 Peacemaker strategic bomber. The film is dedicated at the outset to the 8th and 15th Air Forces of the Strategic Air Command (SAC). Similar to other films of the time, the piece does its level best to promote and reinforce the concept that effective deterrence starts with the idea that retaliation against a potential attacker would be far worse than any damage an attacker might do to the United States. Such were the times and the logic of them.
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The B-36 entered service with SAC in 1948 and many aspects of the new (at the time) bomber are shown in the film. From the design, assembly, and overall manufacture of the huge aircraft to Consolidated Vultee management and SAC utilization of the Peacemaker, the film does a great job of telling the audience how impressive the engineering effort needed to create the B-36 really was.
While the Peacemaker only served as SAC’s primary strategic bomber for a few years, it was the most impressive mass-produced propeller-driven aircraft ever built. Thanks to YouTuber PeriscopeFilm for uploading this great look at a great aircraft.
The Blue Angels Flew Grumman F11F Tigers–Their First Supersonic Ride
When this film was made by Grumman during the late 1950s, the United States Navy Precision Flight Demonstration Team, otherwise known as the Blue Angels, was flying the Grumman F11F Tiger. The film is narrated by former Navy pilot and actor Robert Taylor. Because the Navy always pulled pilots from fleet squadrons in order to build the Blue Angels rosters, the film also makes the point that although the pilots in the Tigers might be wearing the Blue Angels patch today, they could easily be assigned to operational fleet squadrons tomorrow.
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The film introduces each of the Blue Angels pilots flying with the team at the time the film was made. Footage of the Blues flying their Tigers is simply awesome, and there’s also footage of some of the training the pilots received while earning their Navy wings of gold. Explanations of the maneuvers the team flies provide some understanding of the expertise required to fly with the Blues. The team operated Grumman’s Tiger between 1957 and 1969. Thanks to YouTuber PeriscopeFilm for uploading this Blue Angels time capsule.
Watch “The Hawk” And Her Air Wing Kick Ass During Their 1972 WESTPAC
Carrier Air Wing ELEVEN (CVW-11) broke all the previous records for combat sorties flown and ordnance delivered during its sixth WESTPAC deployment aboard the carrier USS Kitty Hawk (CVA-63) from November 6th 1970 to July 17th 1971. But CVW-11 would go to war aboard the Battle Cat again in 1972, and during that seventh WESTPAC CVW-11 broke its own records again. Though deployed early due to the 1972 Communist offensive, CVW-11 took a total of 107 aircraft aboard the Kitty Hawk to form the world’s largest Carrier Air Wing. These four (silent) videos were shot during that record-setting deployment. If you were there this is must-see footage!
Part 1
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From February 19th 1972 to November 28th 1972, CVW-11 consisted of VF-114 Aardvarks and VF-213 Black Lions flying the McDonnell Douglas F-4J Phantom II, VA-195 Dambusters and VA-192 World Famous Golden Dragons flying the Vought A-7E Corsair II, VA-52 Knightriders flying Grumman A-6A/B and KA-6D Intruders, RVAH-7 Peacemakers flying the North American RA-5C Vigilante, VAW-114 Hormel Hawgs flying the Grumman E-2B Hawkeye, VAQ-135 Black Ravens Detachment 1 flying the Douglas EKA-3B Skywarrior, HC-1 Pacific Fleet Angels Detachment 1 flying Sikorsky SH-3G Sea Kings, and HC-7 Sea Devils Det 110 flying Sikorsky HH-3A Sea Kings configured for combat search and rescue (CSAR).
Part 2
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The Hawk was flying sorties day and night during 1972 and there was at least one member of VAQ-135 who shot plenty of air-to-air and flight operations footage aboard the carrier during that seventh WESTPAC. These videos include cat shots and traps of every type of aircraft deployed with CVW-11 (even COD deck run launches) as well as footage shot during port calls (Subic Bay in the Philippines, Hong Kong, and Sasebo in Japan) as well as places like Da Nang in South Vietnam and other “feet dry” installations. Thanks to YouTuber D . Sturgeon for uploading these priceless looks at the Navy’s leading edge circa 1972.
Part 3
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Part 4
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Virgin America Celebrates 10 years of Hipster Flying Before The Airline Fades To History
Virgin America is celebrating 10 years of bringing a rockin vibe to flying! On August 8th, 2007 the airline flew its first flight between San Francisco International Airport and Los Angeles International Airport.
Teammate Chris Garlington, a Guest Services team member in LAX, created this tribute video to celebrate the occasion. It’s pretty impressive!
Chris highlighted the contributions of many teammates, guests & friends who contributed their own stories and video clips to tell the story of this ambitious young airline.
The Virgin America culture is going to live on through people that create ‘Wow’ like this!
Virgin America, known for purple cabins, RED inflight entertainment system, and a hip culture set a new standard for inflight service. The airline has 65 Airbus A320 series aircraft including the new Airbus A321NEO.
In 2016, the company officially was acquired by Alaska Airlines. Virgin America is currently in the process of integrating with Alaska Airlines. By 2019, the Virgin America brand will disappear completely as their Airbus fleet will be repainted and cabins standardized to Alaska standard.
Blue Angels Buzz Downtown Chicago Building–It Was Epic!
I don’t know about you. I usually hate the word epic. Some people apply the word to things that aren’t truly epic. “Epic bagel, bro.” Probably not. But there was one thing that was truly epic–The Blue Angels performance at the Chicago Air And Sea Show.
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The Blue Angels, known for their tight formation flying and sneak pass sure know how to put on a great show. One of the most impressive sights is how they fly low and fast near the downtown buildings. In one of their formation passes, 4 F/A-18s passed BELOW the rooftop of the building. The HD camera footage is incredible. It’s only an 8 second clip, but I can guarantee that you’ll watch it more than once. Special thanks to our friends at Airshowstuff.com for the footage.
The Blue Angels team, based in Pensacola, still have a number of performances remaining in the season. The 2017 season concludes on the weekend of November 11-12th with an airshow at their home station in Pensacola.
This Is What Happens When You Forget To Remove The Gust Lock On Your Plane
On a bright and sunny day in 2004, a Ford Trimotor replica plane (known as a Bushmaster 2000) took to the skies. It should’ve been an enjoyable flight at an airshow. The flight didn’t end well. No pilot expects to encounter a bad day, but every pilot knows that risk is always part of the equation in an aircraft. To counter the risk, pilots are taught to meticulously follow their checklists. Each step is an important check to ensure that the jet is properly configured and ready to fly. Including the gust lock.
In this case, the pilot missed a critical step. The crash on September 25, 2004, was caused by pilot error due to the pilot not removing the gust lock from the tail during pre-flight. This resulted in the plane rapidly rolling to the left on takeoff and crashing into an adjacent parking lot.
Both pilots were critically injured. Two women in a nearby car received minor injuries during the crash. The crash serves as an unfortunate reminder that checklist discipline and a comprehensive preflight is crucial to safe operations. One critical oversight led to the destruction of a beautiful aircraft.
The original Ford Trimotor, nicknamed the “Tin Goose” is an American 3 engine transport aircraft that entered production in 1925. It has saw many years of service in both civil and military aviation and was sold around the world. The plane was always regarded as reliable and dependable. At one-time Ford ads proclaimed, “No Ford plane has yet worn out in service.” A statement that rings true as “Tin Goose” tri-motors are still seen in air shows around the world today.
The Hidden Area Where A380 Cabin Crew Rest
When you are crewing an A380, the world’s largest airliner, on a 12+ hour flight, where do you rest?
The A380 might not be a commercial success, but it is an amazing aircraft and a technological marvel. It is the only airliner with two full decks. Some airliners have outfitted it with full size beds and showers so the most elite customers can rest and relax.
There is one area of the massive aircraft that isn’t that well known. Down a narrow stairway, there is a place where the cabin crew can rest and relax while on long flights. It is equipped with bunks and restrooms. Curtains separate the bunks and provide a bit of privacy for the crew.
Compared to the crew rest area on other jetliners, the A380 crew area is surprisingly roomy and quiet. It might not be hotel quality, but it provides a highly desirable escape from the masses of grumpy passengers in coach.