How and Why I Became a Military Writer

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I was consumed with an overwhelming desire to tell the story of the men who gave so much of themselves in the Vietnam War, the most unpopular war in American history. I wrote because I wanted these men to live in more than the minds of their loved ones or their comrades, I wanted them to live in the minds of the next generation and to inspire those who are considering joining the aviation community.
Wright Flyer

Aviation at the leading edge of science

Charles was onboard with Nicholas Robert when his hydrogen balloon made its first flight on December 1, 1783.  The Charlière flew farther, higher, and longer than the Montgolfiere had done two weeks earlier.  When they eventually touched down, Nicholas Robert got out, and the balloon immediately went up again, making Charles the first man to fly solo. 

Challenges in Vietnam

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Firebug told the flight mechanic to use a nozzle of the second fire extinguisher to open the fire door, and if he still saw flames, to discharge the whole fire extinguisher into the compartment. He then told the load master to get the fire extinguisher from the cockpit.
waco

A Long Buried Story Resurfaces

The first landing and takeoff were uneventful. The second sequence was another matter. The Robin made a good landing, taxied forward a short distance, and accelerated to take off. A Fleet biplane, one of a highly regarded line of primary trainers powered by a Kinner radial engine, stood directly in my grandfather's path facing in the same direction.
Air Force Museum

General Aviation Accessible Aviation Museum Directory

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I eventually compiled a list of 176 on-airport aviation museums in the U.S. and some in Canada – all of which can be accessed without the need to rent a car or pay for a ride. I contacted most of the museums to confirm that a pilot could land at the airport and either park at the museum or walk to the museum.
C-123 landing

Drop missions: aerial delivery

I rolled into a turn to the right to line up with the drop point. We were hit by ground fire and the sound did not resemble a rock hitting a tin can that we normally heard. The round had come through the window of the right front door of the aircraft and hit a litter stanchion. After continuing the mission and landing back at Saigon, one of the Vietnamese kickers came up and handed me some shrapnel.
P-47 Thunderbolt

Old men: from Lindbergh’s flight to the horrors of World War II

It was not long before draft notices arrived in the mail of all young men. It was not a question of if you would receive one, but of when. Many decided to enlist and hope for the choice of which branch they would serve in, instead of waiting to see where they would be placed. For my brother there was never a question: if he was going to serve, his choice would be as a pilot.
G100UL vs avgas

Lead-free avgas STC—a historical preview?

The FAA has granted an STC to GAMI allowing use of its new lead-free avgas formulation in all piston engines. That seems like a slam dunk win for lead-free fuel, something that has eluded general aviation for decades. But there is at least one precedent of how an STC for a vital piston engine fluid can go wrong.
Four Winds

The Four Winds: Spain’s record-setting flight to Cuba in 1933

On June 10, 1933, two Spanish officers departed Tablada Aerodrome in Seville, Spain. Captain Mariano Baberan's and Lieutenant Joaquin Collar Serra's goal was to fly nonstop from Spain to Cuba. Their aircraft was a Breguet XIX, a French-designed biplane having begun life as a bomber and reconnaissance aircraft.
Convair in flight

Memories of flying the Convair 880

About everyone who flew the 880 fell in love with it because it was such a dream to hand fly. It did have a good autopilot and dual flight directors, and I think it was our first aircraft to receive approval for CAT II approaches. In my opinion it was the prettiest of the four engine jets.
B-17 crew in front of airplane

Flying a B-17 over Germany, April 1944

During World War II I flew B-17 bombers out of England, performing 30 missions bombing Germany. The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress was a very good four-engine plane and 12,000 of them were built. I was in the 547th squadron of the 384th Bomb Group…
Airphibian

From the archives: The Airphibian

This article first appeared in the January 1947 edition of Air Facts. As amazing as it might seem today, Leighton Collins believed back then that flying cars had arrived. He wrote in the headline to this article, "Put it down for keeps that a successful car-airplane is now an accomplished fact." Seventy five years later, flying cars are still in the headlines but not in any garages or hangars. Still, the description of the Airphibian offers a fascinating look at the post-war general aviation boom.

A history of aviation gasoline

The development of 100/130 avgas was initially a case of Catch-22. The engine manufacturers needed a fuel that could withstand the higher compression ratios and not detonate prematurely. At the same time, the fuel refiners needed a large enough customer base to afford to set up the refining capacity for high octane avgas. The aviation demands in WWII satisfied both requirements.
Khe Sanh takeoff

The siege of Khe Sanh

I felt sweat drip under my arms. I took a long, deep breath to settle my nerves without making it noticeable to my copilot and flight engineer. As we taxied toward number one position for takeoff, the sun was just starting to come up. It looked like a beautiful day was about to begin. We made our takeoff for Khe Sanh at 0730. On schedule.
Bob Hoover

How a local airshow thrives and dies

As any good story in aviation starts, the rise and fall of Airshow Chattanooga begins with Bob Hoover and a dare. At the turn of 1990, then 28-year-old Morty Lloyd found the legendary WWII pilot and airshow performer’s phone number. On a whim he called, asking if he and his buddies started an airshow in Chattanooga, Tennessee, would he perform.
Early flight sim

A personal progression through flight sims

Bruce Artwick, a computer graphics guy, along with marketing student and pilot, Stu Moment, formed a company named SubLogic to sell their home-grown computer games. With their program a person could fly a simulated aircraft over a five-square-mile grid of primitive wire-frame graphics. It was outstanding!
EICN

Runways, large and small

Runways have been marked out on beaches, deserts, mountains and on water. Many companies still operate out of impossible airstrips perched on mountain tops at high elevations, while others fly out of jungle airstrips in remote areas. These are often the only way in which people have access to the outside world, like in Alaska and Canada.
Harriet Quimby

Overlooked pioneers in women’s aviation

While observing Women’s History Month this month, the names of Amelia Earhart, Pancho Barnes, and Bessie Colman come easily to mind, but the achievements of many less well-known women aviators are also worth celebrating. What follows is simply a place to start…
Stalag Luft IV

The story of a winged boot, and the men who wore it

We have a lot of memorabilia from both of our fathers, however, one unique item really grabbed our attention. It is a small patch featuring an embroidered boot with a single wing on it. Susan and I wondered what the significance of a winged boot was and why it was part of her father’s memorabilia. I searched the Internet and was stunned by what I learned.
Jetwing on ramp

From jars to jets: the forgotten story of the Jetwing

Backyard gardens enjoyed a good growing season hear in the Midwest, leaving us with an abundance of produce. What hasn’t been used already is being saved by drying, freezing or canning. There’s even a shortage of canning supplies at the local hardware store. That got me thinking about glass jars and outer space. Stay with me and I’ll explain.