S-38 Trans-Atlantic

The Sikorsky S-38 owned by Unlimited Adventure sets off today on its Trans-Atlantic journey!  EAA has posted a short story here.  Talk about traveling back in time!  What an adventure!

The Future of Vintage Aircraft Operation and Restoration

A few years from now will we still see vintage aircraft flying through the skies?  What does the future hold!?

Many issues come to mind in looking to the future of vintage aircraft operation and restoration.  Issues related to engine parts, airframe parts, fuel, and the costs of all of those items rolled into what we will call "operational costs" for this article.  Who has the skills and tools to restore and maintain vintage aircraft?  Are the skills to fly these aircraft being taught to new pilots today?  Then, what could be done to generate an interest in flying? What needs to take place to bring more people into the aviation community?  How do we educate the newcomers and current pilots to the history and heritage of vintage aircraft?  I don't have answers to all of these issues but I do have thoughts on some of them.

One of the main factors that does give me hope for the future of vintage aircraft is technology.  Today's technologies provide us with the tools we need to make from scratch the once extinct engine and airframe parts.  With new technology we can build old technology!  And build it better!  Over time the parts have become unusable because of age and wear.  With the advance of technology the cost to produce new parts comes down and this should help with operational costs.  I am very excited that vintage aircraft parts can be built.  Put all those parts together and once extinct aircraft can be reborn!

Examples of technology in action for vintage aircraft would be... A company in New Zealand, The Vintage Aviator, is building brand new engines for World War One era aircraft!  Another company is building brand new spars, very complicated spars, for the F4U Corsair!  In Arizona a shop is turning out brand new Boeing 100 series biplanes.  A Texas company built up brand new copies of the Grumman F3F and German Me-262.  I could go on.  My hope is that more enthusiasts will invest in building and rebuilding vintage aircraft.

So technology and tools are one part but who will operate that technology and those tools?  Are there ways to educate future generations to what is needed to keep vintage aircraft flying?  A glimmer of hopes exists in me as trade schools and aviation camps provide a draw into aviation.  From those schools and events we can teach the history behind our vintage aircraft and hopefully draw an interest.  There are many aviation trade schools around the country (one here - Redstone College) and a few aviation camps.  Peach State Aero has a camp and EAA has their Air Academy summer camps.  That is good news for the aviation community!  Are we supporting these organizations?  Let's do what we can to spread the word about these schools and camps!

As the airplanes are maintained to continue flying and restored to fly again, where will they be based?  What airports?  What hangars?  What will the aviation community and vintage aviation community do to provide an outlet for those owners and pilots?  Local chapters of national organizations provide monthly social events, activities and fly-ins.  Are those local chapters drawing in their friends, neighbors and other community organizations?  Could more be done?  Back in the 1930s there was an aviation country club in New York.  Why don't we have those?  Why aren't there more aviation friendly locals and vacation destinations?

I know I have presented a lot of questions here and as I stated I don't have answers to them all.  I would love to hear from readers what they think of some or all of these issues that deal with the future of aviation.  You can comment on this blog or send me an email.  I will re-publish the emails if relevant ideas are presented.

MeierMotors

Visiting the WIX Hangar is on my daily to do list.  Some days it takes me a few minutes to catch up on some of the Warbird news.  Other days I have to take the time to read some of the great posts from all over the world!  Matthias Dorst is the webmaster for MeierMotors in Germany.  He has posted a series of pictures from the MeierMotors hangar.

This shop is fast becoming THE place to have your Warbird worked on in Germany!  Not only do they have a cool looking hangar but what is IN the hangar is some of the most unique Warbirds in Europe.  Plan to take a few minutes to read through this forum post.  What a place!  Thanks to Matthias for allowing me to post a few photos here!

Ryan Line Up

Thanks to Mike Shreeve for posting pictures of this fantastic line up of Ryans over on WIX!  Check out this beautiful line!

http://warbirdinformationexchange.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=37261

Oshkosh 2010 Photos

The photo galleries for Oshkosh 2010 can be found on EAAs web site here...

www.eaa.org/apps/galleries/



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Texas Summer

The summer is passing by rather quickly this year.  As always there is yard work and household chores that fill the summer task lists.  For most aviation enthusiasts July means it is Oshkosh time.  I knew I wouldnt make it up this year as the family had a Colorado trip planned.  We spent a week in the mountains near South Fork, CO and enjoyed the cool weather, mountain scenery, some hiking and fly-fishing.

Before the trip I opened up the 170 for the annual inspection and turned my mechanic loose.  A few issues popped up this year.  One cylinder needed work along with some exhaust brackets.  The last piece to address is the broken spinner back plate.  It appears that age has caught up with the back plate and a new spinner and back plate are on order.  Hopefully it will arrive in the mail soon so I can drop it off to be painted.  A few friends have asked why don't I just polish it.  What?  I don't need MORE to polish on this airplane!  Anyway... it came out of the factory painted so it will be painted to match the cream trim color.

I have been looking over a few pictures posted from Oshkosh on various web sites and forums.  The weather was a factor this year as the show grounds became soaked with some serious amounts of rain!  It sounds like the weather improved for the later part of the show as some show aircraft arrived on WED and THUR of the event.  A few highlights that I noticed were... the Hamilton Metalplane, the replica Caudron racer, over 20 DC-3s, several new Mustang restorations and one outstanding Corsair restoration.  When I can round up some links to the highlight pictures I will post them.

Another Super Corsair to Fly

Odegaard Aviation up in North Dakota is making great progress on their second F2G Corsair.  Their first was the famous race number 57.  It now lives in Arizona with a new owner.  Odegaard Aviations web site now has pictures posted of the restoration progress on racer number 74.  Check it out here.  Wow... looking good!
(The above image from www.airrace.com)

Lockheed 12 Project

Ray Walker, owner of Lockheed 12 serial number 1292, has listed his project for sale on Barnstormers.com.  Let's spread the word and find a good owner who will return it to it's former glory!

LOCKHEED 12A PROJECT • $60,000 • FOR SALE • I have decided to sell my L-12 project due to lack of time to complete. Aircraft has been in storage since 1967. Some corrosion in airframe. Aircraft needs extensive rebuild. Project comes with four R-985 cores and four Ham-Std hydormatic props. There are 2 (like new) extra outboard wing pannels ailerons and flaps. Late serial number. A fair amount of extra L-12 parts including worm gears, oil tanks etc. I have more pictures that can be sent to you. Located in South Texas, contact Ray Walker at 940-735-1425 • Contact Ray A. Walker - WALKER AVIATION CO.,

DC-7 Returns to the Air

First flight video of the Historic Flight Foundations DC-7 is now online.

Check it out here.

D.C. For The Day

Some adventures take weeks or months of planning.  Some are just thought up over dinner with friends.  My buddy Jay and I had been talking about a day trip somewhere to see an aviation museum or event.  So after he made a flight to D.C. for work he asked me about the Dulles NASM and was it worth the trip to see it.  A resounding yes from me put the trip planning in motion.  He had only toured downtown D.C. and wanted to go back to see the museum.  About two weeks ago our schedules looked like they would allow a day trip to Dulles on July 2nd.  I took a day off work and he sorted out the passes on the airline.  My excitement to be his tour guide in "Americas Hangar" and his flight privileges would make the trip come together.

My wife helped me pack up my gear for the day and sent me out the door when Jay pulled up at 5:15am.  Do all adventures have to start so early in the morning?!  We launched out of DFW on a 6:55am flight to IAD.  It even worked out to takes some open seat in first class!  That helped make up for the early morning departure!  The flight landed at Dulles at about 10:45am.  With only our back packs to carry we walked right out of the terminal to catch the bus around to the museum.  It was nice to have a bus that makes the round trip from the terminal to the museum about every 45 minutes to an hour.  An easy way to make the trip to the museum!

The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center is aptly named Americas Hangar.  This museum has some of the most historic aircraft in aviation history and they are all housed in one BIG hangar!  My wife and I had just made the trip to see this museum last September but I couldnt wait to bust through the door and start blasting Jay with historic facts about the aircraft inside.  Just as I watched my wifes face when we walked in... I watched Jays face as we entered the main hall looking for the "OH WOW" face!  Aviations history as far as the eye can see.  Talk about aviation sensory overload!

Jay and I had from about 11:30am until 5:30pm to give the place a good looking over.  This was my third visit.  The first being the grand opening in December of 2003, the second as I mentioned was last September.  This visit they had added to the displays a few jets and a couple gliders.  If you love aviation this is THE museum to visit.  Pieces from every aviation era are there in one hangar.  This is about the time I run out of words to describe the facility.  Monocoupe, Mustang, Thunderbolt, Super Fortress, Concorde, Blackbird... so much history!

Take a look at the pictures here.  They best tell the story of what we saw!

We took pictures, gawked at airplanes, took more pictures, more gawking, ate lunch, more walking and more pictures.  Visited the gift shop.  A few more pictures.  Rested our feet and looked at our new aviation book purchases.  At about 5:30 we wandered outside to catch the bus.  A quick bus ride back to the terminal at IAD and the day started to catch up to me.  My eyes were burning from waking up early.  A quick dinner and we boarded the flight back to DFW.  It was a lot to fit into one day but we both commented on the flight home how we thought it was worth the trip.  A fast trip... but worth it.  Modern air travel took us there and back.  Excitement fueled us for the day.  The search for more historic aircraft will have us planning more trips just like this one!

Waco Reunion 2010

Andy Heins has posted his pictures from this years reunion over on the Vintage Aircraft side of WIX.

Check part one out here.

And part two here.