Category Archives: Aviation

General Aviation, Warbirds

“A Salute to Veterans” – Planes of Fame Air Museum Air Show May 2 & 3 2015

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

Planes of Fame Air Museum is proud to present Air Show 2015, May 2 & 3: “A Salute to Veterans“. This year’s airshow will feature nearly 50 historic aircraft, performing for your enjoyment as well as a salute to our veterans. We invite you to Airshow 2015 to celebrate the history, contributions, and sacrifices of our veterans.

Performers include U.S.A.F. F-22 Raptor Demo Team and Heritage Flight, Sean D. Tucker-Team Oracle Aerobatics, Canadian Forces CF-18 Hornet Demonstration Team, Sea Fury Aerobatics by Sanders Aeronautics, Clay Lacy’s Learjet Demonstration, Rob Harrison and the Tumbling Bear, Gregory Colyer’s T-33, John Collver’s AT-6 Aerobatics, and over 40 WWII aircraft including B-25, P-47, and P-51s.

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General Aviation

Sporty’s offers refurbished Cessna 172s

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

Jim Moore has posted over on the AOPA about Sporty’s 172LTE refurbished Cessna program. Sporty’s announced the program back in December (you can read about it HERE). From the article:

Sporty’s refurbished Cessna 172LITE project caught on fast.

A used Skyhawk with an overhauled engine, new interior, and a fresh coat of paint (among other improvements) will rent for $99 an hour at Sporty’s Academy at Clermont County Airport in Batavia, Ohio. The announcement in December got the phone ringing and Charlie Masters’ inbox filling. Masers, vice president of aircraft sales at Eastern Cincinnati Aviation, the Sporty’s fixed-base operation, said a 172LITE currently in the paint shop will be available in mid-February for $132,900, with more to follow.

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General Aviation

Sporty’s unveils Cessna 172LITE project

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

A Stripped-down Skyhawk designed to offer cheaper training

Jill W. Tallman has posted about Sporty’s new 172LITE program over on the AOPA website.  From the article:

A refurbished Cessna 172 that will offer more cost-effective flight training is at the heart of the Cessna 172LITE project, announced Dec. 17 by Sporty’s.

“Sporty’s is acquiring 172s and equipping them with basic flight instruments along with significant interior and exterior enhancements,” according to a press release. The first one is on the line at Sporty’s Flight Academy at Clermont County Airport, Batavia, Ohio. It rents for $99 per hour.

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Warbirds

Navy Retires EA-6B Prowler to Palm Springs Air Museum

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

A press release from the Palm Springs Air Museum:

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. – As the sound of two Pratt and Whitney jet engines echoed through the San Jacinto Mountain Range, one of the last four Navy EA-6B ‘Prowler’ fixed-wing aircraft still in service, made its triumphant final fly-by over the Palm Springs Air Museum, Nov. 21, 2014.“It was truly an honor to see such a great aircraft make its final voyage,” said Air Force veteran Don Broadhurst, ramp boss, Palm Springs Air Museum.More than 300 people attended the retirement ceremony to witness the final flight of the aircraft that had been in service since 1987. The A-6 style fixed-wing aircraft has been in service with the U.S. military since the 1960s and part of the Navy’s aerial fleet since 1971 providing electronic warfare support and attack capabilities. “It was an honor to fly this piece of history, and I have a good feeling that [the museum] is going to take good care of the aircraft,” said Navy Cmdr. Kirk Christofferson, executive officer of Electronic Attack Squadron 134.

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Aviation, General Aviation

New Research Focuses TIGHAR’s Underwater Search for Earhart Plane

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

A press release from The International Group of Historic Aircraft Recovery (TIGHAR) reports that the group had successfully linked a piece of scrap metal discovered on the island of Nikumaroro with Earhart’s plane.

New Research

During Amelia Earhart’s stay in Miami at the beginning of her second world flight attempt, a custom-made, special window on her Lockheed Electra aircraft was removed and replaced with an aluminum patch. The patch was an expedient field modification. Its dimensions, proportions, and pattern of rivets were dictated by the hole to be covered and the structure of the aircraft. The patch was as unique to her particular aircraft as a fingerprint is to an individual. Research has now shown that a section of aircraft aluminum TIGHAR found on Nikumaroro in 1991 matches that fingerprint in many respects. For a detailed study of this important new development see The Window, The Patch, and The Artifact, Research Bulletin #73 on the TIGHAR website.

The strong possibility that Artifact 2-2-V-1 is the “Miami Patch” means that the many fractures, tears, dents and gouges evident on the metal may be important clues to the fate – and resting place – of the aircraft itself. Deciphering those clues will be the next phase in TIGHAR’s analysis of this complex and fascinating artifact. Continue reading →