My lone encounter with a large “wildfire” occurred  five years ago while I was visiting Southern California.  Watching a steady stream of tanker aircraft shuttle to and from a huge unnatural-looking cloud on the horizon, their bellies red-stained and streaked with fire retardant, fueled my interest in aerial firefighting.  The 2012 Aerial Firefighting International Airshow and Conference, held at Sacramento’s McClellan Airport on January 25th and 26th, offered me a great opportunity to learn more about this unique segment of aviation.

The event was sponsored by the British company Tangentlink whose aim is “Connecting Business through International Events and Targeted Networking”.   There’s long been discussion of convening a formal international  aerial firefighting organization to network and address common concerns; meetings like this support that idea.  One hundred fifty delegates from 13 countries attended a full day of presentations, while a second day was set aside for viewing a large aircraft static display, watching demonstrations of a pair of firefighting helicopters, and touring the nearby California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CALFIRE) aviation maintenance facility.  Delegates were both “thinkers” and “doers” , including airplane owners and operators, pilots, firefighters and officials, government managers, engineers, researchers, and sales representatives.  A two-day trade show was central to networking, and displayed innovative ideas from 22 exhibitors.  Fire retardant mixtures, radios, headsets, night vision goggles, command and control systems, displays for several time-tested and new air tanker projects, and numerous water/retardant delivery systems were displayed.

Wednesday January 25th was a full day of informative presentations led by Royal Navy Rear Admiral Terry Loughran, who introduced the speakers and moderated questions and answers.  Terry noted that technology is “doing more with less” and that you can’t manage what you can’t measure.  He stressed the importance of the initial attack of a wildfire – that 5% of all fires (usually those are the ones not initially controlled) create 80% of all damages.  His observations were key points throughout the conference, noted by many subsequent speakers.   Chief Ken Pimlott, the director of CALFIRE, opened the conference with an address that included a review of plans for replacing the eleven effective but increasingly expensive to operate Super Huey helicopters used by CALFIRE.  Noting that “nothing’s off the table” as far as new aircraft and technologies are concerned, he said that using less costly “public use” aircraft (former military helicopters) was just one option.  Chief Pimlott also noted that nighttime aerial fire fighting is a “reality”, and his organization is developing a policy to allow night ops… but CALFIRE currently doesn’t have that capability.

Tom Harbour, the  US Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service Director, Fire and Aviation Management, gave the keynote address that centered around the National Cohesive Fire Management Strategy, that is the framework for communities and agencies to work together in planning responses to wildfires.  He stated that there are one billion burnable acres of land and forests in the 50 US States and its 7 Territories, and that the possibility of loss of life and property from wildfire has become the “most severe situation in this country than ever before”.   He also stressed the need for the industry to be able to show solid returns on air tanker operations to Washington analysts, to insure government funding for future firefighting contracts during times of fiscal cuts.

Jim Coyne, former US Representative and now-president of the National Air Transportation Association (NATA), spoke about the need to effectively communicate to Congress the aerial firefighter’s needs so future decisions wouldn’t be made without their input.  He agreed that a national organization for aerial firefighting would be beneficial and that NATA could help their cause.

Ana Maria Canut Cunha, a coordinator for firefighting efforts in Brazil, outlined her country’s issues and responses to wildfires.  There is a large problem with land burning to clear acreage for agriculture, that often leads to massive wildfires.  A coordinated national response program to these fires has only been in existence for 3 years, and contains few aircraft.  Brazil has not enacted any regulations allowing the use of fire retardants yet,  so only water can be used for fighting fires.

Colonel Yoram Ilan-Lipovsky presented lessons learned  from Israel’s 2010 Mount Carmel  fire as well as last year’s Japanese earthquake and tsunami, identifying the need for a robust and realistic command and control response to natural disasters.  He also hinted at the possible 2012 roll-out of a game-changing method of controlling wildfires with solid pellets (rather than liquid) delivered from the air.

Randall Stephens discussed the issues that need to be resolved to allow at least two effective firefighting aircraft to operate in the U.S. – the Russian produced Kamov KA-32 helicopter and Beriev BE-200ES scooper tanker.  Bilateral agreements between government agencies are needed to allow these aircraft to operate during the U.S.’s  fire season, and Mr. Stephens noted that Canada has already allowed the helicopter to work in its’ timber industry some years ago.

John Finnerty,a  retired helicopter pilot from the Los Angeles County Air Operations Section, spoke of the use of night vision goggles (NVGs) and their possible use for firefighting at night.  He discussed the limitations of NVGs and advances made over original models, as well as his preference for a hybrid NVG/synthetic vision system for the future.

Richard Alder, outlined aerial firefighting operations in Australia, and discussed a report on the devastating 2009 Victoria fires.  He also briefed on the International Fire Aviation Working Group, formed under the auspices of the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction program. Sharing information between countries  on aircraft capabilities, operating standards and procedures, and deployment processes will be addressed within this work group.

Russian Helicopters was the largest sponsor of the conference, and made an in depth presentation on the KA-32 helicopter.  As a firefighter, it has impressive performance capabilities; one KA-32 dropped almost 77,000 gallons of water on a wildfire in one day in Spain.  A presentation of  the capabilities of the jet-powered BE-200 jet scooper tanker was shown too.  A U.S. operator would have to present the FAA with a detailed operational proposal to be reviewed, and any concerns addressed, before any of these aircraft could be used as aerial firefighters here in the U.S..  That being said, there are many multi-lateral agreements in use today around the world that allow these helicopters and jets to  be used as firefighters outside of Russia.

CALFIRE Special Operations Battalion Chief Ray Cheney spoke about integrating military and other air assets into aerial firefighting operations.  Chief Chaney has first-hand experience working alongside military units assisting with fighting large wildfires.  How military assets were integrated into the civilian firefighting structure, and under what laws and Letters of Agreement , were examined.  In 2003, the Cedar Fire was the first example of the use of Navy helicopters; that squadron had routinely fought fires for the Navy on San Clemente Island’s gunnery ranges off the California Coast.

Captain Justin McKinney is a test pilot for VX-22, the Marines Osprey test squadron.  He outlined for the delegates how he and his crew tested various configurations of the MV-22 aircraft using a Bambi Bucket for airborne water drops.  Noting that the MV-22 is “essentially a small C-130 or a C-12 (Super King Air) that can hover”, he outlined how much water can be hauled, and  at what speeds it can be delivered.

The last presentation for the day was by a panel of pilots who interacted with the delegates on various subjects.  There were reports on jet air tanker conversions of the BA-146 and MD-87 airliners.  A pilot spoke about flying the Evergreen B-747 air tanker to Israel in 2010, make two drops at the Mt. Carmel fire, and continue ’round the world back to the U.S..  Finally, the team discussed some of their wishes for improved flight safety: a synthetic  vision system aboard aircraft to combat smoke and other visibility obstructions, and a dependable power line detection system.

Day two was a more interactive meeting with pilots and operators of many of the seventeen aircraft arranged on  static display, which ranged from a small (relatively speaking) Boeing/Insitu ScanEagle unmanned air vehicle to a pair of former Aero Union P-3s.

The CALFIRE aircraft on display included their three main types.  The Super Huey helicopters are used for inserting firefighters near a blaze, and for rescue, resupply and as a water/retardant delivery system.  The S-2T Turbo Tracker tanker aircraft have been rebuilt from earlier piston-engined airframes, and are expected to soldier on for another decade and a half before being replaced.  The OV-10A Broncos are tasked with more of a command-and-control role, however the trio of newer OV-10Ds that will soon become operational may act as lead aircraft for the newest generation of turbine-powered tankers (such as the DC-10 and B-747) due to its increased speed.

A highlight for me was the tour of CALFIRE’s twin maintenance hangars, where many of the 53 aircraft they operate during the busy fire season were undergoing maintenance.  DynCorp is a major contractor for this aviation operation, providing maintenance personnel for all three airframes and pilots for the OV-10 and S-2T aircraft.

Military aircraft on static display included a Army National Guard UH-72 Lakota helicopter and an Air National Guard C-130J transport equipped with a MAFFS II air drop system, both from California.  A Marine CH-53E helicopter displayed its Bambi bucket water delivery system.  Some of the privately owned aircraft on display came from British Columbia… Conair brought a Convair 580 tanker and Fire Boss AT-802 amphibian, while Coulson Flying Tankers brought their Sikorsky S-76 derivative Firewatch76 helicopter that operates as a bird dog leader for the huge Martin Mars air tankers, and can operate as a command and control aircraft for all fixed wing and helicopter operations around a fire.

Other domestically registered aircraft included a U.S. Forest Service Super Kingair and a Piper Cheyenne equipped with sensors and communications gear integrated from a trio of companies that offered a “Unified Command” aerial intelligence platform.  Both the Bell UH-1 Huey from Withrotor Aviation and the Sikorsky SH-3H conversion from Croman Corporation flew during the day, displaying their water pick-up and dropping capabilities.  Finally, a pair of ex-Aero Union P-3 turboprops were parked on the ramp, one opened for inspection.  Aero Union ceased operations last year; their eight P-3 tankers along with spare parts and Aero Union’s intellectual property will be auctioned off on February 28, 2012.

While I entered the conference with very little knowledge about aerial firefighting, two days later I had learned quite a lot about its many challenges, including flight safety, contract and regulatory issues and roadblocks, and growing financial pressure to “do more with less”.  There are promising improvements from emerging technologies though, including jet powered tanker aircraft, more comprehensive command and control systems, and maybe even nighttime aerial firefighting operations.  The aerial firefighting industry will change quite a bit in the near future, and much of it was on display here in Sacramento.

Thanks to Tangentlink for allowing me to cover the Conference, and to the many CALFIRE, DynCorp, and other personnel who took the time to explain their missions, methods, and products to me.

Story and photos by Ken Kula

On January 14, 2012 just before noon the only flight-worthy EC-121 Warning Star throttled up its four 18-cylinder R3350’s and sent this Connie barreling down Camarillo’s runway; destination:  Yanks Air Museum, Chino airport.  Sliding the four throttles forward symbolized the completion of a seven year project to get this super constellation back into the air.  Completing the flight from Camarillo to Chino in about an hour, the Connie made one pass above the runway before entering the pattern and making a smooth touchdown.  Taxiing to the Yanks hangar seemed to take forever, like the crew and Connie wanted to savor the greatness for as long as possible.

Lockheed, including the legendary Kelly Johnson, sought out to meet the airlines’ challenges to provide a 40-passenger transcontinental aircraft – design on the Constellation began.  With the outbreak of WWII, Constellations were converted to C-69s for military transport.  In 1954 the EC-121 was introduced to provide airborne intelligence gathering, much like the AWACS role in the modern era.  The EC-121s could be immediately identified from other Connies by their two large radomes, one on top and one on the bottom.  While the Constellations provided dignified military service, civilian Constellations were very successful airliners setting many records; some that still stand today.

Yanks’ EC-121, now N548GF, was delivered to the US Air Force in the summer of 1955 to be part of the 552^nd Airborne Early Warning Wing at McClellan AFB in California.  Through its career, the aircraft spent time in Florida, Taiwan, South Korea, Iceland, and finally to Davis Monthan for storage in 1978.  The aircraft was acquired by Yanks in 2004 and underwent restoration to flight worthy status into 2012.

Walking up the airstairs and crawling through the forward door into the airplane felt like an once-in-a-lifetime experience.  Everything about the inside of the aircraft was very interesting; so many things on that airplane just aren’t seen anymore.  A flight engineer station has gone the way of the dinosaurs, including its separate throttle levers from the pilot’s throttles.  A navigator’s station has been replaced in most aircraft by a small screen that receives a satellite signal.  The electrical intelligence equipment all was dated and had a nostalgic 50’s and 60’s look to it – radiation hazard warnings and all.  Everything about this constellation screamed cool nostalgia; even the smell – if smells scream.  In an era where things get smaller, simpler, cleaner it is refreshing to see firsthand the complexities of the past:  racks of electronics with all the exposed connectors, switches galore, lots of boxes with lots of buttons, and the quintessential circular yellow screen radar display.  The complexity isn’t better shown than by the 18 member crew – in some cases the crew was in excess of 30.

As usual, being near a radial engine monster is a moving experience – walking over after shutdown with the smell of exhaust and oil lingering in the air, watching museum workers scurry over to place pans under the engines to catch the oil from the engines, and just basking in the sheer excitement of the crowd upon seeing this Connie.  During flight it seems as if engine three decided to leak a little more oil than normal from the otherwise steady streaming radials.  A close inspection of the pictures shows a brown wavy line down the fuselage – that’s oil, and a lot of it.  But who cares?  It’s a radial, they leak oil, that’s life and a mighty fine one at that.  The little intricacies like that made this event really special; all too often are we concerned about noise abatement, lowering CO₂ and NO_x emissions, higher fuel consumptions, and more passengers per flight; while these are all noble pursuits, once in a while it’s refreshing to throw that all to the wind, burn tons of fuel – the louder the better, leak oil, make a low pass, and firewall the throttles.

The arrival of N548GF to Chino adds the largest aircraft to the Yanks collection of more than 170 aircraft.  The Yanks collection is the largest private collection of American WWII aircraft; many of their aircraft are the last surviving examples of their kind.  All aircraft are restored to original condition and are flight worthy, the only non-factory modifications are those required by the FAA to fly the aircraft in the national airspace system.  This EC-121 is another exemplary piece of aviation history that fits well in the Yanks collection.  Big thanks go out to Yanks for hosting the arrival of their aircraft so a small group could stand in awe as tons of fuel was burnt and oil spilt in the name of bringing this lumbering beauty home.  The Yanks Air Museum can be found at:  http://www.yanksair.com/

You can contact the writer, Matt Shinavar, at matt.shinavar@gmail.com

Aviation Nation 2011 turned out to be the best show I have attend in many years. Being held the second week of November usually is hit or miss with the weather normally cold and wet. Having it on Veteran’s Day weekend is risky as Vegas turns cold the week following Halloween but this year proved to be different. We attended the practice show on Friday and the day started with gray and overcast skies which never really improved. We did enjoy it, as the crowd was a lot smaller than what we knew would be there for the free show on Saturday and Sunday.

This years show was titled “70 years of air power in Las Vegas”. They must have planed something new as late Friday afternoon we witnessed something new to our eyes. The show had a new routine called ”Present Day Air-to-Air Demonstration” an F-15C vs. F-16C Aggressor Capabilities Demonstration. The Aggressor’s 64th launched four aircraft followed by F-15C’s and F-15 Strike Eagles and they went up and did a scenario where there were good guys and bad guys. The F-16’s and F-15’s chased each other around and then they started popping flares. This took every one by surprise as this was the first time any one had seen flares used at a U.S. Show in a very long time. Seems now all the talk about the show centers around this act.

Saturday started with clear skies and warm temperatures. This turned out to be a wonderful change from years gone by. Usually you’d get on day that is good and another day that is cold rainy. It’s a crap shoot in Vegas with the weather. But this year we had nice weather both days.

This year also seemed to have a different feel with the crowd and the performers. We attended as media and that afforded us special access to some of the ”Hot Pits”. We met some very nice performers and we were asked to help out some of the teams with ”Team Photos”. This marks the last Air Show of the year for most of the Military Teams and we provided photographic services for these teams. The A-10 West Demo Team from Davis-Monthan was changing and Captain Joe ”Rifle” Shetterly was stepping down. The newest Demo Team pilot is Major John ”Beercan” Collier who was a member of this year’s team as A-10 pilot Safety Officer.

We also met with Captain Brad Lang who is involved with the CAF Red Tail Squadron and the RISE ABOVE Traveling Exhibit. Brad is a Captain for Delta Airlines in regular life. Brad is on the road with the CAF Red Tail as he is the only Mustang type-rated African-American pilot in North America. Special guest was Michael Dorn of Star Track fame.

The RISE ABOVE Traveling Exhibit is one-of-a-kind. It is housed in a 53’ long customized trailer with sides that slide out to create a 30-seat climate-controlled movie theater with a 180-degree screen. The exciting original movie, “RISE ABOVE” is certain to entertain as well as educate viewers.

The exhibit is sponsored by the Texas Flying Legends Museum based in Houston, TX. Like the CAF Red Tail Squadron, the Texas Flying Legends Museum uses aviation and history as educational tools. Visit with them here.. http://www.redtail.org/

There were a lot of local services displays from the local community. Las Vegas Metro Police Dept. had their Search and Rescue Unit there. L.A.P.D had their air unit there as the Nevada Highway Patrol out with a Mobile Command Unit and cruiser.

Nellis AFB also rolled out a nice line-up of local aircraft. There were aircraft from the local units. These comprised of A-10 Thunderbolt II, F-15 Eagle, F-15E Strike, Eagle F-16 Fighting Falcon, F-22A Raptor, HH-60G Pave Hawk, and a MQ-1B Predator MQ-9 Reaper. There was a B-2 on static display from Whiteman AFB ”The Spirit of Nebraska”. The U. S. navy showed up with a pair of Super Hornets as well.

Aviation Nation was the first airshow back for the C-17 Demo Team from March following the crash of an aircraft up in Alaska.

The newest members of the show were the two newly painted Aggressor aircraft in two new distinct paint schemes!! One from the 64th Aggressors was an Arctic scheme painted Black White and gray F-16. This aircraft we were told had been out of the paint shop for a mere 4 days. The other aircraft a F-15C from the 65th Aggressor squadron was a new Blue Splinter scheme on aircraft 509. These really grabbed our attention and we ended up talking with Aggressor pilots for over two hours. Thanks for the info!!

Attending Fridays show was extra special as the Thunderbird hangar and museum were open for two hours after the show. We had toured these last year when we attended the ISAP convention held in Las Vegas. It’s always a treat. But this time we got to visit with the Thunderbird personal and we got to drink a cold one at their bar called ”The Perch”.

But the highlight of the weekend for me was being invited by the F-4 Demo Team pilot Lt. Col. Patrick ”Ichi” Karg to visit in the cockpit of the Phantom!! My father had been an F-4 Phantom mechanic during the Vietnam era and to be able to climb up and sit in the drivers seat in this magnificent machine was a dream come true!!

The weather held out all weekend making for some dry parched throats, by the time the show ended Sunday afternoon. We had had a blast and this year and we didn\’t want the show to end. The Military Police started their sweep line just before sunset and there were a lot of people that had a hard time heading for the buses. We only wished we had more time to take in this event. We had attended three days and still had energy left…if only they had a Monday show!!

I have to give the planners of this event their just recognition!! They event was blessed with good weather and the line-up changes made for a wonderful show. We had met old friends and we have made a few new friends. We left the show not wanting to go and now we can\’t wait for next years show!!! So to all involved….a huge “Job Well Done!!”

A Special Thanks to the Nellis Public Affairs Office!!!

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SEATTLE— Santa Claus ditched his sleigh Saturday and flew in a 1952 de Havilland Beaver.

Santa and Mrs. Claus fly past the Seattle Space Needle. (Photo by John Harrell)

The Jolly Christmas icon arrived at this city’s Museum of Flight aboard a restored single-prop aircraft dubbed “Santa One,” greeting eager children and their parents with Mrs. Claus on a visit from the North Pole.

Santa decided to travel by plane instead of his traditional sleigh because his reindeer are unavailable during daylight hours, he said, and also because they need to rest for next week’s midnight marathon around the world.

“Rudolph and Dancer and Prancer and the rest, they’re resting up because they’ve got a big night” on Christmas Eve, he said.  “And it’s daytime, and they can’t fly in the daytime,” he said.

Santa waves to his adoring fans. (Photo by Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren)

Santa and Mrs. Claus had smooth sailing on approach to runway 13-R at King County International Airport (KBFI, “Boeing Field”), whose tarmac abuts the museum, on a chilly, partly-cloudy morning.  The clear air afforded the Christmas couple wide views of the Puget Sound region on their approach past downtown Seattle and the Space Needle.

Santa Claus is familiar with Seattle from the air, since he sees the city from his sleigh once a year.  But a mathematical analysis by NYCAviation suggests that his customary airspeed on Christmas Eve is far faster than the Beaver flew en route to the museum, in order to allow him to visit the countless houses of the world in a single night.

Santa One passed by the downtown core at only about 120 miles per hour, according to Douglas DeVries, vice chairman of the board of trustees for the Museum of Flight and the pilot of Santa One.  While that’s a minuscule fraction of the average speed of Santa’s sleigh, DeVries called it “rocket-speed for a Beaver.”

The aircraft’s 59-year history has taken it to Hawaii, the Sound region, British Columbia, and points north, said DeVries.

It was badly damaged in Hawaii while a production piece in the 1998 feature film Six Days Seven Nights, said DeVries.  The plane’s cockpit was compromised, he said, and its starboard wing had folded back toward the fuselage.

DeVries purchased the aircraft from a wrecking yard in Colorado, he said, and spent six years restoring the plane to airworthiness.  He replaced almost all of its fuselage skin, except for one piece of the original, which he retained as a memento of the plane’s former life.

He also gave it its new tail number—registry N67DN—as a tribute to the movie it had helped make, DeVries said.

Santa Claus could almost have hopped aboard the airplane in 2008 when DeVries attempted to fly it to the magnetic north pole.  DeVries’ trip was hindered by an iced-over waterway at a refueling stop, which prevented the ski-equipped airplane from landing there.  DeVries finished the 12,000-mile arctic trip, but he would have to wait to speak to the North Pole’s chief resident in person.

Such a meeting took place Saturday, with Santa and Mrs. Claus seated in the mid-cabin row aboard DeVries’ restored Beaver.  Removing their headsets, the Clauses climbed out of the plane to the welcome of their young admirers, who had turned out in scores for their arrival at the museum.

Moments later, the queue to meet Santa and Mrs. Claus inside the museum wrapped around much of the lower-floor exhibit.  Elves in bright red and green ushered children forward to meet them beneath the cut-out USAir fuselage that forms part of the museum’s collection.

Santa’s helpers had been dispatched ahead of Santa One on an advance team, said Alexa, a 14-year-old elf, while ushering the long line of children awaiting their turn with Santa.

Alexa’s presence was “part of an elf exchange program,” she said.  “I’m sent down here [from the North Pole] to make sure which kids are naughty or nice, and then I report back to Santa.”

She prefers Seattle to the North Pole.  “It’s always cold up there,” she said.  “Yeah, I like snow, but I don’t like it constantly cold.”

“My favorite part was sitting on Santa’s lap,” said Christopher, 5, of Puyallup, Wash., after his turn visiting Mr. and Mrs. Claus.

News of DeVries’ North Pole attempt in 2008 made its way to the Claus workshop, said DeVries.  “Santa heard that we were trying to get to his house three years ago in the Beaver,” which helped inspire the Claus couple’s interest in stopping at the museum, DeVries said.

“What Doug wants for Christmas,” joked wife Robbi DeVries with Santa present, “is his fuel back.”

The fuel, all 2,400 pounds of it, is still waiting to be reclaimed from the unreached stopover point, the pilot said.

Santa Claus did not immediately comment.

Santa checks out the de Havilland Beaver prior to departure. (Photo by Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren)

Notes – Character actors Clyde Bock and Mary Jane Donaldson contributed significantly to the unfolding of this story.

If you are headed to the Florida panhandle the Naval Aviation Museum is a great stop.  Located in Pensacola, it’s the nicest military museums in the country.  I haven’t seen all of them, but this one is superb.  There are over 150 aircraft on site as well as an IMAX theatre.

The Museum was recently expanded and in November 2010 opened “Hangar Bay One” (which filled up quickly) behind the original building.  One impressive aircraft there (along with the last active F-14 Tomcat) is the SP-5B Marlin, the last active flying boat in the Navy.  The aircraft are displayed with an absence of barriers.  You can walk up to about all of them (I can’t think of any behind barriers) and look as close as you like.

The main museum has some impressive displays, which range from biplanes to WWII to Korean era jets.  There is a diamond formation of Blue Angels A-4 Skyhawks suspended from the ceiling as well as helicopters and other aircraft.  You can see some pretty rare aircraft such as a Cutlass and even a ME-262.  This ME-262, was the pattern used to reverse engineer the current flying replica ME-262s.  It sat outside NAS Willow Grove for many years after the war.  It’s one of a pair of two seaters that survived the war, the other being in South Africa.  The loan to the ME-262 project got it restored and it is amazing (yes… I am a ME-262 fan).  For the aircraft suspended from the ceiling, there are walkways around the galleries that allow you to see them from their levels.  With the buildings being very well lighted, and painted white inside as well as second story access, top notch photography is pretty easy.  It’s a very accessible museum.

There are quite a few cockpits (of nose sections of aircraft) you are allowed to climb into and play with.  Yes they actually allow adult children in them too.   I know, I tried a few on for size.  The Museum has guided tours with docents lecturing and telling stories about the exhibits.  The museum also has trolley tours of the flightline which takes you behind the fences to the aircraft parked outside the restoration area.  There used to be tours of the actual restoration center where you could see people restoring aircraft, but those have been temporarily suspended.  Before you go, check the museum website at http://www.navalaviationmuseum.org/home.aspx to see if they have been restarted.

For lunch, you need to stop at the Cubi Bar Café.  It’s an exhibit into itself.  The walls are decorated with unit plaques (many are true works of art) from Naval Aviation units that passed through NAS Cubi Point in the Philippines.  When the NAS closed in 1992 the decorations were shipped to NAS Pensacola for inclusion in the Museum.  Not only is the food good, but it’s entertaining to walk through the Café to see the “sights”.

They have one thing you can’t get anywhere else which is a chance to see the Blue Angels practice sessions.  During the season (check websites for details) on most Tuesday and Wednesday mornings, the Blues are practicing at the airfield just behind the museum.  Session starts at 8:30 AM (plan on arriving by 7:30AM), the team members sign autographs at the Museum after the Wednesday sessions.  I’ve been to several and there are always several thousand people in attendance.  Well worth getting up for.

If you are coming here, you can also head over to the USS Alabama in Mobile, which is only an hour west on I10.  Be sure to stop at the rest areas on I10 during the trip, because they have an A-4 and a F-11 on “sticks” painted in Blue Angels colors.  While not affiliated with the Naval Aviation Museum, the USS Alabama also has aircraft on display outside and in their own hangar.

The US Navy’s Aviation Museum at Pensacola is nothing short of spectacular and is well worth the trip from anywhere in the free world.   The facility is great and you will be happy to spend the day here.  They hope to see you soon.

I would like to thank Patrick Nichols, Public Affairs Officer at NAS Pensacola for his assistance in making this story possible.

You can contact the writer Mark Hrutkay at TNMark@Me.Com.

On November 17th 2011 Photorecon was an invited guest of APSOCAL http://www.apsocal.com/ to attend the  NAF El Centro Photocall.  The chance to attend this event is one we look forward to, as this has to be the closest access to live military flight operations anywhere in the world. The event was able to take place due to a wonderful working relationship between  APSOCAL http://www.apsocal.com/ , AZAP http://azaerophoto.com/ and  PAO Michelle Dee. This relationship has afforded great access to the active runways  at NAF El Centro for a few years now. Ms. Dee and the entire staff at NAF El Centro go out of their way to help the attendees capture some of the best photos of our Navy and allied nations training the pilots of the future, along with keeping senior aviators current. This time out we had our usual T-45 trainers, F-18′s both legacy and super bugs and C2 COD aircraft.  Our visit also coincided with the CAF conducting  training at NAF El Centro. The Canadians were sending up F-18s all day, along with a lone c-130 conducting touch and go landings. The day turned out great with safe flying, great people and good photo opportunities.

Photorecon would like to thank  all the guys at APSOCAL and AZAP, and especially the PAO staff at NAF El Centro. We cant wait  till the next photo call.

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The 2011 Blue Angels Homecoming Airshow was held under bright skies and cool conditions on the Friday and Saturday of Veteran’s Day weekend.  The marquee flying act, as always, was the Blue Angels.  Their homecoming late in the year signals the traditional end to the North American air show season, and the finale to their grueling schedule containing close to 70 aerial performances.  Beyond the Blue Angels there was another  homecoming of sorts to celebrate too, the culmination of the year-long Centennial of Naval Aviation (CONA) public salute.  Combining these two themes, the organizers of NAS Pensacola’s air show had plenty of material to produce a memorable event, and they succeeded with a great program.

The Blue Angels faced a bit of adversity towards the middle of the 2011 season as their commanding officer stepped down.  The previous “Boss”, Commander Greg McWherter, rejoined the team, personifying the team’s creed of “Once a Blue Angel, Always a Blue Angel”.  During the 2011 finale, the Navy’s Flight Demonstration Squadron looked as sharp as ever.  With the phrases “100 Years of Naval Aviation” and “Fly Navy 100 Years” painted on their aircraft, the pilots carried aloft the pride and character that has defined Naval Aviation for a century.  The team also celebrated 65 years of Blue Angels history this year, and there were plenty of Blue Angels alumni in attendance.  Al Taddeo was introduced to the crowd on Friday; he’s the last surviving original team member and flew both the Grumman F6F Hellcat and F8F Bearcat during his years with the team.

There were hundreds of Navy and Marine veterans in attendance, especially during Friday’s show which fell upon Veteran’s Day proper.  The organizers put together a rich CONA heritage display both in the air and on the ground.  A collection of rare and historic World War II-era aircraft were assembled, including FM-2 Wildcat, F4U Corsair, and F8F Bearcat fighters, SBD Dauntless, and SB2C Helldiver bombers, plus Japanese Zero and Kate replicas.  Trainers included PT-17/N2S Stearman biplanes,  a pair of SNJs and examples of the T-28 and C-1 Trader. Most of these aircraft flew during the show.  Leading off the procession of warbirds was Bob Coolbaugh’s Curtis Pusher replica, which was lapped by the other airborne aircraft rather easily!  The pilot later answered questions by the plane, and were supported by crewmembers wearing costumes from the 1911 period.  No fewer than eleven of the brightly painted active military aircraft, painted in “throwback” CONA color schemes, were assembled too.

A pair of Air Force squadrons now call NAS Pensacola home, training navigators and combat systems operators.  A B-52 Stratofortress bomber and KC-10 Extender were some of the larger aircraft on display, as well as a Pittsburgh PA based C-130.  Home-based Air Force T-6A Texan and T-1A Jayhawk trainers participated in the Parade of Trainers too.  A Navy E-6B Mercury TACAMO communications aircraft and P-3 Orion were parked close by, and a number of National Naval Aviation Museum joined them.  A German Air Force Tornado attack jet represented just one of a number of foreign countries that send aircrew to the Florida Panhandle to train.

A pair of Marine Harriers were part of a wide-ranging display of smaller aircraft, which included trainers, helicopters, and attack jets.   A nearby Panama City FL-based MH-60S Knighthawk helicopter and its crew highlighted the anti-naval mine research and development work done by the Naval Surface Warfare Center.  A vintage deep sea diving suit was displayed along side of the sleek helicopter.    The Although the aircraft were interesting to look at, some of the crew that were answering questions alongside them had more riveting tales to tell.  If you were lucky enough to listen to conversations between active military personnel and retired veterans, you heard of shared experiences as well as some stirring highlights of each one’s military careers.  It was quite fitting to listen to these stories  during the Veterans Day holiday weekend.

In the air, civilian performers included John Mohr in his Stearman, Bill Leff in his T-6 Texan, Jan Collmer in the FINA Extra 300, Roger Buis corralling Otto the helicopter, David Martin in the Breitling CAP 232, Chuck Aaron in the Red Bull Helo, Bob Carlton in his jet-powered Super Salto sailplane, and Skip Stewart in the Prometheus Pitts.  Skip and John Mohr teamed with Les Shockley and Rich’s Pyro in their TinStix routine too.  There were plenty of styles and lots of noise and smoke put forth by these performers, many of whom were completing their 2012 air show campaign.  The Parade of Trainers, a yearly highlight at the Pensacola base, featured examples from now and then… modern T-6, T-39, T-1 and T-45 military aircraft followed by civilian-owned Stearman (Stearmen – there were a pair), SNJs, a T-28, and a C-1A Trader.  The aforementioned warbird fighters and bombers made multiple passes to the delight of photographers.  Aerobatic shows by the Corsair and the Grumman Bearcat drew particular interest.

Military demonstrations by the F/A-18 Super Hornet and A-10 Warthog, and their Heritage and Tailhook Legacy flights afterwards, saluted the veterans on each afternoon.   The GEICO Skytypers squadron performed their flying routine, and overflew the field on both days writing “100 Years of Naval Aviation” high in the sky.  Add to all that two parachute teams, Les Shockley’s jet truck, plenty of Rich’s Incredible Pyro, and the final Blue Angels 2011 performances, and one had a full days’ entertainment with over 6 hours of air show action.  Friday night’s twilight show featured loads of fireworks and pyro action too, plus he startling effect of an F/A-18 Super Hornet lighting off its’ afterburners in defiance to the fading dusk.  With wind chills hovering near freezing, any fire and heat was welcome!

As Blue Angel 6 touched down on the runway at the end of Saturday’s show, the 2011 air show display season ended for the team.  Their tasks weren’t finished for the year though, as there was routine aircraft maintenance to do, debriefs and reviews to be carried out, and training for the newest Blue Angels members to begin so that they’d be ready for the 2012 season, only a few months into the future.  As for the CONA celebration, the finale of 35 events that began in February signaled the close of the commemoration of a century of naval aviation history.  The staff will spend another three months or so archiving all of the written words, photographs, and video history that were produced throughout the year, so that the next naval aviation history event’s organizers can look back and build upon this year’s success.  Whether you attended this year’s Blue Angels Homecoming Airshow to see the Navy’s Flight Demonstration Squadron, or to take in the CONA displays, or to just enjoy a great airshow, it was truly a memorable event.

Story and photos by Ken Kula

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The Scottsdale Air Fair returned Nov. 5th and 6th after an almost 11 year hiatus, due to the events of September 11 2001. I remember this Air Fair as one of the best in the valley, fast jets and good people.

The 2011 Scottsdale Air Fair lived up to this. On hand were many local aircraft including the Deer Valley Warbirds, flying the Nanchang CJ-6 aircraft. They performed a flawless close formation flight with smoke and tight turns.

The Deer Valley Warbirds  are all pilots with a lot of military flying experience,with a few of the members serving as current airline captains with major US carriers. The CJ-6 aircraft are painted in eastern bloc colors with Bort  numbers  on the nose,they looked spectacular performing in the clear Arizona Skies.

The city of Scottsdale went all out to bring in an armada of aircraft both military and civilian, all this done while the airport remained open for normal flights. One of the most unique aircraft on display was the Red Tail P-51,  painted to honor the Tuskegee Airmen who fought color barriers in World War II to fly as fighter pilots in combat. This aircraft is making its way across the country with the CAF Red Tail Squadron Rise Above  Traveling Exhibit.Visitors to the display could enjoy the moving Rise Above Experience and then take a ride in the flight simulator. The tour is a must see,check them out at http://www.redtail.org

This year’s show featured 3 F-18 Super Hornets from VX-9 China Lake,CA .  The Marines sent several helicopters from HMLA 367, one AH1W Super Cobra, AH1Z Viper and a UH1Y Venom, along with a classic CH46E (FROG) from HMMT 164.

Two of the  Super Hornets performed a demo flight, albeit on the low side of its performance level.  Considering the noise abatement procedures in the area it was still good to see 2 super bugs over Scottsdale.

One surprise of the day was a VFA -122 Super Hornet that landed and parked near the other military static display aircraft.  The events continued into the evening including  a dusk hot air balloon lighting and a concert by the the Bellwethers. http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Bellwethers/74633715834

The show was a great success and one can only hope that this event will take place for many years to come. I would like to personally thank Alexandria Pierce and the entire staff of the Scottsdale Air Fair 2011.

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PhotoRecon.Net recently attended the 2011 Alliance Air Show located down in Ft. Worth Texas. The event is held at the Alliance Ft. Worth airport about 15 miles West of Dallas.

The show, which was estimated as bringing in a crowd of around 100,000 people over the two-day event, was cut in half after a thunderstorm came through Saturday night and dumped about a inch of rain that turned the grass parking lots into mud lots.

The main attraction at the show was the United States Air Force Thunderbirds; a team of 6 F-16’s. The Air Force also sent F-15 demonstration team led by Major Mike “Cash” Maeder. For the statics the Air Force sent F-16’s based in San Antonio, A B-52 from North Dakota and a Texas Air Guard C-130 also from San Antonio.

The NAVY sent VFA-122 F/A-18 to wow the crowd and one for a static display along with a couple of SkyHawks. The Marines brought in 2 Ospreys for statics from the VMM-161 based in Miramar Marine Base in Southern California.

Also on hand was BAE Systems with their new training aircraft, the Hawk, which they plan to put together a bid packet for the USAF who is planning to replace the T-38. The Hawk is set up for 4th and 5th generation air fighters that the Air Force is flying in the F-22 and F-35. The two birds on hand were on loan from the Royal Air Force, who currently uses the aircraft as a trainer. They also took the plane to the skies to give the first ever demo of the aircraft in its history.

Alliance is also home to a maintenance base for American Airlines, they brought in Flagship Detroit, a classic DC-3, the Susan G. Komen Boeing 777-223ER (N759AN) and had its regional partner American Eagle, bring in an Susan G. Komen ERJ-145 (N691AE). FedEx was also on hand with a 727 along with Orbis, a DC-10 that they use to fly across the world to teach doctors in under developed and funded countries about eye surgery.

PhotoRecon.net would like to specially thank  Major Maeder of the F-15 demo team and Lisa Hillary-Tee from BAE for the help with getting out on the hot ramp to get even better shots of the team. Also would like to thank Katie Kuczek with the Herb Gillen Agency who approved PhotoRecon.net for media access, we hope to work closely with them in the near future!

F-15 Team Site- http://www.acc.af.mil/aerialevents/strikeeagle/index.asp

BAE Hawk Facebook Fan Page- http://www.facebook.com/HawkforUSAF

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On October 8, 2011, Photorecon had the opportunity to attend the 2011 Holloman AFB open house, the Legacy of Liberty air show.  Any air show at Holloman AFB holds a special place in my heart.  As a young man growing up in central New Mexico, Holloman AFB was the first air show I attended; the early trips out to the Base fostered a lifelong interest in aviation that developed into a passion for aviation photography.  This was the base at which my mother and father gave me my first camera, a Kodak Instamatic 110.  My father was a construction supervisor in New Mexico working close to the base; sometimes I would tag along. On many occasions we would stop for lunch to  watch daily flight operations. This was around the time the 49^th Fighter Wing was transitioning from the mighty F4 Phantom to the very modern (at the time) F-15 Eagle.

I attended the first air show to feature the new F-15 and one pilot,  let me sit in the cockpit of a fresh-off-the-production-line Eagle. I cherish those memories; heading out to the show on Saturday, with my 80-years-young mother in tow, (yes that’s Mom in the pics) brought back many fond memories of those wonderful times.

The 2011 Legacy of Liberty air show was a wonderful way to showcase the dedication and professionalism of the men and woman serving at Holloman. Flight performances that day included the following:  Tim Weber -Geico Extra 300s; Robert Pezhold -L-39-C; John Klatt -ANG Extra 300L, F22 & B2 Flyby, Tornado Demo with air-to-air refueling display; Herb Baker -T-28 “DITTO”; Dan Buchanan’s Flying Colors Airshows; Greg Coyler -Lockheed T-33, Pacific Prowler   B-25 Mitchell Bomber,  F-16 Viper EAST Demo Team, A surprise B-2 Fly over , Matt Younkin-Twin Beech 18, F-4 Phantom II Demo and Heritage flight;  eventually followed by a wonderful display of the USAF Thunderbirds.  The flying portion of the show was complimented by a fully-stocked ramp of static display aircraft ranging from a Grumman Albatross to the F-22 Raptor. BAE Systems Hawk Advanced Jet Trainer Road Show made an appearance, displaying a fully-loaded 18-wheeler for the public to tour and 2 RAF Hawk AJTS trainer aircraft. Although the HAWK Aircraft did not fly a demo, I did get to fly the HAWK AJTS simulator. I would also like to thank the BAE staff, for providing us a full briefing on this unique aircraft that very well could be the future of USAF pilot training.  The 301st fighter Squadron known as the “KATS” had a few Raptors on display. I only wish it could have been a red tail raptor, as the 301st  is well know as an original RED TAIL sq. dating back to WWII.

Making all this access possible and providing a secure, elevated photo platform to shoot from was the wonderful Holloman PAO staff. Every year they go out of their way to accommodate us and our media requests.

A special “thank you” goes to Mr. Arlan Ponder and the Holloman PAO  staff; you guys are the best.

Here is a  bit of  Holloman AFB history.,

Holloman AFB is located in New Mexico’s Tularosa Basin between the Sacramento and San Andreas mountain ranges.

One visit to the area and you will understand why New Mexico was named “The Land of Enchantment” and why Holloman is still a major front line ACC base and training location for pilots from around the world.

Holloman history dates back to 1942 with the establishment of Alamogordo Army Air Field, originally slated as a base for the RAF British Overseas Training program. This all changed with the events of December 7, 1941. US military leadership viewed the base as a prime training location to train its own pilots. From 1942-1945 Alamogordo AAF served as the training grounds for over 20 different types of aircraft from the B-17, B-24 and the mighty B-29. The famous 450^th Bombardment group called the base home; this group went on to serve in nearly every major combat operation in WWII. The 450th earned two distinguished unit citations, along with 11 campaign credits.

After WWII the base’s future seemed uncertain. In fact, rumors abounded concerning the closure of the site.  In 1947 Air Materials Command announced the field would become a major test site for pilotless aircraft, guided missiles, and other research aircraft. On January 13, 1948 the base was renamed Holloman Air Force Base, in posthumous honor of Colonel George V. Holloman, a pioneer in guided missile research.

For the next 25 years, the site became known as the Holloman Air Development center and later, the Air Force Missile Development Center. Holloman launched many missiles including the Tiny Tim (the first Army rocket) ,the Rascal, Aerobee, Falcon, Mace and Shrike.

The Holloman research legacy continued through the1950’s and ‘60s, as many history making events took place at the base.  In 1954, Lt. Col.(Dr) John P. Stapp received the nickname “Fastest Man on Earth” when he rode the Sonic Wind No.1 to a speed of 632 mph. Additionally, Captain Joseph W. Kittinger  stepped out of an open balloon gondola at 102,800 feet on August 16, 1960, to test high-altitude bailout techniques. Capt Kittinger’s jump lasted 13 minutes and reached a speed of 614 miles per hour. That Jump broke 4 world records: Highest open gondola manned balloon flight, highest balloon flight of any kind, highest bailout and longest free fall.  Col. (Joe) Kittinger has since become a personal friend of my brother Steve “Dr Sky” Kates. We have had the honor to meet and talk with Joe Kittinger at his home in Florida. Hearing firsthand the details of  his  high altitude bailout was living history at its best.  Another noteworthy event took place at Holloman, on November 29, 1961:  Enos, a chimpanzee, trained at Holloman’s Aero-Medical Laboratory. Enos went on to be the first U.S. chimpanzee specimen launched into space.

A new era began at Holloman in July 1968, with the arrival of the 49^th Tactical Fighter wing, flying the F-4D Phantom II.  In 1977, the 49^th transitioned to the F-15 Eagle, and the eagle ruled the roost at Holloman until April 1992 when the 49^th transitioned to the F-117 Night Hawk Stealth Fighter.  Night Hawk operations continued until June 2008 when the 49^th once again transitioned to a new Air Superiority Fighter, the F-22 Raptor.  In addition, Holloman is home to the German Tactical Training Center (GAF TTC), activated as a tenant unit in 1996. Today the Germans fly and train in the Panavia Tornado aircraft.

The 49^th Fighter wing and associated units based at Holloman make up the cutting edge of today’s United States Air Force.  The wing provides combat-ready Airmen, F-22 Raptors, and trains MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper pilots and sensor operators. Additionally, the wing delivers Air Transportable Clinics and Basic Expeditionary Airfield Resources while providing support to more than 17,000 military and civilian personnel to include German Air Force Flying Training center operations. Holloman personnel also assist White Sands Missile Range personnel in supporting the White Sands Space Harbor as an alternate runway for past NASA space shuttle missions. The space shuttle Columbia landed at WSSH March 30, 1982 and 1,400 Holloman personnel supported that landing.

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