On May 5th and 6th, the Planes of Fame Air Museum in Chino California is going to open its hangar doors and roll out some of the finest examples of restored aircraft in flying condition from years past.  This year’s airshow honors the turning of the tide in the Pacific in 1942.  The airshow is scheduled to feature over 40 historic aircraft performing for all those in attendance; in ... Read More

Dayton Ohio's National Museum of the U.S Air Force was home to the official ceremony that marked the 70th anniversary of the Doolittle Raiders' World War II bombing mission against Tokyo.  On April 18, 1942, sixteen North American B-25 Mitchell bombers led by Lieutenant Colonel James Doolittle and crewed by seventy nine other airmen, launched from the deck of the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Hornet; their  destination was Japan.  From ... Read More

The web has been flooded with pictures and stories of the Space Shuttle Discovery’s move from Florida to its permanent home at the Udvar Hazy Center at the Smithsonian in Virginia.  I was there for the arrival in Virginia, I was also there for the Discovery’s last launch into space as well as its last landing at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The Discovery was the third operational shuttle after ... Read More

This year marks the 70th anniversary of the raid which was the first strike against the Japanese homeland.  The National Museum of the United States Air Force has a B-25 that was restored by North American Aviation and presented to the Museum in 1958.  The aircraft was restored and painted to represent B-25B, Serial Number 40-2344 which was flown by Doolittle.   It's displayed as though it's on the deck ... Read More

Riverside Airport is packed into the middle of suburban Riverside, surrounded by houses on all sides.  While the main runway is just large enough to accommodate a C-17, the traffic pattern still seems more like driving directions than flying.  There is something nice about the smaller, local, airshows; there is a certain down to Earth quality about them which just is not a part of the large military airshows. The ... Read More

The  B-25 known as Executive Sweet began it's journey from Camarillo, CA to Dayton, OH. The aircraft will be one of Twenty-five B-25 Mitchell bombers that plan to pay tribute to the Doolittle Raiders as they commemorate the 70th anniversary of their raid on Japan. The reunion will take place  April 17-20 at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force in Dayton,OH. On the way to Dayton, OH the B-25 will make several stops,providing an ... Read More

It all started on May 22, 1912, when Lt. Alfred A. Cunningham reported for flight training at the Naval Academy at Annaplois, it wasn’t until August 20, at Marblehead, Massachusetts, that Cunningham soloed in a Curtiss B-1 Seaplane and became Naval Aviator number 5. Since then, Marine pilots have done their job to defend America and each other, with names like Col. Gregory “Pappy” Boyington (Medal of Honor awardee) ... Read More

Photorecon has partnered with AirShowVid.com to start producing high quality videos.  Bringing you video from airshows and major aviation events from around the west coast is not a departure from our regular approach but a welcomed addition. Our mission is to showcase compelling video productions that stir audiences. Whether it's aerobatic, military or vintage aircraft we produce video that will engulf you in the magic of flight. We will ... Read More

Pratt & Whitney Aircraft J-58 (JT11D-20) Characteristics’. Maximum Thrust           34,000 Lb Military Thrust              23,900 Lb Weight                         6,250 Lb Length                         215.940 In Maximum Diameter      55.43 In Sea Level Air Flow        326 Lb/Sec Compression Ratio       8.5:1 Total Pressure Ratio    2,93:1 Bleed Bypass Ratio      20-40% (above Mn 2.0 Only) Pratt & Whitney Aircraft J-58 (JT11D-20) Engine Milestones.   Program Milestones (Firsts) 1st Engine Rated for Continuous Military Operation (Military Thrust equal to 23,900 LbFn). 1st Engine Rated for Continuous Afterburning Operation (Afterburning Operation Duty Cycle limited ... Read More

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 ... Read More

 On January 7, 2012 at 6:00 am, I made my way to the Planes of Fame Air Museum in Chino, California. There, I was to be a passenger in the museum’s Cessna L-19 Birddog that was scheduled to be on static display the Cable Airshow in Upland, California. To say I was excited to fly in the Birddog, let alone to an airshow, and with my good friend at ... Read More

On January 14th the Arizona Wing of the Commemorative Air Force, hosted  "A Legacy of Honor, Valor and Pride: A Tribute to the Tuskegee Airman" . Several hundred people turned out to honor the service and sacrifice of the warriors known as the Tuskegee Airman. On hand were several Tuskegee airmen from the Archer-Ragsdale, Arizona Chapter of the TAI. A presentation of colors was performed by re-enactors portraying Buffalo Soldiers. ... Read More

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 ... Read More

Hawthorne, Nevada is home to the Hawthorne Army Depot, an ammunition staging area during World War II and the largest ammunition storage site in the world. On September 15, 1930, the Secretary of the Navy commissioned the U.S. Navy Ammunition Depot at Hawthorne, Nevada. This did not happen by accident, but an accident caused it to happen. Four years earlier, July 1926, during the same week that a fire destroyed ... Read More