Videos: Boeing Goes Public With 7 Pax 'Space Station Taxi'... The CST-100

 I admit that I don't follow modern manned-spacecraft development very closely, and you can tell because I didn't even realize Boeing was developing a 7 seat spacecraft to serve as a low Earth orbit taxi!

 This video released yesterday gives a nice overview of the CST-100 project... and the one I found below shows a capsule drop-test from an Air-Crane where systems like the very critical parachute system and the air bag cushioning system used for terra firma landings were put to the test.

Video screenshot: Boeing CST-100 manned spacecraft capsule recovery drop test

 If I understand the information correctly, these drop tests actually took place in 2012, and they appear to have been very successful. The CST-100 is part of the NASA Commercial Crew Development program which is investing money in various projects from several manufacturers, and it shows that at the very least America is headed the right direction in having some form of successor to the Space Shuttle for getting our people up into space and back. Looks like I need to be paying more attention to what's going on!

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Video: Fascinating Historical Account Of The 1965 Reno Air Races (Progress In The Air)

 This recently uploaded gem of a video is an old-school professionally produced film that chronicled the wide variety of aviation related activities taking place during the 1965 Reno Air Races. It's 21 minutes long but very well worth your time if you have any interest in the era that defined so much of what modern aviation is all about today.

A young Bob Hoover talks about how the 23 year old P-51 design still flies beautifully

 National air racing had just returned the year before in 1964 when the first Reno Air Races took place at the Sky Ranch airport just north of Sparks Nevada. Bill Stead was the driving force behind the rebirth of national air racing and it's great to see him in this video.

 Lots of dirt and a short runway were pretty much all they had, but the event included aerobatics, parachuting, hot air ballooning, the US Air Force Thunderbirds in the F-100D Super Sabre, and of course various classes of air racing. Those first two years of the Reno Air Races were an amazing celebration of a love for flight no matter the machine used to accomplish it.

Before the Red Devils, before the Eagles Aerobatic Team... a young Charlie Hillard

 I was fortunate as a young kid to experience Reno from 1967 thru 1970, and much of what is seen at the Sky Ranch in this video reminds me of the early years at Stead Airfield. It's interesting to note several things about the Stead name as it relates to these early Reno years. Bill Stead, a late 1950's world speed boat champion, pulled the first two events together after retiring from boats and moving on to racing airplanes. The location for these first two years was the Sky Ranch, but the airport was barely up to the task of handling the larger aircraft. Tragically, Bill Stead was killed a short time later in 1966 in a Florida crash of his midget racer in preparation for the St Petersburg races. The airplane was the newly acquired Deer Fly racer that had been the winner in the 1965 races at Sky ranch, as seen in the video.

A fascinating look at the early days of the modern hot air balloon movement

 For 1966, the National Air Races moved from Sky Ranch to what had been Stead Air Force base, named in honor of Bill Stead's brother Croston Stead who had been killed in a P-51 training accident at the base in 1951. When the base was deactivated in 1966 and turned over to the city of Reno, it was renamed Stead Airfield. Today it's known as Reno Stead Airport. The excellent facilities of Reno Stead have served the races well for nearly all of the 50 year history of the modern National Championship Air Races, known simply as the Reno Air Races... and the memory of two Reno brothers lives on.

Mira Slovak trying to win again, but Darryl Greenamyer started his win streak instead

This is definitely a must see video if you're interested in sport aviation history!

The Thunderbirds after replacing the short run F-105's with the F-100D Super Sabre

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GoPro Video: Crazy Slackline Fun Between Two Hot Air Balloons!

 I'm pretty sure I have no slacklining skills, but with two hot air balloon flying lessons in the books in the last few weeks I can definitely relate somewhat to what's going on here. Actually, what's really going on here is the masterful marketing of the GoPro HERO3+ video cam but I'm guessing you already had that figured out. They've been pushing an even bigger boatload of awesome HD videos here lately in their continuing effort to not go the way of Flip Video... product innovation and hot marketing at GoPro have kept them at the top of the heap for quite a while now, but things sure can change fast. #watchyourback

Video screenshot: Andy Lewis slacklining between two hot air balloons at 4,000 feet

 Anyway, this is Andy Lewis, a highly skilled slackline competitor who also is a BASE jumper and rock climber, and here he's walking the line between two hot air balloons at 4,000 feet. I call it cool stuff, well done.

Video screenshot: the view looking up after falling off the slackline

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Video: 'Whisper' - The Dog That Made A Wingsuit BASE Jump!

 The video above is the short version from Dean Potter's youtube channel showing him making a wingsuit BASE jump in Switzerland with his small dog Whisper tucked securely into pocket between him and his parachute container. The video below is a longer version from the National Geographic youtube channel that offers a little more insight into this rather unusual adventure. 

 I was already planning to post this video on AirPigz when I began reading the youtube comments on both videos. Wow, youtube comments never fail to expose the irrational thinking of a large part of the population here on Earth. After reading the comments claiming that this was animal cruelty I KNEW I had to post this video.

 First, let me add that my wife and I have five miniature Schnauzers in the house (Schnauzers don't shed!) and have been living with these little creatures for the last 10 years... we started with one and then fairly quickly wound up with six in all. A couple years ago one became ill and passed away leaving us with five.

 When you really know a dog it's easy to tell when its uneasy in a given situation... and I would think all of us can tell when a dog is truly scared. A dog owner with any level of intelligence will also know whether a specific dog is of the mindset (or nerve tolerance) to be able to handle adventure, even extreme adventure. I have two Schnauzers that I know would love to BASE jump and I have three that I know would freak out. 

 It's obvious that Whisper, a 22 pound mini Australian cattle dog, was completely up to the task of riding along on this wingsuit jump, AND that she enjoyed it. It really confuses me that rational people could watch the video (especially the long version) and somehow come to the conclusion that Whisper was scared. And then when you add the obvious effort to make this adventure safe and secure for Whisper, I can't see this as being ANY different than someone taking their dog for its first car ride. A tremendous amount of effort went into making the special parachute rig with the space for Whisper, and test jumps were made to verify the safety of the rig with the size and weight of this awesome little dog.

 All you need to do is watch as Whisper looks left and right on the ride down, that's a dog that is taking it all in and doing great! Further research indicates she has made about a dozen jumps but has been taking a break here lately. Dean is working on a re-designed jump rig to advance the art of taking Whisper along on wingsuit flights.

Video screenshot: Whipser the wingsuit BASE jumping dog looking happy in flight!

 You'll be able to learn more about Whisper and her BASE jumps in Potter's 22 minute film When Dogs Fly but I'm not sure when and where you'll be able to see it. I'll update later when I find out... til then, I think Whisper is a true AirPigz at heart and deserves some bacon!

(and please don't go off on me about how bacon is bad for dogs... as an occasional treat in small quantities, bacon is perfectly fine for a dog!)

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Must See GoPro Video: Re-Experience Felix Baumgartner's Jump From The Edge Of Space (Red Bull Stratos)

 This GoPro video was just released on Friday and it's already well past 3 million views... and it's easy to understand why once you've seen it. It's an all-new view of Felix Baumgartner's Red Bull Stratos jump from nearly 128,000 feet above the Earth's surface, and for me it was every bit as intense seeing it from these seven GoPro cameras as it was seeing it live on October 14, 2012.

 I haven't met Felix Baumgartner but I did meet and talk with both Joe Kittinger and Red Bull Stratos Technical Project Director Art Thompson at Oshkosh 2013 and I must say that these men are two of the nicest guys I've ever met. I was very impressed with their kindness as human beings, and would imagine Felix is cut from the same cloth. Knowing that these good people were at the core of the Red Bull Stratos project makes me respect what was accomplished on that day all the more.

 And to quote Felix while standing on the step about to jump: "Sometimes, you have to be up really high... to understand how small you are."  #humility

(more Red Bull Stratos posts on AirPigz)

(click pic to enlarge) GoPro HERO2 HD screenshot of Felix Baumgartner just off the step

My Dad Bailed Out Of This Exact 'Navy Museum' N3N!

Navy N3N on display at the Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola Florida (photo: NAM)

AirPigz Naval Avaition Musuem MeetUp January 24-26, 2014

Click here to be aded to the email list for more details

 UPDATE: 1-7-14...  I took advantage of the bitter cold yesterday to give my home office a deep cleaning, and in the process I found the old photograph of my dad actually leaving the N3N! I knew we had one that showed him off the wing but thought it was lost for good. It's posted below the 'climbing out' pic.
 

 My dad, who passed away in 2009, retired from 35 years at United Airlines in 1987, and while he did bail out of the exact Navy N3N pictured above, he was never even in the Navy. He spent two years in the Air Force after graduating high school in 1947, but the post-war military didn't need pilots, and he wanted to fly more than anything else. He did wind up getting hired by United in 1952 as a DC-3 co-pilot, which led to a very satisfied career as an airline pilot... but how does this N3N fit in?

 In the 1970's, this N3N was owned by a United 747 Captain named A. L. 'Ed' Prose. My dad was a 747 co-pilot at the time, and he and Ed flew the non-stop Chicago to Honolulu trip together many times. My dad had also been jumping out of airplanes for fun since the late 50's, and he eventually talked Ed into letting him make a jump from the N3N. The picture below was taken from our Citabria flying formation with Ed to get some pix of the jump. This was about 1977 over the Hinckley Illinois airport.

Circa 1977: my dad climbing out and then jumping from the N3N... just for fun!

 So, while my dad did 'bail out' of this N3N, the airplane still had it's very capable owner/pilot at the controls : )

 In 1979, Ed donated the N3N to the Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola Florida where it was restored to Navy markings and put on display. My dad stopped by the museum many times to reminisce about the day that he, as a 747 co-pilot, made a jump from a 747 Captain's Navy N3N!

 I never made it to the Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, so this January 24-26, 2014 MeetUp will be my first time there. I know I'll really enjoy all the museum has to offer, but looking up at that N3N and rembering the day my dad made a jump from it will definitely be a highlight!

 Currently there's about 9 of us planning to meetup, but I'd love it if more were able to make the trip. Check out the basic post about the meetup and then click here to send an email for more info.

Video: The Slick View Of OSH13 - Must See!

 We didn't get a video from 'Slick' for OSH12 with his involvement in the U.S. Navy, but this year he was able to get behind the camera at OSH13 and capture more awesome avgeek beauty from the world's greatest aviation event!

Well done Slick, you've definitely still got it : )

Check out the OSH10 video and the OSH11 video from Slick

Screenshot from Slick's fabulous video of Oshkosh 2013

Why Oshkosh Matters (With CoolPix Marathon - 19 Hi-Res Images)

(click pic for hi-res)  Ray Hegy's El Chuparosa at Oshkosh 1970 (see original post)

 Oshkosh 2013 is fast approaching (July 29 - Aug 4), and I'm as excited as ever to be planning to attend. I was there in 1970 (as a 9 year old) when the very first Oshkosh took place at Wittman Field in beautiful Wisconsin. The annual EAA fly-in and convention was held in Rockford Illinois prior to Oshkosh and I was even at the last one of those in 1969. I've missed a handful of the events over the years, but I've attended well over 30 of them since that picture above of Ray Hegy's El Chuparosa was taken.

 Oshkosh has changed a lot over the years, but in the ways that really matter, it hasn't really changed at all. It's still people (lots and lots of people) who are in love with aviation gathering together to share that love with each other. It's goodness, discipline, ingenuity, and achievement all rolled into a week of learning, sharing, and enjoying. There's just nothing else like it... no other tool we have that does so much good for the world of general and sport aviation. That's why I believe that Oshkosh truly matters.

 I'm well aware that many people have frustrations at times with the EAA and the way Oshkosh is run, and while I've had the same kinds of frustrations going back even into the 1970's, I'm as convinced as ever that the EAA ultimately does a huge amount of good for those of us who love to fly. I can't imagine any other organization (or new group of people) who could, or would do better (or even as well) at fostering a genuine love for flying. So I hope you'll join me in being a big supporter of what Oshkosh does for us all... come to Oshkosh this year and be amazed, entertained, educated, and impressed. But please don't come expecting Oshkosh to do all that TO you, instead, come to Oshkosh and BE PART OF that process. Give, and share, and receive too. It's the human interactions that truly make Oshkosh the beautiful thing that it is.

 To celebrate some of the great avgeekery of Oshkosh, here's an extensive collection of CoolPix images I've captured since 2009 to get you primed and ready for the world's greatest aviation event. I hope you enjoy! Oh, and you might notice that I never ever call the event A**V******, it's Oshkosh to me and always will be. I look forward to the day when that ad agency concocted word is dropped from the EAA vocabulary. And hey, maybe they should go back to a logo that looks more like tho old one too : )

(click pic for hi-res)  Pitcairn Autogiro at Oshkosh 2009  (see original post)

(click pic for hi-res)  Airbus A380 preparing to depart Oshkosh 2009  (see original post)

Click to read more ...

Video: Men Who Fly Like The Squirrel! (Wingsuits)

 Tho I've always been a fan of skydiving (and have 110 jumps myself) I've been a little unsure how I feel about the way wingsuit pilots fly. But I must say that this beautiful video is just pure fantastic! It's men who fly like the squirrel! (Pteromyini)

Video screenshot: wingsuit jumping off of beautiful Italian rocks!

Video: Jetpack By Troy Hartman - The Real Rocketeer? (Hmm, Maybe Not)

 So you probably know about the Martin Jetpack, and also about Yves Rossy - aka Jetman (who will be making his first public flights in the US at Oshkosh 2013!) but do you know about stuntman Troy Hartman and his Jetpack? If you do, you're a step head of me... I just learned of this sorta Rocketeer project this morning. The video above is actually from last August.

 I was leaning in pretty close watching the video until I realized that Troy is using the Jetpack mostly as a source of thrust to get him in the air under a parachute. However, he claims to have about 200 pounds of thrust with the twin turbine setup, and it also appears that he's working toward using this as the thrust to power a Jet Wing similar to what Yves Rossy uses. I guess the use of the parachute is just an easy way to test the Jetpack hardware.

Video screenshot: Stuntman Troy Hartman - Rocketeer in training?

 
 Is vertical launch a possibility? Without a wing and much like the Rocketeer? That seems like a good question but I'm guessing any attempt like that is along way off. It does seem possible tho since those good ole rocket-powered jetpacks (like this one) are stable and controllable. Plus, small turbine thrust will certainly continue to improve... but the list of challenges to solve seems exceedingly long and the likelihood for disaster seems very high. You never know tho, maybe one of these days Troy, or some other person with 'issues in the head' will actually make a Rocketeer Jetpack work!

(learn more about Troy and his Jetpack)