Check Out Me(!) On the Airplane Geeks Podcast (Episode 260 - OSH13 Debrief)

Click the pic to go to AirplaneGeeks.com and listen to Episode 260, with me a a guest!

 Max Flight from the Airplane Geeks Podcast invited me to be a guest on a show that was recorded on Monday evening, just 24 hours after I returned from Oshkosh 2013. The shows was then posted for listening earlier today. It was my first podcast experience in a really long time, and it was great fun! Maybe I'll get back to doing my own podcasts again one of these days. (maybe the Cubs will win the World Series?)

 Anyway, it was Max (@MaxFlight / Thirty Thousand Feet), and co-hosts Rob Mark (@jetwhine / Jetwhine.com) and David Vanderhoof (@DMVanderhoof / WhatJustFlewBy) along with Martin Rottler (@martinrottler) as a guest... and me! We talked about some aviation news stories and then did a bit of an OSH13 debrief. It was great avgeek chat followed by more show segments with additional interviews and much more. It's a big show with a lot of talk and I highly recommend you go check it out right now. They even reposted two of my better OSH13 pix right there at the top of their post!

 A big thanx goes out to the Airplane Geeks crew for letting me chew the fat with them, I really did enjoy it : )

AirPigz Podcast #13: Racer Marilyn Dash Talks Reno 2010 - Part 1

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Marilyn Dash races her Pitts Special in the Biplane Class at the Reno Air Races

For more info on Marilyn Dash and the Reno Air Races, check out:
RubyRedRacing.com and PylonPlace.Blogspot.com

 Marilyn Dash has been racing in the Biplane Class at Reno for many years now. She's also extremely well connected to the culture of people and airplanes at Reno which makes her a great person to talk to about all things Reno. Our chat was long enough to break into two parts, with part 1 here covering her personal experience racing the Pitts Special again this year, along with some talk about the racers in the Formula One Class.

 Marilyn is both sharp and fun... this is a great interview for anyone with an interest in air racing. Enjoy!

 (part 2, covering Sport & Super Sport, T-6, Jet, and Unlimited Classes will be up soon)

Marilyn Dash and her Pitts Special

Bill Falck's 1970's 'Rivets' Formula One racer discussed in the interview

Reno 2010: AR-6 'Endeavor' Formula One racer discussed in the interview

AirPigz Podcast #12: Kent Pietsch Akro And The Indy Air Show!

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 Kent Pietsch and his Jelly Belly sponsored Interstate Cadet

Interview with Kent Pietsch - 37:47

 It's not every day you talk with a guy who often lands an airplane on top of a moving motorhome or pickup truck!  But that's exactly what Kent Pietsch (sounds like 'peach') does on a regular basis, as the video below shows.  He's been performing at airshows since 1974 and he does some really cool flying with his 1940's era Interstate Cadet... like landing on that tiny moving platform; or doing a crazy comedy act that has him bouncing all over the place, dragging wingtips and even losing an aileron; or his 'deadstick' routine where he does aerobatics with the engine shut down from 6,000 feet, and then stopping the airplane exactly where he wants it back on the ground. It's great airshow performing by an excellent pilot and a really nice guy.

 Kent is one of many fabulous airshow pilots that will be making the 2010 Indy Air Show such a great event to take the family to if you're anywhere near the Indianapolis area Friday thru Sunday June 11th - 13th.  It'll be my first year at the event and I'm really looking forward to it.

 In addition to Kent, other performers that I've talked to recently for podcasts that will also be at Indy are Red Bull Air Racer Michael Goulian (podcast #10) as well as Kyle Franklin and Matt Younkin (podcast #8).  These interviews really help to give you some insight into what it's like for these unique people to be flying at the highest levels.  Turns out they're all really nice people too!

 If you're an A-10 Warthog Fan like I am, you'll love seeing the Air Combat Command put on a special A-10 demonstration at Indy.  This video from 'A-10 Warthog Week' gives you a great idea of what to expect!  Check out IndyAirShow.com for all the details, schedule, and ticket info... it's gonna be more aviation than you can shake a stick at(!) and I hope to see you there : )   

I'm looking forward to some great aviation at the 2010 Indy Air Show!

 Learn more about Kent Pietsch at PietschAircraft.com

AirPigz Podcast #11: Flight Journal Editor & Pitts Fanatic Budd Davisson

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 Budd Davisson is the Editor-in-Chief of Flight Journal magazine

 
Budd also runs airbum.com with tons of aviation content from the last 40 years

 
Budd also has over 30 years experience giving dual in the Pitts Special!

Interview with Budd Davisson - 1:00:52 

 Budd Davisson has been writing about his amazing flying experiences for 40 years now, and he's still going strong!  He keeps busy as the Editor-in-Chief of Flight Journal magazine, a fabulous publication and website with an emphasis on aviation history, including detailed stories on aircraft, people and events from military aviation.

 Budd also runs airbum.com, a website full of his pilot reports and photography from the last 40 years of his work as an aviation journalist.  It's a tremendous resource for all kinds of great avgeek info.

 And if all that wasn't enough, Budd has been running a Pitts Special flight school for well over 30 years!  He specializes in teaching people how to handle the Pitts in the landing phase, and in the process winds up making much better pilots out of them.  He'll pass 5,000 hours of dual-given this year - amazing!

 This interview was especially cool for me since I first starting reading Budd's great articles back in the mid 70's when I was a teenager.  The type of aircraft he wrote about, and the informative, personal, and fun style of his writing made him by far the most influential aviation writer in my life.

Budd Davisson is sitting in the front seat of the prototype two-place Pitts Special back in 1973.  Bob Schnuerle is in the rear seat with Bob Herendeen sitting on the wing, and then Tom Poberezny, Curtis Pitts and Gene Dearing.  We talk about this fabulous photo in the interview.

AirPigz Podcast #10: Red Bull Air Race & Airshow Pilot Mike Goulian

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Red Bull Air Race and Airshow pilot Michael Goulian

Interview with Michael Goulian - 36:54

 Michael Goulian has years of experience flying airshows and is also in his 5th year as a Red Bull Air Race pilot... he really knows extreme flying!  In this interview we talk about his first 2 races so far in the 2010 RBAR season as well as a lot of details of what it's like flying fast, low, and pulling up to 12 g's.  It's pretty amazing stuff.  He also shares some interesting details on the race coming up May 8 and 9 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

 We also talk about his experience as an airshow pilot, including the upcoming performance on June 12th and 13th at the Indy Airshow.  He flies the very cool green Edge 540 in the Red Bull Air Races and has a relatively new Extra 330, sponsored by ASB.TV that he flies in airshows around the country.

 The coverage of the Red Bull Air Races via the live stream, which is available from both the RBAR and Mike Goulian websites, is some of the best sports coverage in the world.  I highly recommend you join me watching this next race in Brazil on May 9.  Team 99 has some big changes planned that should be starting with this race... it's gonna be a great one to watch live.

 I'm also looking forward to watching Michael fly the ASB.TV Extra at the Indy Airshow in June... Michael Goulian is definitely where the action is!  

Here's a list of relevant websites for you to check out:

RedBullAirRace.com

IndyAirshow.com

ASB.TV

MikeGoulian.com

 

AirPigz Podcast #9: U-2 Spy Plane Pilot Colonel Lars Hoffman

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U-2 Spy Plane pilot: U.S Air Force Colonel Lars Hoffman

Interview with Col. Lars Hoffman - 1:01:20

 Lars Hoffman is the husband of Jill Rutan Hoffman who I interviewed in podcast #6, and he's an experienced U-2 pilot.  Lars shares a lot of really interesting details on what it's like flying the U-2 at altitudes up to 70,000 feet.  The challenges of flying that high for both the airplane and the human body are significant, and we talk about a lot of them.  You might be surprised like I was at many of the very unique characteristics of the U-2... it's a pretty fascinating operation.

 The video below is from the 'James May on the Moon' special that ran on the BBC and it really helps to show what the experience is like when flying so high above the earth.  I highly recommend you watch the video first, and then enjoy this interview with Lars as he takes you even deeper into the world of the U-2.

 We also talk some about the work of Burt Rutan, who is the uncle of Lars' wife Jill, on the space tourism project.  This video from the AMA Expo 2010 is a really neat look at Burt's experience over the years with model aviation, and it includes some interesting insight into the design and function of the spacecraft he has been designing.

 I hope you enjoy this really interesting podcast!

AirPigz Podcast #8 - Matt Younkin & Kyle Franklin: Sons Of Legends

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Matt Younkin - Amanda Younkin Franklin - Kyle Franklin

(5 pix + 1 video)

Interviews with Matt Younkin and Kyle Franklin - 54:38

 Matt Younkin’s father Bobby Younkin, and Kyle Franklin’s father Jimmy Franklin were two of the best airshow pilots ever, with years and years of impressive experience in a very wide range of aircraft.  Known for both unique creativity and tremendous flying skill, they set the standard for excellent airshow performances again and again.  Sadly, they both lost their lives in an airshow accident while performing together in 2005.

 The great heritage of those years of airshow excellence is being carried on by Matt Younkin and Kyle Franklin as the Sons of Legends.  Matt is well known for flying the Twin Beech aerobatically with both day and night shows… and Kyle keeps the Waco Mystery Ship and wing walker act at the forefront of airshow performances.

 The Sons of Legends story is even more interesting in that Matt’s sister Amanda is married to Kyle, bringing these two great aviation families even closer together.  Amanda is not only a pilot, but she manages both Younkin Airshows and Franklin Airshows, and she's Kyle’s wing walker too!

 These three unique people are working hard to bring honor to the great airshow work done by their fathers, and this podcast includes in-depth interviews with both Matt and Kyle.  They both talk about what it’s like to fly their signature aircraft as well as some of the other airplanes in their shows.  It’s especially interesting to hear Matt talk of flying the Twin Beech at night, and to hear Kyle’s details of his 8 years of wing walking experience followed by him now flying the Waco as Amanda is out on the wing.  Listen now to learn more about the Sons of Legends.

 all photos: Scott Slocum 
Matt Younkin in his beautiful looking (and sounding!) Twin Beech

Click to read more ...

AirPigz Podcast #7 - Follow Up Interview With Wasabi Air Racing

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Elliot Seguin in his #68 Cassutt racer

 When Elliot Seguin did podcast #5 with me back in June of 2009, we covered some of what he was working on with his Cassutt race plane as he was preparing Wasabi Air Racing for Reno 2009. 

 In this interview, we talk in great detail about how his second year at Reno went,  including having an airplane that was indeed faster than it had been in his first year out, and what it was like dealing with some ‘mayday’ issues with the airplane as well. 

 We also chat a bit about the races overall from the perspective of a fan of air racing which of course both of us are.  I was so fortunate myself to be able to attend the races… my first time there since I was just 9 years old in 1970!  I highly recommend that you make plans to be at the Reno Air Races in 2010.

 We were also going to talk some about the interesting work he does at Scaled Composites, but we spent so much time on the racing that we’ll have to do the Scaled talk the next time we get together.  Elliot’s a fun guy doing a lot of cool stuff… I hope you enjoy listening to his firsthand experience as a race pilot at Reno.

Wasabi Air Racing: Elliot Seguin and crew chief Jenn Whaley

Elliot and Jenn playin' with epoxy and making airplane parts

A tall Elliot in a short airplane on takeoff roll at Reno 2009

Wasabi Air Racing blog

AirPigz Podcast #6: Interview With 'First Flights' Author Jill Rutan Hoffman

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 Jill Rutan Hoffman's dad is test pilot Dick Rutan, her uncle is aircraft designer Burt Rutan, and her husband Lars Hoffman is an Air Force Colonel with lots of experience in the U-2 spy plane... Jill is very well connected to the world of aviation!  In this interview, we talk a lot about her recent book, 'First Flights' - available at Amazon, and how all of the proceeds from it go to scholarships to send young people to aviation or space camps.  We also talk briefly about her first book ‘Oshkosh Memories’ - also available at Amazon. 

 It’s a fun interview that also looks at what it was like for Jill ‘growing up Rutan’.  We talk some about the early days of the Rutan brothers work with experimental aircraft, including the world record setting Voyager from the 80’s, which began like many other great projects… as a napkin drawing at a small restaurant!  There’s also a little talk about the current space project that Burt has been working on, including an interesting behind-the-scenes detail about the beginning of it all.

 In the intro before the interview, I explain a little about why AirPigz was on hold thru the fall, and how things are going now that the site has been rebuilt and re-launched on the squarespace.com platform. 

 I also give a quick update on the building of my updated Volksplane experimental airplane that I call Project VP.  If you’re interested in supporting the project by buying a special PVP t-shirt, check out the recent post ’Project VP Hibernation To End Soon’.

 And, I should have another podcast out real soon : )

AirPigz Podcast #5 'Interview With Wasabi Air Race Owner/Pilot Elliot Seguin'

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The Wasabi Air Racing 'Cassutt' owned and flown by Elliot Seguin
Photo: Alan Radecki - Mojave Skies

Elliot (sitting on airplane) is part of the crew for the Nemesis Air Race Team

 

Virgin Galactic's WhiteKnightTwo from Scaled Composites where Elliot works

Photo: Virgin Galactic

 AirPigz podcast #5 is just over a one-hour long interview with Elliot Seguin, the owner and pilot of the relatively new Wasabi Air Racing team.

 I met Elliot after he found AirPigz a couple months back, and then he contacted me thru FaceBook.  He was pretty interested in AirPigz since he saw stories on the WhitKnightTwo and the Nemesis race plane, which just happen to be two elements that are a part of his life in aviation.   

 Based in Mojave, California, and as an employee of Scaled Composites, a crew member of the Nemesis Air Racing team, and the pilot/owner of Wasabi Air Racing, Elliot has a lot of interesting experience and knowledge to share even tho he's only 26 years old.

 This podcast interview is likely to be just the start of many more that follow along with Elliot as he works hard to progress further into the exciting world of high speed air racing.  Enjoy!

Check out Elliot's Wasabi Air Racing blog