Monday, June 22, 2015 at 07:23AM Mind your head!
Video screenshot: Red Bull 2-man formation about to blast right thru an open hangar!
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Tuesday, October 14, 2014 at 06:07AM 
click here to download the digital version for half price (just $4.50)
If you've been paying attention you know I'm a big believer in the Piper Cub as the perfect pure-flying-pleasure airplane. If you aren't convinced of the Cub's 'best airplane ever' status, then watch the video trailer above for THE CUBS 2 OSH STORY, and then I hope you'll either buy the digital download or the DVD of the 32 minute professionally-produced video. You can buy the DVD (with the digital download) for $19.99 or by using the special AirPigz link you can buy the digital download for just $4.50, half its regular price.
The Cubs 2 OSH Story chronicles the 75th anniversary gathering of Piper Cubs at Hartford Wisconsin back in 2012. Filmmaker Ryan Dembroski has put together a very high quality video that captures the beauty of Cub flying along with the personal stories that really show how the Cub has connected with aviators in a way that honestly no other airplane ever has.
I very highly recommend that you purchase the Cubs 2 OSH video in one form or another... your love for aviation (and the Cub) will benefit greatly!
click here to download the digital version for half price (just $4.50)
click here to order the 32 minute DVD for $19.99 (includes digital download)
The trailer below for the Cubs 2 OSH video features the man behind the event (and Cub Air Flight at Hartford) Steve Krog. He shares how the Cub has impacted his life since he was just a kid... truly a life-long love affair!
I was at Hartford back in 2012 for the Cubs 2 OSH event, and Ryan's video definitely captures all the magic of this very special gathering! Definitely a must-see video : )
Check out these posts for more on my experience from Cubs 2 OSH:
Lots Of Cub Yellow At Hartford Wisconsin For 'Cubs 2 OSH'
75 Piper Cubs At Hartford Wisconsin! CoolPix 2Fer
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Sunday, September 28, 2014 at 09:12AM
This short but very sweet video is from a few nights ago in Alaska at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson as several C-17's were testing their countermeasure flares. That's some beautiful northern lights to be sure!
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Tuesday, September 23, 2014 at 07:55AM
My usual goal for an AirPigz post is to give you a 3 to 5 minute avgeek experience that either thoroughly entertains or educates (or both)... but today you're gonna have to carve out at least 55 minutes if you're gonna take it all in. I found this documentary on the early 1960's British TSR-2 (Tactical Strike and Reconnaissance Mach 2) to be both extremely educational and entertaining. I admit that my interest in the details of aircraft development might run deeper than yours, but even so, I think you'll find this British effort to keep up with the rapidly advancing aerospace world of the late 50's and early 60's to be a fascinating story.
As with any cancelled project, the politics of the situation are often as interesting (and confusing/frustrating) as the aircraft itself. This documentary provides some of the story, tho I'm sure any story like this is almost impossible to know what really happened. Regardless, the interviews with key people in the the TSR-2 development along with lots of film of the aircraft easily held my attention.
(click pic to enlarge) The prototype (XR219) and only TSR-2 to ever fly
For some reason I have never really been very familiar with the TSR-2 and its tragic story of seeming to be a tremendous aircraft lacking the will of the government to build it... tho there's no disputing that delays and cost overruns certainly tainted the achievement of the designers and builders. I had seen pictures of the airplanes and usually thought; that's kinda weird looking. Interestingly, now I look at it and think WOW!
All I know is that one day I hope to be able to go to Cosford England to the RAF museum, or to the Imperial War Museum in Duxford England to see either of the two surviving TSR-2 airframes. Neither of these airframes (XR220 and XR222) ever flew, only the prototype XR219 was ever flown, but it sure seems to me that the feeling standing in front of the TSR-2 would have to be very much like that when in the presence of a B-58 Hustler or the XB-70 Valkyrie. Awesome.
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Thursday, September 18, 2014 at 07:52AM
Poll is at the bottom of the post
The disqualification of Thom Richard in Precious Metal in the Gold Unlimited race last Sunday at the 2014 National Championship Air Races in Reno has created quite a stir among fans of air racing. And while it's easy to assume that it's Precious Metal fans that are confused and frustrated the most, I believe it should apply to ALL race fans for the sake of sport going forward. Ultimately, the TRUTH of this situation is what really matters, and getting to that truth, to uphold the integrity of the event, should be the goal of everyone involved.
First Things First:
First I want to make it clear that I'm not anti RARA (Reno Air Race Association) in anyway. My first experiences at Reno were as a kid from 1967 thru 1970 (I was born in 1961) and while I didn't return until 2009, Reno is forever etched into my mind from those early years. I love the Reno Air Races!
I also ran a Christian rock music festival for 10 years. I was the founder of the event as well as the lone organizer. In 2008, the last year for the event, I had 45 bands on 3 stages over 3 days... I understand how difficult 'events' are to pull off. I very much respect the work done by RARA in making the races happen year after year.
Also, after the tragedy in 2011 at Reno, the task of moving the races forward, under far greater FAA scrutiny, had to make the work harder than ever to accomplish.
The Disqualification:
According to the statement released by RARA on September 16th, Thom Richard and Precious Metal were disqualified on the second lap for crossing the East Showline. A single judge is responsible for making the call on the East Showline, and the ruling by the Contest Committee is not open for appeal according to the rules.
There are several areas of concern in this situation. Why does only one person have so much responsibility/power? Why is there not an appeal process where evedince can be presented to correct a mistake made by a single judge? Why was the disqualification not announced immediately in the interest of safety? (a aircraft deemed to be operating outside the course boundaries should be prevented from continuing to race in the interest of safety).
And... why does the statement from RARA not address any real evidence that the showline had been crossed? At the very least, a full explanation of exactly where these boundaries are should be provided, along with a clear indication of where the judge was positioned. Without this information, RARA has created the impression that they are in the position of defending a decision without any real evidence.
The Video:
Thom Richard made the cockpit race video available to the race committee for review. While the statement says they don't normally use cockpit video since they are all different, they did however review the video from Precious Metal.
I admit that without knowing exactly where the supposed crossing of the showline took place, it's hard to make a judgment with the video. From a PR standpoint, this is another reason why RARA has a huge responsibility, for the sake of the races going forward, to provide exact details of where these boundaries are and where the crossing is supposed to have taken place. However, the video doesn't appear to show any point where Precious Metal is outside of the race course boundaries as I am aware of them.
Pylon 2 Screenshots:
I'll state again that I don't know exactly where the supposed crossing of the showline took place, but I've captured screenshots from the video showing the position of Precious Metal at Pylon 2 as a reference for its position on the course. Since the racers enter the course from the south down the chute, pylon 2 is not officially passed on the first lap. The first screenshot shows the pass by pylon 2 on lap number 2. The relative position of Precious Metal changes from pass to pass, but it would certainly seem that all of these passes are within the course boundaries. There are 7 images all together, for laps 2 thru 8.
If and when we find out exactly where they say Thom crossed the East Showline, we can use the video to clarify if that seems possible. Again, I provide these screenshots as a general reference point only.
click any pic to enlarge
The Conclusion:
I'll be the first to say that if it can be proven that Thom was operating outside the race boundaries, then the disqualification should stand. I'm a huge fan of Thom and the Precious Metal Team, but I have no interest in seeing the Team receive a trophy if they did not abide by the rules. Out of respect for all the teams and the races in general, we should all have the same goal here in mind... the rules need to be followed. However, RARA has not provided any conclusive evidence that the rules have not been followed, and the video certainly seems to indicate that the rules were followed.
This is all very important because RARA is allowing the fans to believe that Precious Metal was robbed of a hard fought third place finish, and the situation is greatly affecting the ability of many fans to have faith in the system. When fans in large numbers lose faith in the system (and turn their back on an event) it's hard to survive as an event. This is why I personally believe that RARA must make the effort to clarify all the information in this situation.
The Poll:
So I've put up a poll for people who were at the races this year (or at the very least were serious about their intent to travel to the races in 2015) - With the handling by RARA of the Precious Metal disqualification, will you attend the 2015 Reno Air Races?
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Thursday, September 11, 2014 at 01:37PM 
(click pic to enlarge) Precious Metal is prepped for a test flight Thrursday before noon
My 35-hour-long drive from Indiana to Reno went very well with my arrrival just after sunset Wednesday evening. I was able to check in at the Precious Metal pit and hung around for a couple hours as they worked well into the night to replace the carburetor with a fresh one sent up from their home base in Kissimmee. It's very fortunate that the Mayday on Tuesday was a fuel related issue and not one with the engine grinding itself up. As I write this, Thom has Precious Metal in the air for a test flight to confirm that the changes made overnight are completely successful.
(click pic to enlarge) Wednesday night as the Precious Metal Team works, works, works
The Mayday issue kept PM from being able to qualify in the traditional manner before the deadline, so the plan is to follow Plan B which means that Thom will have to race in the Bronze Unlimited Class and win there, then move on to the Silver Class and win there to be back up in the Gold Class with the big boys. It's a very doable plan and one that actually allows for a lot of excitement along the way as well as plenty of opportunity to tweak the airplane after relatively easy races... plus there's the opportunity to keep the other teams guessing about the status of the racer : )
The weather is great and the 2014 National Championship Air Races are in full swing... Let's go racing!
Be sure to watch the LiveAirShowTV video updates AND watch the races live with them if you can... click LiveAirShowTV for the details.
Monday LiveAirShowTV report
Tuesday LiveAirShowTV report
Wednesday LiveAirShowTV report
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Tuesday, September 9, 2014 at 06:04AM 
Highly experienced pilot and racer Lee Behel in the one-of-kind GP-5 at Reno 2012
Statement From The National Championship Air Races:
Reno, Nev. – At approximately 3:30 p.m. today, Sport Class pilot Lee Behel, 64, from San Jose, Calif. was involved in a fatal accident during a qualifying heat of the National Championship Air Races at the Reno-Stead Airport. Behel was flying a GP-5, “Sweet Dreams.” This was single-plane incident and no other pilots or spectators were injured.
In addition to being one of the founders of the Sport Class and its current president, Behel was a retired Air Force fighter pilot and a loving father. Behel was a former Sport Class champion and longtime Air Race pilot.
“Lee was a very talented pilot but, more importantly, an enthusiastic and compassionate friend and the entire Air Race family will miss him deeply,” said Mike Major, chairman of the Reno Air Racing Association. “This is a difficult day for all of us and our thoughts and prayers are with Lee’s family and friends.”
At this time, the Reno Air Racing Association will not speculate on the cause of the accident, which is currently under investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). As is standard procedure, we will evaluate all race planes prior to returning to the race course.
Qualifying for the 51st annual National Championship Air Races will resume, as scheduled, at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 9 and the event officially opens to the public on Wednesday, Sept. 10. A tribute for Behel is currently being planned and will take place later this week. More details will be provided as they become available. Please visit www.airrace.org for more information.
Racing, Reno, homebuilt, video Email Article Monday, September 8, 2014 at 09:14AM
Qualifying for the 2014 Reno Air Races starts Wednesday but there's a lot already going on at Stead Field as the teams are busy with race prep and practice. LiveAirShowTV is on-site and filed this report from Sunday's activities.
And remember, if you aren't able to make the trip to Reno, LASTV will have live brodcasts starting on Friday September 12th.
I'm leaving tomorrow at noon to make the drive west and hope to arrive Wednesday evening to get started gathering loads of behind-the-scenes details of Thom Richard and the Precious Metal team as they aim for Gold in the Unlimited Class. Let's go racing! #lowfastleft
Video screenshot: no fly day for defending champion Steve Hinton in the P-51 Voodoo
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Wednesday, September 3, 2014 at 09:16AM
2014 Reno Air Races: September 10-14
I'm fortunate to be able to squeak in another trip 2,050 miles west to the Reno Air Races... it'll be my fourth time driving there in the last six years of attendance. Driving is actually the cheapest way for to make the trip happen, tho it brings a special kind of fatigue. Anyway, getting to Reno is not something everyone can do, but LiveAirShowTV will take anyone there that has a computer and some internets to tap into!
The video above gives you the details on when and how to catch the LiveAirShowTV coverage of the 2014 National Championship Air Races. Their coverage is fantastic and turns your inability to make the trip to Reno no big deal as you get to experience so much of the action right from home. They also have daily recap videos for you to check out if you can't find the time to watch the races as they happen. It's all an amazing opportunity to be part of the world's fastest sport! I will add however, NOTHING beats being on-site at the races!
(click pic for hi-res) Precious Metal and Thom Richard in the Gold race at Reno 2013
I'm including another Precious Metal desktop image from the Gold race at Reno 2013. This time cropped in close for great detail! I'm planning for most of my 2014 Reno coverage to be focused on Team Precious Metal and Thom Richard as he returns with loads more Griffon power under the hood and another year of airframe tweaks. This really could be the year that PM shows that she's truly a contender for Reno Gold!
Hopefully I'll have some nice pix and info to share during the races, and then afterward I hope to be able to share a very detailed post with much more behind-the-scenes info of what made Team PM tick at Reno 2014. Til then, I hope you'll consider downloading a free desktop pic of Thom and his mixmaster P-51 to put on your desktop as Reno fast approaches. #lowfastleft
Thom Richard and Precious Metal in the Gold race at Reno 2013:
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CoolPix, Desktop Pic, MustSee, NicePaint, P-51, Racing, Reno, military, video Email Article Saturday, August 30, 2014 at 10:57PM
I could try to say something of value to add to this incredible video... but I don't see that making your experience with it any better. I do suggest selecting HD, going full screen, and don't question anything. Just watch, listen, and see another vivid example of why we fly.
Here's Aaron's video description from youtube:
My July 2014 Sonex trip to the Yukon Rockies & Denali Alaska. 14.5 hours of HD handheld & wingcam video condensed down to 5.5 minutes of Epic Insanity & a perfect film score. 7000+ miles, 80+ hours, in only 8 days!
Psalm 36:5-6 - Your love, Lord, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies. Your righteousness is like the highest mountains, your justice like the great deep.
Video screenshot: wow.
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