Built during WWII, Bartow Municipal Airport is self sustaining with a rich history as a fighter training base. Whether you arrive in Bartow by land or air you should visit the inviting new terminal building and restaurant.
You will find yourself relaxing in one of the rocking chairs watching the planes take off and land. This is a great place to take your family and is entertaining for kids of all ages.
The following is a video history of Bartow Municipal Airport and is the first in our new Aviation Heritage Series collection. I hope you enjoy.
It was a beautiful machine now standing proudly basking under the fluorescent light of the immense hanger. Though not alone the B-25 Mitchell bomber stood out amongst the more modern jets, it’s guns protruding from the nose.
For a brief moment I felt alone imagining myself flying such a classic and historic aircraft into China off an aircraft carrier. Most said it couldn’t be done but this airplane and the brave men who flew it took off from the USS Hornet, bombing Japan in an attack which surprised the allies as much as the Japanese.
My feeling of being alone waned as I felt I was being watched, and sure enough out of the corner of my eye I saw someone approaching. As the person walked towards me I noticed he had a docent identification tag and because I was curious I said hello to this gentlemen.
I related to him how shocked I was to find this amazing museum on such a remote part of the airfield. Like most airfields with large buildings you don’t know what you will encounter until you roll back the hanger doors. In this case I simply walked through the entrance to the museum and saw the dozens of model airplanes hanging from the ceiling and I knew this is where I would spend the rest of the day.
After introducing myself I told the docent I had the whole day to explore the museum. He turned to me and said “do you want to see something special”. Now he really had my curiosity peaked. Next he said “ever been in a P-47?” Of course I chimed back never but I have always wanted to fly one. “Well” he said “why don’t we climb into one right now?”. He proceeded to tell me that the museum has open cockpit days allowing visitors inside the cockpit and cabin of many airplanes on display. This is normally one of their busier days.
“I bet it is” I quipped not wanting to show how excited I was to sit in the P-47. He lowered the rope surrounding the aircraft and let me climb in. As I gingerly positioned myself in the cockpit, I noticed how austere a WWII fighter must have been. Because of the exposed control cables and no insulation I knew this was a machine for combat and not a jaunt around the pattern on a clear afternoon.
I must have spent fifteen minutes looking over all the controls and switches when he said do you want to see more. I said of course. He said if I wanted he could show me around the whole museum. I immediately accepted.
Every so often something wonderful happens during this serendipitous journey we call life and meeting this docent and the hours he spent with me exploring this wonderful museum was a day I will treasure as one of my better memories.
As we made our way through the four main exhibit areas I discovered some of the many gems the New England Air Museum has on display. From the Republic Sea Bee to a Lockheed Electra which was to be used to make another attempt at Amelia Earhart’s flight. There is something for all of us to see and experience in this museum.
One of the most wonderful aspects of this museum is that it not only teaches us the important role aviation had in our history but it explains many aviation concepts. As a matter of fact there are many displays geared towards learning concepts such as how an airplane flies and how an aircraft engine works.
I found these educational displays could apply not only to a younger audience but also to those just learning to fly. For the more learned there are also some very interesting exhibits especially when it comes to aviation history.
Pratt Whitney and Sikorsky are not far from the museum and their presence at the museum is noticeable. I love the many engine displays and the cut out displays showing how aircraft engines work.
I have not seen this many helicopter displays since my visit to the National Helicopter Museum. Sikorsky has donated many of the exhibits and there is a very interesting display on the development of hovering flight.
A symbol of a more gentile time in American history, the large four engine flying boat sits proudly on display looking as if we should board her and take to the sky. Originally part of the flying boats or “clippers” operated by American Overseas Airways and Pan Am, these gentle giants lumber to the sky carrying their passengers in the utmost of luxury. A cross between cruise liner and airplane I could only imaging what it must have been like to fly on one of these wonderful planes.
This plane was owned by Charles Blair, the husband of the famous actress Maureen O’Hara and was flown under the name Excambian. This former Chief Pilot for Pan American Airways left his job to start his own airline. Occasionally Maureen O’Hara would work as a stewardess on the flights operated by her husband. It was eventually her bidding to allow the museum to have the historic and beautiful flying boat.
Charles Blair died in a tragic accident when one of his engines on a Grumman Goose exploded in flight. Ms. O’Hara took over the company and was the first female president of a U.S. Airline.
Each display has a history and many times an interesting story similar to the flying boat. I could have spent hours listening to the many amazing histories behind each of the artifacts, but the day was running on and I was wanting to see the crown jewel of the museum.
Entering a new hangar, the floor buffed to a shine in which I could see my reflection, I move towards the mammoth B-29. The skin of the aircraft, a shining polished aluminum, added to the spectacular stance this large bomber took as it stood as if ready for battle.
It is rare to find such a beautiful restoration especially of a B-29. Years prior I met Paul Tibetts and his engineer and bombarder at an air show but never imagined the incredible size of the machine that dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima. The B-29 “Jack’s Hack” is on display in the 58th Bomb Wing WWII Memorial and as with any memorial, I entered the chambers with reverence and remembrance of those who bravely fought during WWII.
The 58th Bomb Wing was the first unit to take the B-29 into combat in WWII. The 58th “flew the hump” over the unforgiving terrain of the Himalayan Mountains to forward air bases in China. Later the bomb wing was relocated to Tinian where the first atomic bomb took off to drop the historic payload destroying the city of Hiroshima.
To truly learn the developments in aviation from both a historic and technical aspect one must experience it. The New England Air Museum allows the visitor to experience aviation history and learn about the wonders of flight and the trials of the pioneers of aviation. Connecticut will always play a significant role in aviation history and development of new technologies in flight. Find out why by visiting the New England Air Museum.
Victoria returns from her 2 week long adventure to obtain her Commercial Pilot certificate to join us on Episode 4. Tune in to hear about her intensive flight training, how she contracted a flight instructor on a daily rate, and flew her bottom off to reach that Commercial ticket on her 7th day of training.
Other topics include:
1. Navigating thunderstorms
2. Thunderstorm avoidance
3. What to expect if you’ve flown into a thunderstorm
4. Learning about gust fronts
5. The danger of downdrafts
6. Windshear and low level windshear awareness
7. Co-hosts stories of thunderstorm encounters
8. What are you waiting for? Listen below!
But wait, there’s more! Listen in for our picks of the week where each of the co-hosts shares an aviation related product, service, and/or website that they’ve found to be interesting or helpful.
Rick – Martin-Baker Ejection Seat Test videos
Carl – Pappy Boyington Field, A Campaign to Honor a Hero DVD
Victoria – The Aviatrix Aerogram
Len – iPad2
PS – don’t forget to click that “LIKE” button and share this episode with you other pilot friends!
The large hook echo on the weather radar confirmed reports of severe thunderstorms and tornadoes as we flew towards Cincinnati. The tops of the storms where lower than our maximum cruising altitude so it seemed like we would have no problem flying over the storms. All was good until we where airborne and saw how quickly the storms where growing.
My coworker was fairly new to weather flying and did not seem at all disturbed by the oncoming weather. I said we need an exit strategy in case this storm becomes so severe that we cannot fly through it. We decided our best route would be a turn to the southeast if we found that we could not pass the large line of building storms.
As we navigated our way around the storms I notice a hole but it was now closing up. Since the line behind us was closing and the one in front of us was starting to close I knew we where in for a rough ride. I picked the area with the thinnest radar returns and pointed our nose toward them. Since we where still in a climb I was hoping we would make it over the tops or at least not be in the storm for very long.
As we penetrated the thunderstorm the vertical speed indicator immediately increased to over four thousand feet per minute. The ride became rough but nothing more than moderate turbulence. Then we suddenly began to rise even faster and the airspeed began to increase to redline. I then told my coworker to call out any sudden decreases in airspeed because we where in a large updraft and to expect a sudden downdraft shortly. Having been through many storms I new the next maneuver would be to pitch the nose down and put in full power to recover before we stalled.
I had to continually pull the nose up and reduce power to keep from over speeding the aircraft. Even though it seemed like an eternity, about 30 seconds later the airspeed began to drop like a rock. I pitched the nose down and put in full power. I continued to push down on the nose but still saw the airspeed dropping, getting closer to the stall speed. As I began to push further forward on the yoke the airspeed suddenly stopped and reversed direction. “Oh good we are getting out of that down draft.” We had lost over fifty knots in my recovery and where coming very close to having the stick shaker go off.
After we landed and taxied to the gate in Cincinnati the storms began to roll over the field closing the airport. I was glad we landed before the storms hit the field. I later discovered over thirty people on the ground has lost their lives in the storm system that we just flew through.
Having knowledge of how thunderstorms develop and what to do if you find yourself inside a storm is important if you want to survive an encounter with one of these large aircraft grinding machines. So how did I know we where going to have such a large downdraft? Well lets review the weather theory behind thunderstorms.
Thunderstorms : Three Ingredients
Like baking a cake there are certain ingredients necessary for a thunderstorm to form. The first ingredient is unstable air. Second, add some moisture. Third, some type of lifting action is necessary.
The most severe thunderstorms normally form in front of strong cold fronts but severe storms can form anywhere we have the three essential ingredients. Thunderstorms that form on their own and are not associated with a cold front are called air mass thunderstorms and can be as severe but usually don’t last as long as those associated with a cold front. Storms associated with frontal activity are normally more persistent and affect large areas of the country. These storms are referred to as steady state thunderstorms and by their name you can tell they are very persistent.
Photo Credit: FAA.gov
(click image to enlarge)
Hazards
Thunderstorms contain a combination of hazards to aircraft which include moderate or greater turbulence, hail, structural ice, heavy rain reducing visibility, lightning, and wind shear. If this isn’t enough to make you want to fly around a storm I’m not sure what would. But if this isn’t convincing enough lets review the hazards.
Turbulence and Wind Shear
Severe thunderstorms are natures’s aircraft grinders having caused aircraft to lose critical control surfaces and even wings. This alone is a good reason to stay well clear of these storms. If you do find yourself inside even a small thunderstorm you can encounter severe or greater turbulence. The most severe turbulence is in the shear between the updrafts and downdrafts as was the case in my flight above.
Even if you avoid penetrating a severe thunderstorm you can still experience severe turbulence. Turbulence has been encountered by aircraft thousands of feet above the thunderstorm and 20 miles laterally from a severe storm. This is a good reason to stay more than 20 miles away from storms.
Gust Fronts
Photo Credit : FAA.gov
One day while waiting to take off the tower calls and says all departures are stopped because of an approaching gust front. The gust front is the air which flows outward from a large thunderstorms or line of storms and can be up to 15 miles ahead of the precipitation. At times radar can pick up the gust front especially if there is a roll cloud associated with the gust front. The roll cloud is the top of the outflow of the gust front and can be very turbulent. The best thing to do in this case is wait out the passage.
Low Level Wind Shear
Associated with thunderstorm and the gust fronts are sudden changes in windspeed and direction near the ground, called low level wind shear. The gust front and the passing of the storm over the airport causes low level wind shear both as they arrive and as they move away from the airfield.
Low Wind shear due to thunderstorms are hazardous to all aircraft because the change in the wind direction and speed can dramatically affect the performance of the aircraft. Winds can change from a headwind to a tail wind and with the velocity changing 50 knots or more. If you are caught close to the ground during a wind shear event you may never be able to recover. As you can see in the picture below you don’t want to be in the position of plane number 3 trying to climb while being pushed to the ground.
Image Credit : FAA.gov
(click picture to enlarge)
Microbursts
Some of the most dangerous wind shear events associated with rain showers and thunderstorms are microbursts. I’ll never forget seeing the damage done by a microburst near my home. Many large trees where blown down in one direction and the younger more flexible trees where bent with their tops permanently stuck into the ground.
Normally a microburst is up to one mile in diameter and one thousand feet vertically. Typically a microburst will last 15 minutes. Downdrafts of up to 6000 feet per minute can be produced by these microbursts. This is another reason to avoid these microbursts since most aircraft cannot climb faster than the downdrafts in a microburst.
The best way to avoid a wind shear is to wait until the storm or gust front passes. Keep in mind that wind shear can occur at any altitude and in air that seems clear. This many times is the case under rain showers and dissipating storms which only produce light rain.
During my early flying career I remember seeing such a rain shower with only light rain coming down in a shaft from underneath. Since it was only light rain and it looked very small I thought I might try and fly underneath. That was the wrong decision. Such a small rain shower created moderate turbulence in what was an otherwise smooth day. Luckily I was a few thousand feet above the ground and was not in much danger. This was a particularly bad decision because I had passengers on board. My desire to save a few minutes caused more work at the end of the flight since I had to clean the plane after my young passenger in the back seat got sick.
No matter how light the rain may seem it is a good idea to circumnavigate any shafts of rain coming from the bottom of any cloud. A few more minutes of flight time is all it normally takes to make the difference between a good flight and a very bumpy one.
If you fly out of an airport with wind shear detection systems and there is a wind shear alert you should postpone your departure at least fifteen minutes and up to thirty minutes for stronger wind shear. These systems are called low level wind shear alert systems (LLWAS) and are normally installed at larger airports.
The LLWAS includes Anemometers positioned around the airport. If the difference in wind speed between any two sensors is 15 knots or more the LLWAS will issue a warning. If you are taxiing out to the runway and you get a low level wind shear alert it is a good idea to wait a good thirty minutes before departing.
Low Level Wind Shear Rule: “15 for 15 and Double for more”.
A good rule of thumb concerning wind shear is to do what I call “15 for 15 and double for more”. What this means is that if the wind shear is either reported by another aircraft or a wind shear detection device and the wind shear is up to 15 knots then I will wait at least 15 minutes. Any wind shear 15 knots or greater I will double the amount of time and wait thirty minutes.
Hail
Image Credit : FAA.gov
Many refer to the severe turbulence associated with a thunderstorm as an airplane grinder. If severe turbulence is the meat grinder than hail is the tenderizing mallet of airplanes. Hail is formed when super cooled droplets are lifted above the freezing level in a thunderstorm and then the droplet freezes. When the droplet freezes other droplets will now attach to it and freeze causing it to grow bigger.
Once the hail grows large and heavy enough to overcome the updrafts the hail will begin to fall. This hail can damage the skin of the aircraft and potentially penetrate and destroy sections of the aircraft especially the leading edge of appliances, wings, and nose cones.
As hail descends on a hot day it may melt and become rain. Don’t be fooled into thinking the storm is not producing hail. All thunderstorms can produce hail even if there is rain at the surface since as you climb to cooler air you might encounter hail. Furthermore, if you can fly above a thunderstorm you may encounter hail near the top and around the storm especially in the anvil. Hail can be thrown above and outward from a large thunderstorm, so give the larger storms lots of room.
Icing and Super Cooled Large Droplets
Anytime you are in visible moisture and the temperature is at or below freezing the aircraft is susceptible to icing. The updraft in a thunderstorm can carry large droplets above the freezing level and cause super cooled water droplets to form. These super cooled water droplets will freeze on impact and can form some of the most hazardous icing at times coating the surface of the airplane in a sheet of clear ice in a matter of seconds.
These super cooled water droplets and all ice for that matter can be encountered in moisture to -15 degrees celsius. Below -15 the water normally will sublimate and turn into Ice crystals.
Lightning
Airplanes are designed to survive a lightning strike but not without damage. Lightning can puncture the skin of the aircraft which can be problematic on a pressurized airplane. More likely the lightning and static discharges associated with the lightning can effect the electronic equipment in the airplane.
At times electronic equipment can be damaged to the point of being unusable. It sure would be a bad day if your GPS was damaged due to a lighting strike and the only approach available at the airport is a GPS approach.
Another good reason to avoid all lightning is to avoid a very costly avionics or aircraft repair. As many of you know the avionics in some small planes is worth almost as much as the plane itself.
Engine Water Ingestion and Air Blockage
Flying through large rain storms seems like going through a car wash with the water pressure on high. The amount of rain can cause turbine aircraft engines to ingest enough water to stop combustion., a condition called a flameout. Most turbine engines suggest your turning on the igniters while in heavy precipitation to make sure the engine continues to stay lit.
For those of us who fly piston aircraft, the water can saturate the air filter to the point that no more air can pass through. I always imagine my engine breathing through a water soaked rag when I am in heavy rain and prepare myself to use the alternate air if needed. The alternate air is not filtered but is not normally in the direct airflow so that no more water or other materials will be ingested.
Preflight
Before any flight we must always do a preflight inspection of our aircraft. Just as important as inspecting the aircraft before flight is obtaining and analyzing the weather before we take off. There are many online, televised, and in flight tools you can use.
A great place for most to start your preflight is hours before by watching televised weather channels. Two of my favorites are the weather channel and the weather network while flying in Canada.
Since I’m not one who wants to wait for the special features or commercials to finish while watching the weather on television I normally turn to the internet for my first look at the weather. The page I go to first for an overview of convective activity is the radar page on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrations (NOAA) website.As a matter of fact this is my home page on my web browser so every time I use the internet I can take a quick view of the radar. If something spurs my interest I will investigate further.
For an overview of using AviationWeather.gov for thunderstorm avoidance please view the video below or on my youtube channel. This is the first in a series of educational videos I will be producing. I hope you find them entertaining and educational.
Video : Part 1 to using AviationWeather.gov for Thunderstorm Avoidance.
Video : Part 2 to using AviationWeather.gov for Thunderstorm Avoidance.
Conclusion
Flying in and around thunderstorms can be hazardous but with knowledge you can navigate your way to your destination safely and comfortably. The best plan of action is to give thunderstorms a wide berth and realize that due to the limitations of your aircraft you may not be able to fly until the thunderstorms have passed your destination or cleared your route of flight.
It was a steamy summer afternoon, the air filled with the acrid smell of smoke from the local forest fires made my leaving the historic city of Charleston, South Carolina for cooler weather more palatable. It was the last flight of my scheduled trip and I planned on getting to Newark early for dinner, but my plans where to be interrupted in many ways.
I was excited to get going because the weather was forecast to be good in Newark and there was only one large thunderstorm over our route in southern New Jersey which I didn’t think would cause much of a problem enroute. But like everything else that day it did not go as planned and I had to make alternate arrangements for both dinner and our flight path.
Prior to departing Charleston we were told there would be a short delay for spacing along the arrival to Newark. This is nothing out of the ordinary and happens almost every afternoon. A short twenty minute delay and we were climbing through cooler air leaving a smoke filled and steamy South Carolina behind us.
The cockpit finally began cooling off as we approached North Carolina and I was feeling fairly confident in our ability to get into Newark even if we had to hold since we had 40 minutes of extra fuel on board. That is about the time we received a call from ATC (Air Traffic Control) that we were cleared to Raleigh Durham and to begin slowing because we would be holding.
We were feeling quite relaxed with our situation since first we would be holding over an airport where we could stop for fuel and second we had extra gas. That relaxed feeling would soon disappear.
The first sign of trouble came when the controller gave us our expect further clearance time of 40 minutes from now. So much for our extra fuel. If we actually held that long we would have to declare minimum fuel (see article on when to declare minimum fuel). This is when I jokingly told the first officer that it would be highly unlikely that we would hold for that long this far from our destination.
Holding over Raleigh Durham Airport, we had plenty of time to discuss our alternate plans. When flying a single engine piston I at all times have a landing spot and the closest airport in mind in case we need to land right away. This carries over to my flying twins and even an airliner. I always want to know where I am going if we have mechanical problems or an engine quits.
This helps me while flying IFR and in all environments, especially the situation we found ourselves in that day. I do one more thing for planning purposes when approaching busy airspace with the possibility of holding . I look at the enroute chart and pick alternates along the way and have a plan of action in my mind.
While looking at the chart I made a mental note of airports along the route and at what point I would go to that airport. For example, our new route was now from RDU to PEEDS intersection and the PHLBO2 to Newark. Along our route I noted the best places for us to get fuel. Of course if we held longer than expected our first stop would be Raleigh Durham.
The next alternative airports are ones I decided would be best both for safety but also in their ability to fuel us and have us underway quickly. As you can see based on our route below we picked alternative airports of Richmond, Baltimore, and then Allentown.
(click to enlarge images)
Thirty-five minutes after holding over Raleigh, the controller cleared us to continue on to Newark. The problem is now we had hardly any fuel for holding and the way things were going we probably would be holding again as we approached Newark.
Sure enough as we passed Philadelphia the controller told us to “expect holding and if we slowed now we may not need to hold for long”. Well this was not much of an option because by our estimation we had maybe 5 minutes or less of holding fuel.
We slowed down to burn less fuel with our fingers crossed that we would be able to get into Newark. Shortly after slowing our hopes were dashed when the controller called to tell us to expect holding at Yardley and we were number six in line for the airport. As we checked our fuel we noticed that we didn’t quite have the fuel we thought we would so we decided to proceed to Allentown and get some gas.
On our way to Allentown luck would have it that the controller told us Newark could take us now if we wanted. Since we were getting low on fuel and could already see Allentown we decided to land and get fuel.
After adding fuel we picked up our clearance from ATC and flew back to Newark for what we hoped would be an uneventful flight, but that wasn’t in the cards for us.
As we headed to Newark we joked about how we filed Allentown as our alternate and that we probably wouldn’t need it because of all the extra fuel we took. We soon would realize how it was a good idea that we took the extra gas.
On final approach to Newark the controller accidentally put us too close behind a heavy aircraft and made us go around. After we climbed up to five thousand feet and prepared for our next attempt the first officer looked at me and said “they aren’t going to put us in line again are they?” I smiled and said “welcome to New York airspace, we will be in the air for at least another ten to fifteen minutes before they get us into Newark”.
We finally made it on the ground after this attempt and after pulling into the gate we talked about the flight coming to the conclusion you don’t really know what to expect when you get in the air and it is always good to have alternative airports in mind even if an alternate is not required.
Next time you are on a cross country flight I encourage you to always be vigilant and at all times know where you will go if you have a mechanical problem or the weather gets bad at your destination. During your initial training I hope your instructor made you divert to another airport while enroute.
If you don’t already do so, I hope you will use this example as a reason to have an alternative plan no matter how good the weather is. As you can see the weather was good for us but due to intense traffic and unforecast thunderstorms we had to divert to an alternate.
At all times while flying you should know exactly where you will go if you can’t continue the flight. If you can’t answer that question you should look for an airport and keep it in your mind until a better alternate plan becomes available. You should continue to revise your alternate plan as you fly.
As we all know, flying is a series of decisions and consequences. Make your decision process easier when confronted with unknown weather or mechanical difficulty by always having an alternate airport or field in mind at all times. Therefore, when you are presented with a problem that requires you to land you will be headed immediately towards a place to land and not have to look for one during a stressful situation due to weather or mechanical difficulty.
Yesterday I was interviewed by Fox 13 Tampa Bay concerning the stowaway mechanic on a flight to Charlotte, North Carolina. Press the play button to watch the video below. Afterwords is an excerpt from the story on MyFoxTampaBay.com.
TAMPA - A U.S. Airways mechanic is in the hot seat after stowing away on a flight from Tampa to Charlotte, North Carolina.
Authorities say the airline worker snuck in one of the cargo areas of the plane; then, when he arrived in Charlotte, he bought an employee ticket to complete his journey to Pittsburgh.
From all accounts, it appears the mechanic was a trusted employee: he went through a background check, went through training and had a valid identification badge -- so there was really no reason to question him when he showed up on the tarmac.
Airline employees explained what may have led to the situation.
"Lately, the flights have been so full you can't get on the plane," said Captain Carl Valeri, a commercial airline pilot.
Valeri commutes from his home in Tampa to his base at Newark Airport - something a lot of airline employees do. He says when flights are full and the crew seats are taken, you're basically out of luck.
There were a lot of topics covered in Episode #3 and the show ran about 1hr 20min in length. BUT, it’s chock full of golden nuggets about Staying Safe in the Traffic Pattern, Class C Airspace, Pilots With Disabilities, and a whole bunch more! So stay tuned to the whole episode because it’s worth it.
The full topic list includes:
1. Believe What You See, Not What You Here – Staying safe in the traffic pattern
2. The 3 Tenants of Radio Calls
3. Operating at Non-Towered Airports
4. The Effects of Pilot Fatigue
5. Transitioning to Visual Approaches
6. Students and Pilots With Disabilities – ChallengeAir.com, WheelChairAviators.org, DeafPilots.org
7. Merits of a Thorough Pre/Post-Flight Inspection
8. Practical Guide to Operating in Class C Airspace
9. The ILS Breakout
And now for our picks of the week – this is where each of the co-hosts shares an aviation related product, service, or website they’ve used, found helpful, and recommend to you.
Rick – USairnet.com – forward looking weather planning
Carl – The Pilots’ Guide to the Airports of Historic Massachusetts
Len – Electronic Logbooks – Logten Pro and LogBook Pro
Many times airports are renamed to honor a historic figure, important individual, or heroes from our past. When we rename an airport to that of a military hero we honor the individual but also in a greater vain all who served.
The heroic actions of Pappy Boyington will be forever remembered in the renaming of the Coeur d’Alene, Idaho Airport to Pappy Boyington Field. Most importantly we will remember the many heroes who served with Pappy Boyington, the heroes who served as Marines in WWII, and all those that have served our country.
"Pappy Boyington Field : A Campaign To Honor A Hero" does an outstanding job of documenting the struggle to rename an airport in honor of a hero. The documentary depicts the battle with a reluctant local government, while weaving the story of the hero throughout the film. You will be taken back to WWII and hear from Marines who served with Boyington and listen to their own accounts of the historic Black Sheep Squadron.
Learning our aviation heritage is as important to me as understanding the technical aspects of flying. We must never forget our aviation pioneers and heroes. After viewing this video you will learn a great deal about the hero honored, the effort to rename the airport, and the organizations that contributed to this historic event. Watching this video spurs your interest to learn more about some fine organizations including the Marine League, and the Disabled American Veterans Association.
The television show, Bah Bah Black Sheep, which bears the squadrons name starred Robert Conrad. Robert Conrad was interviewed during this show and brings an interesting perspective about Pappy Boyington who helped as a technical advisor on the show. Conrad eventually would learn to fly from the encouragement of Pappy himself during the filming of the show.
About the Hero:
Pappy Boyington was commanding officer of the Black Sheep Squadron stationed in the Pacific during World War II. Boyington was an ACE Fighter pilot, prisoner of war, and Medal Of Honor recipient.
Born in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho he earned a degree in aeronautical engineering and then moved on to join the Marines. Before long he joined the American Volunteer Group, known as The Flying Tigers, in China to help fight the Japanese.
After America entered the war Boyington returned to the US and fought in the Pacific Theatre. He then went on to command a group of pilots on Guadalcanal who had not yet been assigned a squadron. This squadron eventually was named the "Black Sheep Squadron".
A Great Tale With Interesting Guests
This is a wonderful documentary depicting the struggle to rename an airport in honor of an American Hero. I was excited to hear from some unique public figures I had not seen in years such as Robert Conrad and Mark Fuhrman, who where both interviewed for this film.
Although of interest to us as aviators, all should watch this movie in remembrance of those who served in WWII. The producer, Kevin Gonzalez, keeps our aviation heritage alive in this skillfully produced and interesting documentary.
The voices and memories of those described as our greatest generation need to be heard for they are quickly losing their collective voice. As of this writing three of those who appeared in this film have already made their final flight on earth to soar in the heavens above. This is one DVD I will keep on my shelves for a long time to share with my friends and family.
As I traverse this wonderful world by air, I enjoy viewing the many airports below and in my mind imagine the planes taking off and landing. Many times I will pass over an airport with large runways with only a few planes and a small building. Some have the typical triangle shape design made popular during World War II. My imagination takes me to a time when the airport was busy with cadets training to become pilots.
Some times I will write down the airport name from my chart so I can later search for information on the history of those airports that interest me. While flying over Massachusetts I don’t need to look far for information because I recently discovered a book “The Pilots Guide To The Airports of Historic Massachusetts” by John Fiske.
I enjoyed John Fiske’s guide because it relates the historical significance of the town each airports is located within. Fiske continues by describing the history of the airport and its owners.
Each chapter gives a wonderful historical summary. You will want to use other sources such as the internet for complete histories of the communities, events, and the airports.
In The Pilots Guide To The Airports of Historic Massachusetts you will find a listing for all of the 38 public use airports which includes:
Basic aeronautical data.
A history of the town and any historically significant events.
A history of the development of the airport.
The current owners and a history of the previous owners.
John Fisk’s “Airports of Historic Massachusetts is a handy reference for those interested in the history of the public use airports and the communities they serve. I like this book because it highlights the significant historical events in each of the towns giving me some great information for conversation amongst my Massachusetts based aviators. I suggest this book to pilots interested in the aviation heritage of a state rich in American History. At $10.00 this book is a bargain.
In Episode #2 we started out discussing the findings of the Air France 447 black box. Air France 447 disappeared over the Atlantic Ocean during a flight from Rio de Janeiro to Paris on June 1, 2009 killing all on board. After years of extensive searching for the aircraft black boxes, they were recently found. Read the findings here – Black Box Reveals Last Minutes
Other podcast topics include:
1. Deep Stalls – described in depth by Carl Valeri
2. Using ForeFlight – for FAR Part 91, Part 121, and an overlooked special feature
3. Fly-cations – the joys of personal air travel
4. Ground Operations – taxiing, airport diagrams, parking. Calling ahead and viewing aerial images
5. FunPlacesToFly.com
6. Fly2Lunch.Com
7. Re-tracing the first scheduled airline flight
8. Surprises while flying around Boston’s Class Bravo airspace
9. SERMN Routes – a great tool for departing New York airspace during bad weather and delays
And now for our picks of the week – where each of the co-hosts shares an aviation product, service, or website they’ve used and found helpful.
Rick – LiveATC Air Radio
Carl – Flight Guide iEFB iOS app
Len – Aircraft Audio Patch Cable
Built during WWII, Bartow Municipal Airport is self sustaining with a rich history as a fighter training base. Whether you arrive in Bartow by land or air you should visit the inviting new terminal building and restaurant. 
Pappy Boyington was commanding officer of the Black Sheep Squadron stationed in the Pacific during World War II. Boyington was an ACE Fighter pilot, prisoner of war, and Medal Of Honor recipient.
