Pilot One (Jerry's Hangar)

God Bless a America

2011-09-25T04:04:00.002-05:00

Kate Smith was born and grew up in Columbia, Missouri. In early 1940, Kate Smith, a fiercely patriotic American, and the biggest star on radio, was deeply worried about her country.

She asked Irving Berlin if he could give her a song that would re-ignite the spirit of American patriotism and faith. He said he had a song that he had written in 1917, but never used it.
He said she could have it. She sat at the piano & played it and realized how good it was. She called Mr. Berlin and told him that she couldn’t take this from him for nothing.

So, they agreed that any money that would be made off the song would be donated to the Boy Scouts of America . Thanks to Kate Smith and Irving Berlin, the Scouts have received millions of dollars in royalties. This clip is from the movie “You’re in the Army Now”. You will see a familiar face (near the very end) in this one that we are all very proud of.

Frank Sinatra said that when Kate Smith, whom he considered the greatest singer of his age, first sang this song on the radio, a million guys got ‘dust’ in their eyes and had to wipe the tears the ‘dust’ caused. If you can watch and listen without ‘dust’ getting in your eyes, you have no soul. Sit back and enjoy a Real Star.

SPACE SHUTTLE

2011-07-19T16:32:00.005-05:00

After thirty years of shuttle flights, Atlantis (STS135) has undocked from the International Space Station for the last flight home. The end of the United States reusable space craft program and the era of building the space station is over.
We must not allow this to be the end of our dreams of space, but only the end of the beginning.

Jerry

Amanda Younkin Franklin

2011-07-19T16:24:00.002-05:00

After 75 days battling to survive after the forced landing and fire during the Franklin Flying Circus wingwalking performance March 12, 2011 in Brownsville, Texas, God has taken her home.
Our prayers are with you.

Airstripped.com - The Acro Teaser

2010-10-11T23:20:00.002-05:00

My soon to be suborbital life-- Storming the Suborbital Frontier

2010-09-13T20:39:00.002-05:00

Bob Hoover -- Legend of Aviation

2010-09-01T01:21:00.002-05:00

Bob Hoover Aerial Suite

2010-09-01T01:09:00.001-05:00

Accidente Aereo-El Trébol-Santa Fe-Argentina

2010-08-23T03:31:00.003-05:00

Manufacturers of Whole
Aircraft Parachute Systems
Check this company out http://www.brsparachutes.com/brs_aviation_home.aspx
This parachute may save your life.

Spaceport America

2010-08-20T17:09:00.005-05:00

NorthAire Lake Havasu Seaplane Adventure

2010-08-15T14:16:00.003-05:00

MIKE MEEKIN AND MEEKINS AIR SERVICE

2010-08-09T03:13:00.008-05:00

THE PHOTO AND ARTICLE WAS BY MATTHEW KELLER, BLUE ICE AVIATION

Mike Meekin was born in Alaska in 1952. Mike's dad, Austin Meekin, homesteaded land in the Sheep Mountain area in the 40's. Mike grew up in this area and has been guiding sheep hunters since he was 15 years old in the surrounding mountains. I married Samantha Meekin, (Mikes and Diane's oldest daughter) and I have been flying with him ever since. I own my own my own Super Cub and air taxi, but I contract to Meekin's Air Service. Mike is my father-in-law, and best friend. He has been making a living with his Super Cub for 30 years and there is nobody that knows this area like he does. He made a name for himself hauling sheep hunters, and clients come from all over the world to use him as their transport service in and out of the field. Mike has more than 18,000 hours in the same serial # Super Cub and if you don't believe it just look in his airframe logbooks.

We started hauling sheep hunters today and we put a bunch of people into the field for the August 10th opener. This is the time of year that we will be using the nastiest air strips, and hauling the heaviest loads in some of the most adverse conditions. We will fly our brains out until September 20th when the leaves are gone from the trees, and the hunting season closes. Mike and I have already put close to 1200 hours on the Cubs this year, and we are excited for another hunting season. We found 3 new air strips today in some awesome sheep country, and I am excited to see what the season holds. It is obvious that our summer season is coming to an end as the leaves have begun to change colors, the grasses are dyeing, and the flowers wilting. Summer is a short season in Alaska above 3000 feet, but I love this time of year.

If you are not an Alaska resident, but would like to hunt Dall Sheep, Moose, Griz or Goat contact us and we will point you in the right direction for proper permitting.
Look for Mike on Face book. I enjoy his amazing photos of Alaska.

Celestial Flight - The Song

2010-08-09T02:56:00.002-05:00

38 WASP Flew Over The Rainbow To Earn Angel Wings

2010-08-09T02:50:00.000-05:00

Cloud Dancer - Oh, How Beautiful Life Can Be!

2010-05-11T12:55:00.005-05:00

Actor Kurt Russell is famous for his many movie roles, but in a recent feature story in Airport Journals, he expounds on how much being a pilot means to him.

The story quotes Russell:

“Flying has taught me more about who I really am than anything I’ve ever done. I take very calculated risks. I’ve done too many stunts on too many movies and television shows to be a daredevil. I learned a long time ago that if you want to do something you enjoy, you want to do it again.”

Read the full story here.

Doolittle Raiders Reunion-Interview with Scott "Gunny" Perdue

2010-05-09T01:33:00.004-05:00

GM and NASA Take Giant Leap in Robotic Technology

2010-04-30T02:40:00.005-05:00

Using leading edge control, sensor and vision technologies, NASA and GM engineers and scientists came together at NASAs Johnson Space Center to build a new dexterous humanoid robot (Robonaut2, or R2 for short) capable of working side by side with people whether that means helping GM create safer cars and safer manufacturing plants or assisting NASA astronauts on dangerous space missions.

Hachiko: A Dog's Story (my clip)

2010-04-24T04:50:00.003-05:00

A beautiful story.
Hachiko, the legendary Japanese akita, proves that there is nothing more loyal than mans best friend in this modern retelling of a cherished true story. It all begins when a college professor adopts an abandoned dog named Hachiko. The two form such a strong bond that Hachiko walks with the professor to the train station each morning and returns to the station each evening to walk the professor home again. The routine continues until one day the professor does not return to the train station. Hachiko, however, does not give up. He returns to the same train station at the same time, faithfully waiting for his owner to return. Hachiko does this for more than nine years, until his own death. This heartwarming tale that is already the stuff of legend in Japan is finally making its way to America by way of prominent director Lasse Hallström. With an equally capable cast, the experience of Hachikos unending loyalty is certain to stay with you. Hachikos story is one of love, unwavering devotion, and the resounding impact one dogs affection can make.

Amazing Volcano Eruption in Iceland 2010

2010-04-18T16:48:00.004-05:00

Speedriding Red Bull Skydive Team (Paul Steiner)

2010-04-14T20:55:00.006-05:00

Discovery and STS-131 Crew 2 Days from ISS

2010-04-06T00:31:00.010-05:00

The seven-member STS-131 crew headed to the International
Space Station aboard space shuttle Discovery after its launch
from NASA's Kennedy Space Center at 6:21 a.m. EDT. The liftoff
came 45 minutes before sunrise Monday, Apr. 5, and lit up Florida's
Space Coast sky. The STS-131 Commander is Alan Poindexter;
Jim Dutton is the Pilot and the Mission Specialists are
Rick Mastracchio, Dottie Metcalf-Lindenburger, Stephanie Wilson,
Clay Anderson and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut
Naoko Yamazaki. Dutton, Lindenburger and Yamazaki are making
heir first spaceflights.

Glacier Landing 1

2010-01-12T21:27:00.012-06:00

Picking up Sheep hunters in the Chugach. August 2009.
Read the story about this land.
Go to their site Great reading, http://blueiceaviation.posterous.com/

Stearman Field Bar and Grill

2010-01-03T15:02:00.006-06:00

We started the New Year’s Day by going to Stearman Field Bar and Grill (Benton, Kansas) for dinner. We had the rib eye steak and it was Great! We went back Sunday morning for the breakfast and it was fantastic. We also enjoyed the aviation decor and looking out on the landing strip. While we were sitting there eating our breakfast, Dr. Lay and his wife flew in and parked their airplane next to the Stearman Grill and came in to eat.

A Soldiers Christmas Poem

2009-12-11T04:43:00.010-06:00

The embers glowed softly, and in their dim light,
I gazed round the room and I cherished the sight.
My wife was asleep, her head on my chest,
My daughter beside me, angelic in rest.
Outside the snow fell, a blanket of white,
Transforming the yard to a winter delight.

The sparkling lights in the tree I believe,
Completed the magic that was Christmas Eve.
My eyelids were heavy, my breathing was deep,
Secure and surrounded by love I would sleep.
In perfect contentment, or so it would seem,
So I slumbered, perhaps I started to dream.

The sound wasn’t loud, and it wasn’t too near,
But I opened my eyes when it tickled my ear.
Perhaps just a cough, I didn’t quite know, Then the
sure sound of footsteps outside in the snow.
My soul gave a tremble, I struggled to hear,
And I crept to the door just to see who was near.

Standing out in the cold and the dark of the night,
A lone figure stood, his face weary and tight.
A soldier, I puzzled, some twenty years old,
Perhaps a Marine, huddled here in the cold.
Alone in the dark, he looked up and smiled,
Standing watch over me, and my wife and my child.

“What are you doing?” I asked without fear,
“Come in this moment, it’s freezing out here!
Put down your pack, brush the snow from your sleeve,
You should be at home on a cold Christmas Eve!”
For barely a moment I saw his eyes shift,
Away from the cold and the snow blown in drifts…

To the window that danced with a warm fire’s light
Then he sighed and he said, “Its really all right,
I’m out here by choice. I’m here every night.
“It’s my duty to stand at the front of the line,
That separates you from the darkest of times.

No one had to ask or beg or implore me,
I’m proud to stand here like my fathers before me.
My Gramps died at ‘ Pearl on a day in December,”
Then he sighed, “That’s a Christmas ‘Gram always remembers.”
My dad stood his watch in the jungles of ‘ Nam ‘,
And now it is my turn and so, here I am.

I’ve not seen my own son in more than a while,
But my wife sends me pictures, he’s sure got her smile.
Then he bent and he carefully pulled from his bag,
The red, white, and blue… an American flag.
I can live through the cold and the being alone,
Away from my family, my house and my home.

I can stand at my post through the rain and the sleet,
I can sleep in a foxhole with little to eat.
I can carry the weight of killing another,
Or lay down my life with my sister and brother..
Who stand at the front against any and all,
To ensure for all time that this flag will not fall.”

“So go back inside,” he said, “harbor no fright,
Your family is waiting and I’ll be all right.”
“But isn’t there something I can do, at the least,
“Give you money,” I asked, “or prepare you a feast?
It seems all too little for all that you’ve done,
For being away from your wife and your son.”

Then his eye welled a tear that held no regret,
“Just tell us you love us, and never forget.
To fight for our rights back at home while we’re gone,
To stand your own watch, no matter how long.
For when we come home, either standing or dead,
To know you remember we fought and we bled.
Is payment enough, and with that we will trust,
That we mattered to you as you mattered to us.”

PLEASE, would you do me the kind favor of sending this to as many
people as you can? Christmas will be coming soon and some credit is due to our
U.S service men and women for our being able to celebrate these
festivities. Let’s try in this small way to pay a tiny bit of what we owe. Make people
stop and think of our heroes, living and dead, who sacrificed themselves for us.

LCDR Jeff Giles, SC, USN
30th Naval Construction Regiment
OIC, Logistics Cell One
Al Taqqadum, Iraq

GA Serves America - Harrison Ford

2009-11-07T02:46:00.000-06:00

http://GAservesAmerica.com Harrison Ford, a pilot himself, explains how General Aviation creates jobs and serves communities across America. This a longer version of the TV advertisement that was s...

GA Serves America - Morgan Freeman

2009-11-07T02:41:00.002-06:00

http://gaservesamerica.com Actor/pilot Morgan Freeman lives in Clarksdale, Miss. There are no airline flights to the birthplace of the blues, so Clark

JSF - X-35 vertical take off and landing

2009-11-04T13:05:00.004-06:00

This video shows one of the first vertical take offs and landings of the Joint Strike Fighter.
Pretty neat to watch!!!

LoPresti BoomBeams on Matt Younkins Twin Beech At Night 2010

2009-11-03T03:15:00.002-06:00

This Twin Beech is the world record holder for the most LoPresti BoomBeams on a single aircraft. This is a great show and you can really see how great the lights are.

The Aviators TV Series Preview 1 - www.TheAviators.TV

2009-10-31T21:21:00.027-05:00

This is the first public release of a preview of The Aviators. A new and exciting TV series covering the people, the places, and the planes of North American aviation. The show will premiere in the United States via Public Broadcasting Syndication in June of 2010 and shortly thereafter internationally.

For more information or to subscribe for updates, visit the official website at http://www.TheAviators.TV

The Beauty of Autumn from a Balloon

2009-10-30T16:35:00.004-05:00

There was an article written recently in the newspaper (Overcoming your Fears of Height) http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/29/AR2009102903114.html

You can also go to their website address: http://www.fun-flying.com/
Light Flight Balloons, Inc. & Barnstormer Aero

Amelia- Official Theatrical Trailer

2009-10-21T02:15:00.003-05:00

AMELIA stars two-time Academy AwardÂ®-winner Hilary Swank as Amelia Earhart, the legendary aviatrix. Also featuring Richard Gere and Ewan McGregor. Directed by Mira Nair. In Theaters October 23rd.

Amelia Earhart, 1897 to 1937

2009-10-21T02:11:00.004-05:00

Amelia Earhart, 1897 to 1937

Read more and view another video.....

http://content.foxsearchlight.com/inside/node/4036

Stearman Field Airport

2009-10-14T10:26:00.003-05:00

Stearman Field Airport

Time:8:00AM Saturday, October 17th
Location:Stearman Field Airport, Benton KS

Everybody ready for some fun times this Saturday at Stearman Field? Nice weather, Check!!!!! Pancakes, check. Chili Cook-Off, check. Pumkin Drop Contest, check. Flying, smokin the place up and flying s'more, check, check and double check. Ha...ngin round the bon fire singin "there I was justa walkin down the street singing..."

There is no cost for the Chili Cook-Off. No membership required and it's open to the public. Since this is our first annual chili cook-off no rules have been established. Our local Scouts are holding a Pancake breakfast 8-11 and the Chili starts off at 12. There'll be lots of flying and a pumpkin drop contest in the afternoon. Sometime after sunset we'll hang around a bon-fire and keep it going with the Chili after effects. Invite your friends and come on out!!

Aviation Club at Texas State University

2009-10-06T16:30:00.006-05:00

In Memory Jared Hobaugh

2009-09-29T00:34:00.006-05:00

Pictures of Jared in Alaska. He is singing the song that is played during the slideshow.

Source: http://www.ryanaugustine.com

For everyone who was lucky enough to know this wonderful guy! He will be missed by many! Until we meet again!
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/group.php?gid=143857193386&ref=nf

AIRPLANE CRASH

2009-09-24T01:24:00.006-05:00

My wife Janis, her niece's son Jared Hobaugh died in a single engine airplane crash on Tuesday, September 22, 2009 outside of Millersburg, MO., while flying his plane back to Wichita, KS. Jared loved to fly and had been working this summer in Alaska for K2 Aviation. He was an accomplished songwriter and guitarist. There will be a celebration of his life at the Stearman Airfield in Benton, KS on Saturday, September 26th from 3 -7 pm. He will be truly missed by family and friends.

Come and have Fun!

2009-09-15T01:46:00.005-05:00

Wichita Flight Festival at Jabara Airport 2009

2009-09-03T16:46:00.052-05:00

My wife Janis and I attened the Air Show at Jabara Airport on Saturday the 29th and enjoyed the activies and the sites.

Photo of airplane (Waco "Mystery Ship" ) that Amanda and Kyle use for the Wing Walking.

Janis got a poster signed by Amanda Younkin Franklin who does the wing walking. Amanda's husband Kyle is the pilot.

Kyle Franklin and crew will take you for a wild ride in the high skies with his "Pirated Skies" Waco "Mystery Ship" Solo and WingWalking. The infamous Waco "Mystery Ship" was created by his father, legendary airshow pilot Jimmy Franklin. Franklin's Flying Circus will also keep you on the edge of your seat with the craziest and wildest comedy act in the air!

I got a real thrill watching the Mig, something that if I could I would love to fly.

Bill Reesman, pilot of the Red Bull MiG-17F really does give you a great thrill with his flying
The MiG was built in Poland in 1959 and served in the Polish Air Force. Reesman purchased the MiG in March 1994 and overhauled it in the course of 2 months.

Pilot John Mohr has great aerobatic routines, low-level and in-your-face acro flying with his 1943 Stock Stearman PT-17.

The SkyDancer combines graceful skywriting, classic aerobatics and explosive night-time pyrobatics. The Oregon Aero SkyDancer is flown by Steve Oliver and Suzanne Asbury-Oliver, the world's only husband-and-wife aerobatic and skywriting duo since 1980. SkyDancer incorporates rock-and-roll music and call and response narration into their routine.

Hear the deafening roar of an engine, see billowing clouds of smoke, feel the reverberations of mini sonic booms. On the taxiway sits the Air Force Reserve Jet Car preparing to accelerate.

This was quite a thrill to see!

Here are some other photos taken at the air show:

50th Annual WACO Reunion

2009-08-22T23:20:00.002-05:00

If you love Waco airplanes, then this is a site to visit.
http://www.reesphotos.com/WACO2009/waco2009.htm

Wichita Flight Festival at Colonel James Jabara Airport

2009-08-22T04:20:00.005-05:00

Wichita Flight Festival at Colonel James Jabara Airport

Saturday & Sunday August 29 & 30. To learn all about the Air show you can go to http://www.wichitaflightfestival.com/. Some of the performers will be USAF Jet Car, Oregon Aero SkyDancer, Franklin's Flying Circus, Mohr BarnStorming, Red Bull MiG-17F, Indy Boys Inc.

Franklin's Flying Circus

Antique Airplane Fly-in

2009-08-14T02:30:00.003-05:00

Jim Younkin's Mullicoupe airplane

My wife Janis and I went to the Antique Airplane Flyin in Halstead, Kansas. I got to visit with people I had not seen in awhile. Jim Younkin and his grandson Matt Younkin were there flying. Jim was flying his Mullicoupe. We had a great time!

Metro North Flight Support Newton Newton, Kansas,

2009-08-02T13:15:00.005-05:00

Went for a Saturday afternoon drive to Newton, Ks and my wife was truly impressed with the Newton Airport. They have several instrument approaches including an ILS to a 7,000 foot runway for access in almost all weather. They have a great pilot's lounge, with a flat screen TV.

For the pilot they have-Quiet comfortable private Pilot lounge, Satellite 400 channel TV and videos, Separate flight planning work area, DUAT Live on line flight brief, DTN Weather services, Courtesy Cars for lunch or errands, Refreshments and vending, Top quality restaurants close by.

For the passengers-Modern air conditioned Terminal, Comfortable passenger waiting area, Hertz Rental Cars available on site, Spacious professional conference room, Wide range of catering available, Pull your car right up to the plane.

Aircraft-Fuel at the best price in the region, Hangaring available by reservation, Aircraft self service wash facility, Maintenance available on the field.

Llyod Stearman Field

2009-07-19T04:23:00.036-05:00

The third Saturday of every month Stearman Field has a fly-in Breakfast. Llyod Stearman Field is located in Benton, Kansas. Check out their website. http://www.stearmanfield.com/
I always have a great time and
really enjoyed watching the airplanes and just visiting with people.

Also checkout the BELITE plane by James Wiebe and his site http://jameswiebe.blogspot.com/. He tells all about the BELITE plane and how he decided to build it.

LARRY AND BEA HART AND THEIR RANS AIRPLANE. THEY JUST GOT A NEW FLIGHTLINE FL-760 TRANSCIEVER IN THEIR
PLANE. LARRY SAYS IT WORKS
LIKE A DREAM.

Dave Major and his Aerocar are really

interesting to learn about.

He is a great guy to visit with.

There is every type of plane flying into Stearman and the most friendly folks to visit about planes with. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOKn5gimy-k
You have a T-28.
Piper Pacer.
You have the Husky.
Cessna
Come out and enjoy the company. ALSO I HAVE MORE PHOTOS TO POST.

Patty Wagstaff

2009-07-16T18:33:00.005-05:00

Red Waco and John (Jerry) Petry

2009-06-29T23:50:00.008-05:00

Dad flying his red Waco, early 1950s, somewhere in the Midwest.
John Petry was the orginal owner of the Mooney Mite , I latered restored.

2009-06-26T00:52:00.003-05:00

Rules of Flying

Photo of Jerry taken in the 60's
Wish I still had the plane!
========================================================
1. Every takeoff is optional.
Every landing is mandatory.

2. If you push the stick forward, the houses get bigger.
If you pull the stick back, they get smaller.
That is, unless you keep pulling the stick all the way back, then they get bigger again.

3. Flying isn't dangerous.
Crashing is.

4. It's always better to be down here wishing you were up there than up there wishing you were down here.

5. The ONLY time you have too much fuel is when you're on fire.

6. The propeller is just a big fan in front of the plane used to keep the pilot cool.
When it stops, you can actually watch the pilot start sweating.

7. When in doubt, hold on to your altitude.
No one has ever collided with the sky.

8. A 'good' landing is one from which you can walk away.
A 'great' landing is one after which they can use the plane again.

9. Learn from the mistakes of others.
You won't live long enough to make all of them yourself.

10. You know you've landed with the wheels up if it takes full power to taxi to the ramp.

11. The probability of survival is inversely proportional to the angle of arrival.
Large angle of arrival, small probability of survival and vice versa.

12. Never let an aircraft take you somewhere your brain didn't get to five minutes earlier.

13. Stay out of clouds.
The silver lining everyone keeps talking about might be another airplane going in the opposite direction.
Reliable sources also report that mountains have been known to hide out in clouds.

14. Always try to keep the number of landings you make equal to the number of take offs you've made.

15. There are three simple rules for making a smooth landing.
Unfortunately no one knows what they are.

16. You start with a bag full of luck and an empty bag of experience.
The trick is to fill the bag of experience before you empty the bag of luck.

17. Helicopters can't fly; they're just so ugly the earth repels them.

18. If all you can see out of the window is ground that's going round and round and all you can hear is
commotion coming from the passenger compartment, things are not at all as they should be.

19. In the ongoing battle between objects made of aluminium going hundreds of miles per hour
and the ground going zero miles per hour, the ground has yet to lose.

20. Good judgment comes from experience.
Unfortunately, the experience usually comes from bad judgment.

21.It's always a good idea to keep the pointy end going forward as much as possible.

22. Keep looking around. There's always something you've missed.

23. Remember, gravity is not just a good idea.
It's the law.
And it's not subject to appeal.

24. The three most useless things to a pilot are
the altitude above you,
runway behind you,
and a tenth of a second ago.

USP pilot humor

2009-06-26T00:43:00.005-05:00

After every flight, UPS pilots fill out a form, called a "gripe sheet," which tells mechanics about problems with the aircraft. The mechanics correct the problems, document their repairs on the form, and then pilots review the gripe sheets before the next flight. Never let it be said that ground crews lack a sense of >humor. Here are some actual maintenance complaints submitted by UPS ' pilots (marked with a P) and the solutions recorded (marked with an S) by maintenance engineers.

By the way, UPS is the only major airline that has never, ever, had an accident.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
P: Left inside main tire almost needs replacement.
S: Almost replaced left inside main tire.

P: Test flight OK, except auto-land very rough.
S: Auto-land not installed on this aircraft.

P: Something loose in cockpit
S: Something tightened in cockpit

P: Dead bugs on windshield.
S: Live bugs on
back-order.

P: Autopilot in altitude-hold mode produces a 200 feet per minute
descent
S: Cannot reproduce problem on ground.

P: Evidence of leak on right main landing gear.
S: Evidence removed.

P: DME volume unbelievably loud.
S: DME volume set to more believable level.

P: Friction locks cause throttle levers to stick.
S: That's what friction locks are for.

P: IFF inoperative in OFF mode.
S: IFF always inoperative in OFF mode.

P: Suspected crack in windshield.
S: Suspect you're right.

P: Number 3 engine missing.
S: Engine found on right
wing after brief search.

P: Aircraft handles funny. (I love this one!)
S: Aircraft warned to: straighten up, fly right, and be serious.

P: Target radar hums.
S: Reprogrammed target radar with lyrics.

P: Mouse in cockpit.
S: Cat installed.

And the best one for last..................

P: Noise coming from under instrument panel. Sounds like a midget
pounding on something with a hammer.
S: Took hammer away from midget

MEMORIAL DAY by C.W. Johnson (Poem)

2009-05-23T22:46:00.028-05:00

We walked among the crosses, Where our fallen soldiers lay.
And listened to the bugle, As TAPS began to play.
The Chaplin led a prayer, We stood with heads bowed low.
And I thought of fallen comrades, I had known so long ago.
They came from every city, Across this fertile land.
That we might live in freedom. They lie here 'neath the sand.
I felt a little guilty, My sacrifice was small.
I only lost a little time, But these men lost their all.
Now the services are over, For this Memorial Day.
To the names upon these crosses, I just want to say,
Thanks for what you've given, No one could ask for more.
May you rest with God in heaven, From now through evermore.

Flyboys - Blue Angels & Thunderbirds

2009-03-23T23:00:00.007-05:00

Flyboys actor James Franco flies with the US Navy Blue Angels pilot Kevin Davis and Flyboys actor David Ellison flies with the US Air Force Thunderbirds pilot Jeremy Sloane.

James Franco is a Private Pilot 4/4/2005 -Airplane single engine land.

Original owner of N481M

2009-03-23T08:55:00.003-05:00

Pilot/Owner John Petry,

South Dayton, Ohio

also known as

John Gerald "Jerry" Petry

My Dad was the original owner of this plane. He had this photo on his office wall. it was taken in Dayton in 1952 by one of his flying buddies.

Our father died on November 15, 2008 on a Saturday, at 82, after a four year battle with ALS. A few days ago, when I was talking with him about the yellow plane, he drifted into the dream state that marked some of his last days. His eyes flew across the ceiling of his room but rested on something that he saw. "That one, Ellen?" he asked, "the yellow one?" "Yeah, Dad," I answered. "That one."

"Ah, she's a beauty," our Dad said. "Handles like no other." We all think he's back in the cockpit of his favorite aricraft.

p.s. his name was Jerry, too!

Clint Eastwood and his love of flying

2009-03-23T08:02:00.003-05:00

Ride along with Clint Eastwood as he flies his helicopter for '60 Minutes'.

Private Pilot (06/06/1989) Rotorcraft-Helicopter.

The New Home for the N481M

2009-03-23T06:00:00.001-05:00

Home for the Mooney Mite tail number N481M is Sacramento, CA and the Mooney belongs to Sacramento City College.

"Dreams of Flying" from "One Six Right"

2009-03-23T03:39:00.005-05:00

"One Six Right" is an exhilarating documentary film that celebrates the unsung hero of aviation - the local airport - by tracing the life, history, and struggles of an airport icon: Southern California

History of the Mooney Mite

2009-03-23T03:20:00.001-05:00

The Mooney Mite was built in 1950, in Wichita, Kansas. It took it's first test flight, October 12, 1950, 2 hours local, by A.W. Unger.
The last entry before dismantling was on June 4, 1974, by Olyn Putchett. Total hours 1,489.35
Purchased by Jerry B. Bishop, Wichita, Kansas, May 30, 1978, from Eugene Polhemus, Carney, Nebraska.
Returned to Wichita for complete restoration.

Flight Over Africa

2009-03-23T03:17:00.003-05:00

The "Flight Over Africa" sequence from "Out of Africa".

One of My Dreams

2009-03-23T03:08:00.001-05:00

July, 2004 one of my dreams came true. The company I work for (Sigma Tek) bought a 1976 Cessna 172M with 180 HP conversion by Air Plains Services Corp. They ask for a volunteer for a pilot and guess who said, ok?

Harrison Ford: Just another pilot

2009-03-23T03:03:00.006-05:00

Interview of Harrison Ford on a flight in his DeHavilland Beaver.

Private Pilot (05/06/2005) Airplane Single Engine Land, Airplane Single Engine Sea, Airplane Multiengine land, Instrument Airplane, Rotorcraft-Helicopter , (Type Ratings:P/CE-525)

Harrison Ford--Legend of Aviation

2009-03-23T02:40:00.007-05:00

Harrison Ford talking about flying, Oshkosh, and the Young Eagles.

Private Pilot (05/06/2005) Airplane Single Engine Land, Airplane Single Engine Sea, Airplane Multiengine land, Instrument Airplane, Rotorcraft-Helicopter , (Type Ratings:P/CE-525)

Back from Oshkosh

2008-08-20T23:46:00.023-05:00

Taking out to take off (beautiful).

I went to Oshkosh this July and have some new photos. I will be putting them up soon.

A Labor of Love

2008-02-04T18:35:00.009-06:00

Airshow at Jabarha Airport

2008-01-23T22:53:00.002-06:00

My Newest Project

2008-01-20T00:35:00.000-06:00

My newest project is a 1945 Taylorcraft BC-12D which I purchased last year. I will be keeping you up on how it is coming along.