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Aviation Commons

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Articles 1 - 22 of 22

Full-Text Articles in Aviation

Mid-Air Retrieval (Mar) Of Cruise Missiles, Rpv’S And A Historical Overview Of Aerial Recovery, Walter R. Blackwell Nov 2017

Mid-Air Retrieval (Mar) Of Cruise Missiles, Rpv’S And A Historical Overview Of Aerial Recovery, Walter R. Blackwell

ERAU Prescott Aviation History Program

USAF (RET) Lt. Col Walter R. Blackwell entered pilot training in October 1959 and served as an air force command pilot for 26 years. His flying experience includes light and heavy lift helicopters i.e. the H-19, H-21, H-1F, H-1N, HH-3E, and H-53. He has a total of 8,188 hours. His assignments in the Air Force included rescue combat crew commander in South East Asia, chief of flight safety at Aerospace Rescue and Recovery headquarters, and Air Force Systems Command Test Squadron. During his time as the Test Squadron Lt. Col Blackwell flew in support of cruise missile tests and special …


Concorde – 20th Century Icon, John Hutchinson Nov 2016

Concorde – 20th Century Icon, John Hutchinson

ERAU Prescott Aviation History Program

Europe to the U.S. in less than 3 ½ hours at 60,000 feet and Mach 2! The Concorde was one of world’s most recognized aircraft and a technological marvel. Learn what it was like to fly it from a pilot who did so for 15 years. Capt. Hutchinson was a Concorde route check airman and a British Airways pilot selector. He also worked with BBC television as a presenter of Airshow programmes and helped promote the Concorde/QE2 travel packages. What a way to travel!


Exploits Of A Helicopter Tv Journalist, Jerry Foster Apr 2016

Exploits Of A Helicopter Tv Journalist, Jerry Foster

ERAU Prescott Aviation History Program

Jerry Foster was the first TV helicopter pilot/reporter in the country; the first to go live over the scene of a breaking story. High speed police chases; devastating floods and daring rescues now splashed all over cable TV, started in the early 1970s in Phoenix. Hear this fascinating story from a remarkable aviator who won the Harmon Trophy for his flying exploits. What he pioneered would later be copied by medical and law enforcement agencies throughout the country leading to the saving of countless lives.


Dreamland: Secrets Of Area 51, Peter Merlin Mar 2016

Dreamland: Secrets Of Area 51, Peter Merlin

ERAU Prescott Aviation History Program

Dreamland, or Area 51, at Groom Lake, Nevada, has served as a secret proving ground for advanced aircraft and weapon systems since 1955. Throughout the Cold War, workers at this secret site toiled in anonymity to test the U-2, A-12 (first of the triple-sonic Blackbirds), Soviet fighters, stealth aircraft, and unmanned aerial vehicles. Declassified interviews, documents, and pictures now make it possible to tell the true story of this unique national asset. Hear this fascinating story from Peter Merlin, an ERAU graduate who has appeared in more than a dozen aviation documentaries.


Apollo 13: The Longest Hour, Sy Libergot Jan 2016

Apollo 13: The Longest Hour, Sy Libergot

ERAU Prescott Aviation History Program

The epic story of Apollo 13 is well known, but hear the inside details from the NASA flight controller who was on duty when the unthinkable happened. Author of Apollo EECOM, Journey of a Lifetime, Sy Libergot’s space experience began in 1966 and spanned the entire Apollo Lunar Program; Skylab; the Apollo-Soyuz project; early Shuttle and even the International Space Station, but Apollo 13 would become the unwelcome highlight of his flight controller career. Don’t miss this exciting talk by the man who was at the console when it all happened.


Cheating Death, Combat Air Rescues In Vietnam And Laos, George Marrett Feb 2014

Cheating Death, Combat Air Rescues In Vietnam And Laos, George Marrett

ERAU Prescott Aviation History Program

Hear the exciting story of George Marrett’s year as a “Sandy” rescue pilot with the 602d Fighter Squadron in 1968-69. Flying from Thailand they helped rescue downed USAF & USN pilots in Laos and Vietnam. He flew the WW II vintage Douglas A-1 Skyraider and completed 188 combat missions ; 600 combat hours. Flying low and slow, at treetop level, in all weather, it was truly hazardous duty every day!


Flying The U-2, Art Saboski Nov 2013

Flying The U-2, Art Saboski

ERAU Prescott Aviation History Program

Learn what it was like to fly the famous U-2, one of history’s most secretive aircraft, from a pilot who has done just that. Art Saboski spent most of his Air Force career flying the U-2; commanding U-2 organizations as well as planning and conducting reconnaissance/intelligence operations. He will give his unique perspectives on the high altitude aircraft, its history, development and current uses today.


Ralph A. O'Neill, Arizona's Other Ww I Ace, Alan Roesler Mar 2013

Ralph A. O'Neill, Arizona's Other Ww I Ace, Alan Roesler

ERAU Prescott Aviation History Program

Hear the fascinating story of Ralph O'Neill, who was inducted into the Arizona Aviation Hall of Fame in 2012. He flew 103 combat missions with the 147th Aero Squadron (a squadron mate of Ernest Love of Prescott); started a functional Mexican Air Force in the 1920s and the New York Rio & Buenos Aires Airline in 1929, which later merged with Pan Am.


We Did Our Part: The Story Of A World War Ii Aaf Air Transport C-47 Pilot In The South West Pacific, Kay Nehring Nov 2012

We Did Our Part: The Story Of A World War Ii Aaf Air Transport C-47 Pilot In The South West Pacific, Kay Nehring

ERAU Prescott Aviation History Program

Hear the story of Lt Charles J. Nehring, as told by his daughter, who went from selling shoes in N. Dakota to dropping paratroopers on Corregidor. He served with the 39th SQ of the 317th TCG from ‘42 to ‘45 and shot rare 16mm color film of his daily activities and flights. Kay narrates the film and reads from his letters home, as well as brings a collection of his WW II things for viewing. A unique and personal look at the war.


A (Declassified) History Of Military Drones, Stephen Rayleigh Sep 2012

A (Declassified) History Of Military Drones, Stephen Rayleigh

ERAU Prescott Aviation History Program

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles or drones, are said to be the newest technology of contemporary warfare, but the military's use of drones spans the last 100 years. Hear the riveting story of the numerous secret UAV programs around the world, starting with the Sperry Aerial Torpedo Project in 1918 (consulted by Orville Wright), the German cruise missile program, American remote controlled bombers in WWII, the Firebee recon drone used in Vietnam, Israel's highly successful UAV program, and finally the coming of age of UAV's in Operation Desert Storm.


The History Of Air Traffic Control, Rose Marie Kern Apr 2012

The History Of Air Traffic Control, Rose Marie Kern

ERAU Prescott Aviation History Program

Did you know that the United States Aviation program began as a subdivision of the Federal Bureau of Lighthouses? Hear the fascinating story of the steps taken to bring organization to to the wild, new and exciting world of aviation at the beginning of the 20th Century. Kern will also discuss how various branches of the ATC came into being as well as some future plans of the FAA.


Building A Wright Flyer - By Committee, Fred E.C. Culick Feb 2012

Building A Wright Flyer - By Committee, Fred E.C. Culick

ERAU Prescott Aviation History Program

Hear the story of the earliest aircraft from 1895 to 1908 and how the Wright Brothers successfully built the first airplane but couldn’t build the second one!


General Doolittle's Elephant, Hal Cope Oct 2011

General Doolittle's Elephant, Hal Cope

ERAU Prescott Aviation History Program

Gen Jimmy Doolittle is known for many things, but hunting elephants is probably not among them! Hear the life story of this remarkable aviator from another pilot and former big game hunter, Hal Cope.


Building The Spirit Of St Louis, Oce A. Dotson Sep 2011

Building The Spirit Of St Louis, Oce A. Dotson

ERAU Prescott Aviation History Program

Charles Lindbergh’s, “Spirit of St Louis” is one of the world’s most famous airplanes. Hear the inside story of how it was built from Oce Dotson. His father-in-law was a foreman on the project in 1927 and Oce became fascinated by what he learned, including some widely accepted myths about it.


My Adventures In Helicopters!, Dwayne Williams Apr 2011

My Adventures In Helicopters!, Dwayne Williams

ERAU Prescott Aviation History Program

Hear the remarkable story of a lifetime flying helicopters, from a flight test pilot for Bell, Heritage Aviation Ltd. and MD helicopters.


Flying Uav’S In Iraq, Stephen Rayleigh Jan 2011

Flying Uav’S In Iraq, Stephen Rayleigh

ERAU Prescott Aviation History Program

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, or UAV’s, are a growing reality and an important new weapon for today’s military. Hear what it was like to fly the RQ-7B “Shadow” UAV during Operation Iraqi Freedom from Stephen Rayleigh who spent a year in Iraq and has more than 1,000 hours experience flying them.


The U2 Spy Plane Crisis: Turning Point In The Cold War, William Weiss Nov 2010

The U2 Spy Plane Crisis: Turning Point In The Cold War, William Weiss

ERAU Prescott Aviation History Program

When the Soviets shot down Francis Gary Powers’ U2 spy plane in 1960, it caused an international crisis. Thanks to recently declassified US and former Soviet archives, we can now hear the inside story of what really happened as told by an American History writer & lecturer.


"Sie Kommen" (They're Coming), David Hamilton Sep 2009

"Sie Kommen" (They're Coming), David Hamilton

ERAU Prescott Aviation History Program

The exciting story of the training, mission briefings and overall planning that lead to the success and failure of major troop carrier operations in World War II. Told by a C-47 pilot who flew ‘pathfinder’ missions on D-Day; supply missions for Bastogne; and for ‘Market Garden’, the invasion of Holland.


Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar Systems (Joint Stars) --- The Early Days, George Cusimano Jan 2009

Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar Systems (Joint Stars) --- The Early Days, George Cusimano

ERAU Prescott Aviation History Program

J-STARS is the airborne, battle management radar platform that was such a resounding success during Desert Storm I . Hear the exciting story of the challenges associated with its early development, from the Flight Test Engineer and Mission Commander who was involved from the very start.


Adventures On The Dark Continent, Hal Cope Nov 2008

Adventures On The Dark Continent, Hal Cope

ERAU Prescott Aviation History Program

Fascinating stories of flying adventures in Kenya, from
1962-1967 as told by a bush pilot, safari guide, African
wildlife photographer, airline Captain, and aviation
executive/consultant, better known as “Bwana Hal”


A History Of Prescott's Ernest A. Love Field, Nancy Burgess Feb 2008

A History Of Prescott's Ernest A. Love Field, Nancy Burgess

ERAU Prescott Aviation History Program

Learn about the Airport named for this hometown hero in "A History Of Prescott's Ernest A. Love Field" by City of Prescott's Preservation Specialist Nancy Burgess


The Military Career Of Ernest A. Love, Alan Roesler Jan 2008

The Military Career Of Ernest A. Love, Alan Roesler

ERAU Prescott Aviation History Program

The Prescott aviator’s 22 WW I combat missions in seven short weeks in France in 1918