By Adam Estes When the Douglas DC-8 was first flown in 1958, it was just the second American jetliner produced, second only to the Boeing 707, and was among the first narrow-body, four-engine jetliners that opened up travel to the world as no other means of transportation have done before.  Today, however, the DC-8 is a relic of a bygone age in commercial aviation, and only a few examples have survived to become museum pieces.  One of the last operational DC-8s, N817NA, will soon be retired from service nearly forty years after it was acquired by the National Aeronautics and Space Ad ..read more

By Charles Scott Williams of the B-29/B-24 Squadron via CAF On The Fly For the past two days, I had the pleasure of working on the B-29 Superfortress FIFI. My assigned task was to help install the carburetor on the #1 engine. This massive contraption for the R3350 engine weighs somewhere in the ballpark of 35 pounds and sits atop the aft portion of the engine. Seems like a simple task. Sit this heavyweight carb on it’s designed position and simply install a few washers and bolts to hold it in place. After that simple task, run the aircraft safety wire through all the bolts to prevent them from ..read more

The first time an aircraft “chased” the totality of a total solar eclipse was in 1973 when the Concorde prototype, loaded with scientists, remained in totality for over an hour as it streaked across northern Africa at more than 1,500mph. In the past seven years, one area or another of the Continental United States has experienced three eclipses- two total and one annular- and thanks to social media and the continuing development of advanced digital cameras of all shapes and sizes, these celestial events have been documented from aircraft ranging from private paragliders and RV-4s to NASA WB-57 ..read more

The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight (BBMF) is going to be displayed at a number of fantastic airshows and events this summer. Flying displays are subject to weather conditions and aircraft serviceability. In addition to the full displays, the aircraft also conducts up to 900 flypasts each year to make the most of the flying hours and transits to and from display locations. The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight’s Avro Lancaster B.I PA474. (photo by Nigel Hitchman) The display season runs from May to September each year with pre-season work-up flying for the crews taking place during April, cu ..read more

By Adam Estes This weekend the Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress known as the Movie Memphis Belle conducted its first engine runs at the Palm Springs Air Museum (PSAM) in California since its arrival at the museum on November 13th, 2021. The aircraft is owned by the Military Aircraft Restoration Corporation (MARC), whose founder the late David Tallichet flew the bomber to the UK to partake in the filming of the movie Memphis Belle (1990), and is on loan to the PSAM. During this initial ground run, three of the aircraft’s four engines (#1, #2, and #4) were run at different power settings but the ai ..read more

PRESS RELEASE The Capital Wing of the Commemorative Air Force (CAF) announces its 2024 Tour Schedule which includes a number of airshows and Warbird Showcase events. Most appearances are on weekends and parking and admission at most events are free. Visitors may choose to ride in various warbirds with prices between $125 and $1,750. Headlining the warbird rides will be a Stinson OY-1 with combat missions in its logbook at the Battle of Saipan. Our Stinson was on the escort carrier White Plains 80 years ago, steaming toward Saipan in the South Pacific. Warbird rides will include a Fairchild ..read more

PRESS RELEASE Dive into history at the Flying Heritage & Combat Armor Museum (FHCAM) by engaging with our world-renowned collection and immersive programs and experiences slated for the month of April. The variety of events provides educational exploration into featured artifacts with activities for the whole family to enjoy. This month with the purchase of a general admission ticket, attendees can participate in educational and engaging programs such as a Jeep demonstration, a behind-the-scenes look at the renowned B-25 aircraft, and guided lectures and tours from museum docents. Plus, a ..read more

PRESS RELEASE The Fairey-Reed propeller for the de Havilland Canada DHC-1 Chipmunk, which is now getting very difficult to acquire, is undergoing new production engineering by GT-Propellers of Italy with different features. The original all-metal fixed-pitch propeller has been reproduced by GT in a wood composite with metal leading-edge protection. The hardest challenge to solve was the metal hub. We designed this to feature various ground pitch adjustment positions so that Chipmunk operators can select the optimum pitch setting for their particular mission. This method is widely used in prop ..read more

By Adam Estes Vintage Aviation News (VAN) is no stranger to the restoration team of the Air Zoo Aerospace and Science Museum of Kalamazoo, Michigan, or their ongoing projects.  However, one aspect that often sets the Air Zoo apart from other museums is its partnership with the National Naval Aviation Museum (NNAM) in Pensacola, Florida in restoring World War II aircraft recovered from the depths of Lake Michigan.  This second-largest of the Great Lakes has been a gold mine of sorts for the aviation community due to the nearly 200 aircraft that were claimed by the lake on training mis ..read more

Press Release Cole Palen’s Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome is a non-profit gem in the Hudson Valley of New York state. Fundraising is crucial to our continued operation and our largest fundraiser of the year is coming on May 18th! We count on the financial support of fans, friends, and enthusiasts to keep our planes flying: we do 38 airshows each season, like no other aviation venue in the country.   You can help us in several ways! SPONSOR THE EVENT– Are you a business owner? In addition to sharing your business or organization with our guests this gives you the opportunity to attend the event ..read more