Israel contracts for 7 air tankers

This year for the first time Israel will have access to a squadron of air tankers. They have contracted with two private companies, Elbit Systems and Chim Nir Flight Services, who purchased seven Air Tractor AT 802 single engine air tankers after submitting a joint bid to the Ministry of Defense. The government of Israel saw [...]

Wildfire Today - News and commentary about wildland fire

After crashing into the barriers during Friday's morning session, Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel was forced to watch Practice Two from the sidelines whilst a squadron of mechanics started to repair his battered and bruised RB7. But despite a serious lack of running, Vettel is feeling optimistic about how he will fare over the rest of the weekend in...

The Strizhi (“Swifts”) aerobatic team will show its new flight routine on the group's 20th anniversary on May 6 in the skies over Kubinka. According to Viktor Selyutin, a pilot with 25 years of experience who has been flying as a wingman in the squadron for ten years, the current line-up of pilots is one of the most experienced.

Today, Friday 6 May 2011 Funeral of Captain Lisa Head, from 321 Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Squadron, 11 EOD Regiment RLC, who died on 19 April 2011 in the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham from wounds received in Afghanistan. Commissioning of...

Base triathlon challenges beginners Maxwell Gunter Dispatch The competition is not as strenuous as a standard triathlon, giving beginners a chance to get their feet wet. The event includes a 400-yard swim, 6-mile bike ride and 4-mile run. Amanda Winters, the 42nd Force Support Squadron special events ...

Westborough's Vautour honored for service to country at AIC The Daily Westborough Vautour has spent the last few years in Air Force Reserve while at the same time studying occupational therapy at AIC. As a member of the 439th Aeromedical Staging Squadron (ASTS) at Westover Air Reserve Base, Vautour been deployed twice, from January ...

Jetman Over the Grand Canyon - EAA |  Yves Rossy, known the world over as “Jetman,” is set to make his first flight in the United States on Friday morning, May 6, over the Grand Canyon in Arizona. Rossy, strapped into his jet wing, will ride a helicopter to about 7,000 feet AGL, fire up the four small model-aircraft jet engines then jump out...

Into the wild blue yonder - TriCityVoice | Ditch the commercial flights and experience the wild blue yonder in vintage style when the Experimental Aircraft Association's (EAA) Boeing B-17G Bomber wings its way into Hayward. For one weekend only, locals can step back into aviation history with the "Flying Fortress," one of the first American heavy bombers built for World War II...

Air Race Tuesday by Red Letter Days for just £499.00 - Experience Finder UK | Kick off with a thorough briefing and a practise flight, where you learn to fly the cutting edge Extra 300 race plane as used in the Red Bull Air Race event including tight corners. Enjoy a snack lunch with your pilot and talk tactics as you prepare for the big race...

WINGS OVER WAYNE AIR SHOW - Carolina Heart Strings | My husband, daughter and I recently went to a local air show.  This particular one was at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in North Carolina, Wings over Wayne County.  I love love love an air show and have never been to one on an Air Force base before...

Breaking the sound barrier was just half the excitement on this flight - NOLA | We watched the F-15 in front of us speed down the runway and take to the skies, disappearing in the blink of an eye as the aircraft made a near-vertical climb into the heavens. I gulped. About 10 seconds later, our jet rumbled to life. One-hundred knots became 200, 200 became 400 and moments later we were thousands of feet in the air as the earth quickly shrunk below us...

VIDEO: Fly-past marks new Bomber Command memorial - Telegraph | Veterans gathered in Green Park to pay tribute to the tens of thousands of RAF crew who lost their lives during bombing missions in the war. The monument, costing £5 million, will commemorate the 55,573 crew members of the RAF's Bomber Command who were killed between 1939 and 1945. The average age of those who lost their lives was just 22...

Restored bomber brings old pilots back... - Contra Costa Times | The B-17 bomber was introduced 66 years ago, shortly after the United States entered World War II in Europe. The 10 airmen on any given mission were a combination of mostly college-boy officers and enlisted men who brought brawn to the battle...

Airport considers whether to keep Marine plane on display - Brainerd Dispatch | The blue Marine plane, which once stood out on Highway 210 by the Brainerd Lakes Regional Airport, has been part of the airport’s identity for decades. But that could change. And all because of a paint job...

Final flypast for Marham’s XIII Squadron - Lynn News | MARHAM will see one of its Tornado squadrons fly for the last time this week as the government’s defence cuts start to bite. XIII Squadron will be officially disbanded on June 1 but the squadron’s final day in the air will be Friday (May 6)...

Videos From AIRBOYD:
U.S. Carrier Beats Off Air Attack (1942)
Night Helicopter Air Ops

Reserve tanker crew first operational crew to refuel F-35 - Global Security | SEYMOUR JOHNSON AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. (AFNS) -- What started out as a routine mission for Airmen from the Air Force Reserve Command's 916th Air Refueling Wing turned into an historic 'first in flight' moment recently...

Learning to fly - solo landing unforgettable - In My Community | THE moment the wheels of my Cessna 152 lifted off the ground for my first solo flight, a sudden thought rushed through my head. The only way I would be able to land safely was by my own hand....

Locals send big 'thank you' to Team Offutt - ACC.mil | OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE, Neb.  -- There are many different ways to thank military members for their service -- a handshake, smile or nod are ways an average citizen might recognize a servicemember; however, some like to show that their gratitude stretches a mile wide...

The Boeing Archives PART 3b: Interview With Boeing Historian Michael Lombardi - Airline Reporter | This is the second part to my interview with Boeing Historian Michael Lombardi. Here is the continuation of our exclusive interview: AirlineReporter (AR): What do you think the best decision Boeing has made? Michael Lombardi (ML): I think the best decision was building the Dash 80 (the first Boeing 707), which was a huge risk...

NASA Tests Space Shuttle Repairs for Endeavour's Last Launch - Space | NASA is testing repairs on the space shuttle Endeavour in the hopes they will allow the orbiter to launch on one final mission next week. Shuttle officials called off Endeavour's first launch attempt on Friday (April 29) when two heaters protecting a crucial power unit had failed...

'Extremely rare' planes coming to JWA - OCRegister | Included in the Wings of Freedom Tour, which is appearing at the Lyon Air Museum, is the B-17 "Flying Fortress," one of only 11 such aircraft in flying condition in the United States, according to promoters. The B-17 "Flying Fortress" will be among the ...
   
World War II Planes and Pilots Share Experiences at Palomar Airport - Patch.com | On display, through were the B-17 and B-24 bombers and a P-51 Mustang fighter. There were no shortage of veterans at Palomar Airport to tell their amazing stories and experiences. Ed Davidson, of La Jolla, recounted his WW II experiences as a pilot of ...

Naval History & Heritage Command  - photos of the 1st Carrier Qualified Jet Squadron. Happy Birthday VF-17A. (ak)

It's not a bird. It's not a plane. It's JetMan in a Grand Canyon flyover! - USA TODAY | If the red rock splendor of the Grand Canyon alone isn't enough to knock your socks off, you might want to high-tail it over there on May 6 when Yves Rossy -- aka JetMan -- straps on a wing powered by four jet engines and jumps out of a helicopter for his own bird's-eye flyover of the rugged chasm. ...

Timeless Voices - Robin "Bob" Webb from eaavideo.org | Bob Webb joined the Royal Air Force in 1943 and spent the next 14 years as an engineer/mechanic. In 1957 he joined the British Overseas Airways Corporation as a flight engineer, finishing the last 8 years of his 26-year career on the Concorde.

He attacked the Yamato, world’s biggest battleship from War Tales | It was Ensign Woody Lindskog’s lucky day. The Navy pilot was plucked from Wasile Bay off Halmahera Island in the South Pacific by an Army Air Corps Catalina flying boat, right under the nose of a Japanese gun emplacement and thousands of enemy troops after his Hellcat fighter was hit by an antiaircraft flak and [...]

Herman 'Rex' Reheis - AugustaGazette.com | He then went through flight training and piloted a B-25 low-level strafer-bomber called “Seabiscuit” during 11 months of campaigns in the South Pacific in the 500th Bomb Squadron, rising to Captain. After the end of World War II, he served in the Air ...

WWII veterans honored with DC trip - Richmond-News | A World War II veteran from New Richmond was honored for his service to the country during a special trip Saturday. A World War II veteran from New Richmond was honored for his service to the country during a special trip Saturday. ...

100-year-old Jacksonville man says do what you love, and adventure will follow - Jacksonville.com | ... In 1927, he was 17, too young for the Army Air Corps. No problem: He lied about his age. He was too skinny, too. So the recruiter gave him 50 cents and told him to buy as many bananas as he could. Brown stuffed the bananas in him, one after the other, then was weighed again. Heavy enough this time. ...

Shirley grandfather aims to break wing walk record - Birmingham Mail | The grandfather from Shirley, who already holds the world record for the oldest person to do the loop-the-loop and the oldest person to wing walk across the English Channel, is about to undertake his greatest adventure yet. Daredevil Tom, who is due to ...

The Boeing Archives PART 3b: Interview With Boeing Historian Michael Lombardi from Airline Reporter | This is the second part to my interview with Boeing Historian Michael Lombardi. Here is the continuation of our exclusive interview:  ...
   
Aviation Museum Faces Another Roadblock in Lease Arrangement - Patch.com | The Horsham Land Reuse Authority hopes to sign the lease at its May 18 meeting; meanwhile residents request that an airport study be undertaken. By Theresa Katalinas | Email the author | 6:00am As the military clears off the 1100-acre base, ...

Poplar Grove air museum gears up for additions - Rockford Register Star | Bob Grist, 77, of Chicago laughs as his friend Bill Gwozdz, 67, of Berwyn toys with his camera during their visit Tuesday, May 3, 2011, to the Vintage Wings & Wheels Museum in Poplar Grove. By Betsy Lopez POPLAR GROVE — The Vintage Wings & Wheels ...

Yorkshire Air Museum to play host to the Battlegroup North and Military Wheels ... - The Press, York | HUNDREDS of historic military vehicles from across Britain will be helping draw the crowds to the Yorkshire Air Museum this weekend. The museum, at Elvington, near York, will play host to the Battlegroup North and Military Wheels And ...

World’s largest (model) airport opens in Hamburg (Daily Mail) from Boeing and Aerospace News | Knuffingen Airport only cost around $5 million and took six years to build and yet is the world’s largest airport. OK, model airport. Knuffingen, based on Hamburg’s airport, just opened to the public at Miniatur Wunderland, in Hamburg. The airport features 40 aircraft that take off, land and taxi, with jetways that pull up to [...]

After 100 years, Goodyear ditches blimps for zeppelins [Planelopnik] from Jalopnik | After building blimps for almost 100 years, Goodyear's teaming up with Ze Germans and canning their three blips for a fleet of Teutonic zeppelins set to go into operation in 2013. The zeppelins will be longer, fly faster, and hold more people. None of which will help make it anything but a more novel way of providing a stadium shot before football and baseball telecasts go to commercial. ...

More than 130 local events now part of EAA’s International Learn to Fly Day - Planenews | EAA AVIATION CENTER, OSHKOSH, Wis.: More than 130 events will help dreams of flight become a reality for tens of thousands of future aviators during the second annual International Learn to Fly Day on Saturday, May 21.  International Learn to Fly Day is an aviation community-wide effort helping people of all ages take that first step to ...

Warren girl gets to be Pilot for a Day - Vindy.com | Eleven-year-old Ashley Moorhead offered an apt description after the turbo-prop engines of the huge C-130 Hercules aircraft fired up.  “It was real loud. We had to wear earplugs,” said an excited Ashley after being named Pilot for a Day on Wednesday at the 910th Airlift Wing at the Youngstown Air Reserve Station. ...

South Korean Navy’s first female P-3C pilot from Warplanes Online Community | The Korean Navy has commissioned its first female pilot of a P-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft. Lt. Jg. Lee Joo-yeon, 26, finished her copilot training for a P-3C aircraft on April 22nd. After a year of basic aviation training, she completed her first flight mission last Tuesday. ...

Air Force: F-22 Raptor pulls out of air show - Shreveport Times | The Air Force's cutting-edge fight aircraft, which was to have been the start of the 2011 Barksdale Air Force base "Defenders of Liberty" air show and open house, will not be able to make it to the show this year, the Air Force said today. ...

BREAKING: USAF orders F-22 fleet stand-down from The DEW Line | Got a tip today that all F-22s have been parked. Air Combat Command confirmed a few minutes ago, and our news article is posted here and is excerpted below. ...

50 years of US spaceflight: Alan Shepard, May 5, 1961 from Boing Boing | On May 5, 1961, NASA astronaut Alan Shepard piloted his Freedom 7 Mercury capsule in a 15-minute suborbital flight, becoming America's first astronaut. In this image, he is shown being hoisted aboard a U.S. Marine helicopter after splashdown. The flight carried him to an altitude of 116 statute miles.  ...

Alan B. Shepard, Jr. Honored at 50th Anniversary Celebration of Freedom 7 Flight from Spaceports | The Golden Anniversary of the flight of the first American in space was commemorated with a special ceremony at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Complex 5/6 blockhouse near NASA's Kennedy Space Center. That's where, on May 5, 1961, astronaut Alan B. Shepard, Jr., began his historic, 15-minute mission aboard his Freedom 7 capsule. ...

Last combat veteran of WW1, Claude Choules, dies agd 110 from Military Photos | The world's last known combat veteran of World War I, Claude Choules, has died in Australia aged 110.  Known to his comrades as Chuckles, British-born Mr Choules joined the Royal Navy at 15 and went on to serve on HMS Revenge. ...

Will the Blue Angels be flying Joint Strike Fighters next time we see them? - TheDigitel | Well it's unlikely that will occur by the next time we see them, 2013, but apparently there are discussions that the Blue Angels will hang up their F-18s for the F-35s. And while we're talking F35, there are several reports out there that a House ... [photo via]

Steel beams from World Trade Center will be on display during 2011 Indianapolis Air Show - dBusinessNews | Two huge steel beams from New York City’s World Trade Center, a target of the deadly and historic terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, will be on display during the Tom Wood Automotive Group 2011 Indianapolis Air Show, May 13-15 at Indianapolis Regional Airport (formerly Mt. Comfort Airport).  The beams, one of which measures over 21-feet long and the other which measures over 18 feet, will soon be the focal point of “Project 9/11 Indianapolis,” a permanent memorial along the White River Canal dedicated to the thousands of people who lost their lives in the World Trade Center, Shanksville, Penn., and the Pentagon nearly 10 years ago. The memorial’s design will incorporate the times that the Twin Towers collapsed, as well as a passage from President George W. Bush’s address to the nation on the evening of Sept. 11th. ...

N'Awlins Air Show is Saturday and Sunday in Belle Chasse - NOLA.com | The US Navy Blue Angels flight demonstration squadron perform during the preview show for students, military members and their family members of the 2009 N'Awlins Air Show at Naval Air Station -Joint Reserve Base in Belle ...

Rockford AirFest 2011 Seeks Heroes to Honor - WIFR | ROCKFORD (RAF) -- Rockford AirFest 2011 will honor area Heroes to be recognized before and during this year's show, and community members are asked to nominate people for the program. A Hero can be a member of the US military or a veteran, ...

BAFB prepared for air show - KSLA-TV | The 2011 Defenders of Liberty Air Show is set to take flight this weekend at Barksdale Air Force Base. The show features some of the best pilots in the world from all branches of the military, and it attracts hundreds of ...
   
2011 air show act has new angle - Monroe News Star | "Vintage Warbirds" will include a T-6 Texan trainer, P-51 and MiG 17 fighters, and a B-17 and B-29 bomber Preview will highlight the different performers at this weekend's Defenders of Liberty Air Show at Barksdale Air Force Base. ...

Manassas Freedom Museum hosts weekend air show - WTOP | The museum's B-25 nose is set to go on tour at local schools. (WTOP Photo/Hank Silverberg) WASHINGTON - Tucked inside one of the region's busiest small airports is a museum hoping to get a boost with a new exhibit and sky-high event. ...

Chino Sneak peak - You Tube

Cleveland college teams with Hemlock Films to produce aviation show from General Aviation News | The creators of the Emmy award-winning PBS hit “Red Tail Reborn” have partnered with Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C) in Cleveland, Ohio, to bring “The Restorers” to televisions nationwide. This new PBS series, based on the original 2004 movie of the same name, will chronicle those who restore warbirds and antique…

CWJ 2011: Live Vulcan, Victor, Lightning, Nimrod, Buccanneer, and more! from PPRuNe Forums | Only 3 1/2 weeks left until this year's Spring Cold War Jets Open Day at Bruntingthorpe, on Sunday 29th May! ...

S. Korea's largest aviation exhibition draws big crowds - Yonhap News | The Black Eagles, the aerobatics team for the South Korean Air Force, performed formation flying with T-50 supersonic trainer jets, and the opening day show also featured other world-class aerobatic pilots. Now in its third year, the aviation ...

The acrobats of the air force to do the show Show - Maritima.info | The official presentation to the Chief of Staff of the Air Force of all demonstrators the Air Force (Patrouille de France, Rafale, Cartridge Golden Alphajet, aerobatic team of the army air) was held this Thursday on the air base ...

Taking to the air for festival - News & Star | Aerobatic routines from the precision flying squad SWIP team will provide plenty of drama. Other air demonstrations include the British fighter aircraft the Hawker Sea Fury, the Matadors aerobatic team and a parachute drop. Festival favourite the RAF ...

Air show for Sydney announced - Cape Breton Post | John Fraser event manager and Lauri Gallaway from Enterprise Cape Breton Corporation are shown following the press conference to announce an air show for Sydney in June. Greg McNeil - Cape Breton Post SYDNEY — Nova Scotia's only air show this summer ...

HORNET SOLO DISPLAY 2011 from AirSpace | Today there where the first Low level Trainings 2011 in Payerne. For his 2nd year as Display Pilot, Ralph «Deasy» Knittel made already an impressive show. You can enjoy him during those airshows listet: ...

Runway 5K Run/Walk at EAA AirVenture 2011 to Benefit Three Community Groups - AMTOnline.com | All participants receive snacks, water, and a timing-chip to track their progress, plus Saturday  admission to AirVenture – featuring the widely popular Night Air Show and Daher-Socata Fireworks, country star Aaron Tippin in concert, and an expanded ...

REO Speedwagon at EAA from eaavideo.org | On Monday, July 25, REO Speedwagon will rock Oshkosh, courtesy of Ford Motor Company. The performance, free of charge to all AirVenture guests that day, is held on ConocoPhillips Plaza immediately following the afternoon air show.

Sourdough Sentinel

Officer's concern for others reaches the very marrow of her bones Sourdough Sentinel But how many are willing to give up two weeks and have a liter of bone marrow removed for someone they've never met? Air Force Capt. Meghan Samek, an intelligence officer and flight commander with the 381st Intelligence Squadron on Joint Base ... and more »

What started out as a routine mission for Airmen from the Air Force Reserve Command's 916th Air Refueling Wing turned into an historic 'first in flight' moment recently.

Flying a KC-135R Stratotanker, a flight crew and a maintenance crew from the wing's 911th Air Refueling Squadron thought they were headed to California to support training and airlift for other wings. But what surprised these five Airmen when they arrived at Edwards Air Force Base was the mission they were actually given, to be the first operational tanker crew to refuel the F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighter.
more...

Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz visited here May 4 and 5 to meet with Airmen and see the damage caused by recent tornadoes.

During an all-call meeting, General Schwartz discussed several issues, including recent force management actions by Air Force officials, the repeal of the law commonly known as Don't Ask, Don't Tell, and Airman resiliency.

"Sir, it is my absolute honor to welcome you back to Little Rock Air Force Base," said Col. Mike Minihan, the 19th Airlift Wing commander, referring to the general's tours here from 1974 to 1975, for C-130 Hercules initial qualification, and from 1977 to 1979, as a C-130E/H flight examiner with the 61st Tactical Airlift Squadron.
more...

Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley approved the posthumous promotion of Capt. Charles A. Ransom, a cyberspace Airman assigned to the 83rd Network Operations Squadron at Langley Air Force Base, Va., to the rank of major May 3.

Maj. Ransom was killed by enemy gunfire at the headquarters building on an Afghan air force compound in Kabul, Afghanistan, April 27. He was selected for major by the CY09C Major Central Selection Board and was qualified for appointment to major at the time of his death.
more...

Guerilla Bob Android App Summary Guerilla Bob is a rough tough cigar smoking mercenary shooting up enemies in the hit Android and iPhone app named the same. This game has very nice graphics, a large weapon cache to choose from and different enemies to keep the game interesting. Users can play story (campaign), mercenary, or [...] Related posts:

1. Mini Squadron Shooter Game – Android App Review
2. Mortal Skies – Modern War Combat Shooter iPhone Video | WWII Air Shooter
3. Toast Shooter iPhone Video App Review | Nothing Like The Salad Shooter!!!!!

A Texan was among those killed when an Afghan man in a pilot outfit opened fire during a training exercise at Kabul International Airport. Captain Nathan Nylander of Hockley, Texas was killed April 27. NATO is investigating the shooting. Nylander was assigned to the 25th Operational Weather Squadron based out of Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Arizona. Dozens of people signed an online remembrance book set up in his memory. Nylander's brother Chris Bivens wrote that he keeps thinking about them playing as kids together all day long in the Texas summer. One of Nylander's colleagues in meteorology school, Paul Wilkerson, called Nylander a consummate professional who was kind and soft spoken. Nylander leaves behind his wife, Miriam, and three children. He was 35. As of May 5, the Department of Defense confirms that 6,001 U.S. Service personnel have died in the ongoing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Of those deaths, 535 have been from Texas.

Westborough Woman Honored for Military Service Patch.com Vautour spent the last few years in a challenging position in the Air Force Reserve while accomplishing a rigorous curriculum in occupational therapy. As a member of the 439th Aeromedical Staging Squadron at Westover Air Reserve Base, ...

The deputy chief of staff for manpower, personnel and services, or A1, recently announced the 2010 award winners for the A1 community.

This year's winners are:

Installation awards:

Gen. Curtis E. LeMay Award, for best large-category force support squadron:
1st Special Operations FSS, Air Force Special Operations Command, Hurlburt Field, Fla.

Maj. Gen. Eugene L. Eubank Award, for best small-category force support squadron:
more...

You have no idea how stuffed our email gets with random photos of retarded ‘stuff’ that really has no immediate home on Busted Coverage. The photos roll in and our reaction is usually the same, “WTF are we going to do with that?” It’s a major dilemma. A photo that goes to waste really pains [...]

Sailor who was the last surviving combatant of the first world war

Claude Choules, who has died aged 110, was the last known combat veteran of the first world war, during which he served in the Royal Navy. He witnessed two historic events at the end of the conflict. He was present at the surrender of the imperial German navy at the Firth of Forth, off Scotland's east coast, on 21 November 1918, 10 days after the armistice, and at Scapa Flow in the Orkney Islands, on 21 June 1919, when the German Rear Admiral Ludwig von Reuter ordered his interned fleet to be scuttled. Preventive action limited the scuttling to 52 of the 74 ships. These included 10 battleships, five battlecruisers, five cruisers and 32 destroyers.

Choules migrated to Australia in 1926 and, during the second world war, he served in the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) as a senior demolition expert in Western Australia. Early in the war, he identified and disposed of the first German mine to wash up on Australian shores, near Esperance. With Japan on the rampage in 1942, he set explosives to blow up oil tanks and placed depth charges in ships unable to leave Fremantle harbour in anticipation of a Japanese landing. Had the Japanese invaded, he would have had the improbable task of riding a bicycle about 500km south to Albany to blow up harbour facilities there, too.

Choules, who held dual British and Australian nationality, was born at Wyre Piddle, Pershore, in Worcestershire. His father, Henry, was a haberdasher, and his mother, Madelin, became an actor. His mother abandoned the family when he was young – for many years, he thought she had died – and his older brothers, Douglas and Leslie, were sent to different family homes while his father raised Claude and his sisters, Phyllis and Gwen. This would later shape his make-up as a considerate, conscientious and attentive father, polite to all.

Choules dropped out of school at 14 and fibbed about his age to join the navy in 1915. The previous year he had tried to join the army as a bugle boy after learning that his brothers were serving in the British army. Both had fought at Gallipoli before going on to the western front in France, where Douglas was gassed and died a year later, and Leslie won the military medal.

After training on HMS Impregnable, at one time a 140-gun, square-rigged wooden battleship, Choules (who acquired the nickname Chuckles) served on HMS Revenge, the flagship of the Royal Navy's first battle squadron. Between 1920 and 1923, he served in the Mediterranean in the battleship HMS Valiant, and for a time was involved in the construction of the navy's first purpose-built aircraft carrier, HMS Eagle. He then served for two years as a petty officer on board the Eagle in the Mediterranean before being seconded with 11 other naval personnel to go to Australia in 1926 on loan to the RAN as an instructor at the Flinders naval depot, near Melbourne.

Both of his brothers had already relocated to Australia before the war, so he asked for a permanent transfer to the RAN. He returned to Britain to train as a torpedo and anti-submarine instructor, and was also involved in the construction of the RAN's heavy cruisers Australia and Canberra. He was part of the commissioning crew of HMAS Canberra.

Choules took his discharge from the RAN in 1931, but remained in the reserve. He rejoined the RAN the following year with the rank of chief petty officer. He remained with the service after the second world war, transferring to the naval dockyard police, enabling him to remain until 1956, five years longer than the regulations allowed for RAN ratings, who in those days had to retire at 50.

But he was still not done with the sea. He bought a crayfishing boat and spent the next 10 years fishing off the Western Australia coast with his wife. He also shot rabbits and culled kangaroos – until he saw the film Bambi. An excellent ballroom dancer, Choules had special shoes made for his whirls across the dance floor as he did the foxtrot, which he taught to his daughters and grandchildren. He also loved to play the mouth organ. Not surprisingly, his favourites were sea shanties.

As a centenarian, he retained a sense of humour, insisting that a laugh was good for the soul. Towards the end of his life, a degenerative eye disorder took its toll. His daughter Anne attributed his long life to his fitness, healthy lifestyle and a happy, contented disposition.

Choules never owned a car until he was 50, and rode a bicycle everywhere. His wife of 80 years, Ethel, a children's nurse, died in 2006, aged 98, and he spent his last years at the Gracewood hostel at Salter Point in Perth. He published his autobiography, The Last of the Last, in 2009.

Choules is survived by his daughters, Daphne and Anne, his son, Adrian, 13 grandchildren, 26 great-grandchildren and three great-great-grandchildren.

• Claude Stanley Choules, sailor, born 3 March 1901; died 5 May 2011

Fly By: Cpl. Francisco E. Agostolopez DVIDS Cpl. Francisco E. Agostolopez is a meteorology and oceanography forecaster with Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron. MARINE CORPS AIR STATION CHERRY POINT, NC - Highlighting Cherry Point's Warriors. I provide weather forecasts for the air station ...

Tech. Sgt. Brett Brandemuhl, left, a loadmaster from the 144th Airlift Squadron, briefs members of the Alaska Air National Guard 176th Wing on C-130 air safety protocols before the group takes off for Hayneville, Ala.

A B-1B Lancer, from the 37th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron, receives fuel from a KC-135 Stratotanker,

Air Force officials announced May 3 the Eglin Air Force Base complex in Florida as a candidate for an Air Force Reserve Command MQ-1 Remote Split-Operations squadron. "The selection of this candidate is the result of a deliberate, measured and transparent process," said Kathleen Ferguson, the deputy assistant secretary for installations. "The Air Force looks

Lance Cpl. Jonathan J. Limrick, a combat engineer with Marine Wing Support Squadron 272, directs a b

Spring boating courses in Seneca MyWebTimes.com The DuPage Sail and Power Squadron will be offering several America's Boating Course classes this spring. This class is required in some states for operation of any type of personal watercraft or boat. Learn about boating safety and some of the new ...

Join Chris and Jay for an exciting trip down memory lane with author Steve Perry. Mike Stackpole sets the record straight on the current status of his Rogue Squadron books, plus comics, books, magazines and more right here on the May 2011 edition of Jedi Journals. Click here to listen!

No you will not see Princess Catherine on The Real Housewives of Wales, but she will be a housewife to Prince William. Catherine can’t really go on to a regular job right? The couple are now residing in Anglesey, Wales until William leaves for a 10 week tour in the search-and-rescue squadron in the Royal Air Force [...]

Blues kick off centennial bash - Pensacola News Journal | Aviation Week air show: The Blue Angels took to the sky for a special air show celebrating the centennial of Naval Aviation. Greg Walker points out the approaching Blue Angel F/A-18 jets to his three-year-old son, Nathan Walker, during the Centennial ...
NASA - NASA Glenn Joins in the Fun at Indianapolis Air Show from www.nasa.gov | The public is invited to visit NASA's Journey to Tomorrow traveling exhibit at the Indianapolis Air Show in Indianapolis, Ind., May 13-15. Visitors will be able to explore science exhibits and participate in educational hands-on activities.  Journey to Tomorrow is housed in a 53-foot trailer and contains eight interactive kiosks that allow participants to go at their own pace as they learn about the history and challenges of air and space exploration. The exhibit is wheelchair accessible.  ...

Great TN Air Show to soar through Smyrna - The Daily News Journal | The internationally renowed United States Air Force Thunderbirds will be the main attraction at this weekend's Great Tennessee Air Show. / Submitted photo SMYRNA — The ground will be rumbling and the fans will be screaming this weekend as the Great ...

Air Show Forecast - KTBS | Nice weather is forecast for the Barksdale Air Show this weekend. In other words, no storms are anticipated at this time. Both Saturday and Mother's Day will start out cloudy with temperatures in the 60s. ...

N'Awlins Air Show and its death-defying stunts this weekend - NOLA.com | John Klatt, shadowed by fellow Air National Guard Aerobatic Team member Bill Kerns, inverts his plane as they practice for this weekend's N'Awlins Air Show at the Belle Chasse Naval Air Station on Wednesday, May 4, 2011. Air Show Practice Flights ...

Disabled American Veterans Airshow Outreach B-25 Flight Team from davflightteam | New Orleans, LA – Disabled American Veterans (DAV) brings its message of service and volunteerism in support of our nation’s combat-wounded men and women to the N’awlins Air Show on May 7-8, 2011. ...

Local Civil Air Patrol Squadrons To Be A Part Of The N’AWLINS Air Show | New Orleans- Members of the Louisiana Wing Civil Air Patrol assist with the 2011 N’AWLINS Air Show at the New Orleans Naval Air Station in Belle Chase, LA. May 7-8. The Alvin Callender Composite Squadron and the Pontchartrain Composite Squadron have volunteered to help set up the VIP sections tables and chairs. We will have a static display on the flight line and we hope to see you there. The Alvin Callender Squadron is located on the Naval Air Station Base in Belle Chase and the Pontchartrain Squadron is located at the VFW Hall, 1133 Hickory Avenue, Harrahan, LA.   ...

Alabama Disaster Relief Fly-In | In support of the Tornado Relief Efforts in Alabama a fly-in has been organized for Saturday June 4th, 2011 at the Walker County Airport KFJX. A $20.00 donation will get you a Fish-Fry lunch, live music, military fly by, and war bird display. They will also be taking non-perishable canned goods as well as clothing, diapers, forumula, etc. ...

Wings Over Cullman Air Show to Aid Tornado Victims from Alabama Aviator - Aviation News | -CULLMAN AL- Wings Over Cullman Air Show on May 21 will provide aid to tornado victims of Cullman County and beyond. Less than four weeks before the show, violent tornados cut across Alabama leaving Cullman and many communities reeling. Since then, city and county officials have determined, the airport and necessary infrastructure is good to go on with the show. Not only will the plans continue, but the show is now a venue to help tornado victims.  ...

Stalling and spinning at Valdez fly-in - Alaska Dispatch | The May Day Fly-In on May 6-8 will include a Poker Run, flour bomb dropping, spot landing, short-field landing and takeoff events and the famous low tide beach landing, as well as safety events, pancake breakfasts and a Friday night Burgers & Brew at ...

6000 turn out for Grand Air Show - Whitsunday Times | THE Whitsunday community was out in force at the Grand Air Show at Whitsunday Airport last Sunday. More than 6000 people from across the region helped celebrate the airport's 50th birthday. The air show also attracted people from Mackay, Townsville and ...

Flying Circus set to entertain Cosford Air Show crowd - shropshirelive.com (press release) | O'Brien's Flying Circus will be among the top aerobatic teams performing for the crowds at the 2011 Cosford Air Show on June 12. The circus is renowned for its exciting and awe-inspiring 'crazy flying' display and visitors to RAF Cosford for this ...

World's Finest Pilots On Hand For Aerobatic Displays At Exhibtion - Bernama | SUWON (South Korea), May 4 (Bernama) -- The 2011 G-Global Aviation, South Korea's largest aviation and aerospace exhibition, will have some of the world's finest pilots on hand for exciting aerobatic displays in its air show set for this week. ...

AirVenture 2011 from TAKEOFF TUBE | An exciting look ahead to AirVenture 2011, July 25-31. Tributes to Hoover and Rutan! Concerts by REO Speedwagon, Aaron Tippin, and the Lt Dan Band! Daily airshows—including an even BIGGER nighttime show than last year! I will be there, and you? ;-)

Sky is Clear with Aluminum Overcast - Concord, CA Patch | The Aluminum Overcast rumbled off the runway Monday at Buchanan Field and climbed into the blue sky on a mission to show how the venerable B-17G Flying Fortress handled World War ll.   The Overcast is one of the American bombers that helped turn the tide of World War II. The plane is cramped in some places such as the ball turrets, but it got the job done. ...

Gold Team brings Colors to the Skies at MCAS Beaufort from US Army Golden Knights | Gold Demonstration Team painted the skies over Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort for the annual air show “Blues over Beaufort.” The weekend could not have been more perfect, blues skies and cool weather gave the air show the optimal experience for the spectators and performers. The weekend started off with a press show on Friday [...]

Meet Jessica Ambats, aviation photographer from Plastic Pilot | Jessica Ambats is an air-to-air photographer and instrument-rated pilot based in Santa Monica, California. She is a graduate of Harvard University and works as editor of Plane & Pilot magazine. She kindly accepted my request for an interview and accepted to share on this blog. Don’t miss my question about tips for amateur photographers! ...

Take an Aviation Photography Class at Paine Field on May 14th from Airline Reporter | When I look back at some of my photos when I first started this blog, it is very embarrassing. I started with passion and no photography skills what-so-ever. Over the years I have been able to pick up a few tricks and learn from some wonderful people, but still needing to learn some of the basics. ...

F-35Bs hit vertical-landing milestone from DoD Buzz | The Marines' version of the F-35 has demonstrated enough vertical landings that engineers say it's ready to try its first landing at sea aboard a ship.

Recreational flying - Fly Nano! from Military Photos | Everyone’s dreamt of flying free as a bird. Nano is for the fun of flying – no passengers, no cargo - just you, Nano and the endless blue. If you’ve ever had a pilot’s licence you’ll fly Nano right out of the box. The rest of you will need to learn the simple rules of the air. Minimum red tape – maximum thrills.  ...

Kansas governor proclaims May ‘Aviation Appreciation Month’ from General Aviation News | Kansas Governor Sam Brownback has declared May “Aviation Appreciation Month,” noting general aviation in Kansas alone generates over $7 billion in economic impact annually, which is largely attributable to the presence of major manufacturing companies such as Cessna, Hawker Beechcraft and Bombadier. ...

Father and Son to Circle the Globe - Ramona Home Journal | As a boy, Stephan Armstrong would bike 1 ½ hours to gaze at planes taking off and landing, dreaming of flying around the world in a small plane. The first step in this quest was to get a pilot’s license, which at age 17 he did, a full year before he would be eligible for his driver’s license, according to Swiss law, his native country. By 20, he would be one of the youngest commercial pilots in Switzerland.  ...

Clark School Team to Test Human-Powered Helicopter from PR Newswire: Airlines/Aviation | The following is being released today by A. James Clark School of Engineering: WHAT: In a step toward winning the Sikorsky Prize, a team of A. James Clark School of Engineering students will attempt for the first time to test-fly their human ...

Kimberly Weis: Why I Want to Fly from Flight To Success | "I am just a normal person. I grew up in a suburb, graduated from college, got married, bought a home and had kids. I have the cookie cutter life, groomed to achieve the American dream by my hard working parents. Is it wrong to want more? To achieve something amazing that isn’t in the normal plans of regular people, a regular girl, and especially not in the plans of a regular mom?  ...

Air Force Reserve Command KC-135 Stratotankers were among the 42 aircraft that converged in the sky over North and South Carolina to support Operation Sea Lion 11-05, a phase two operational readiness exercise centered at Shaw Air Force Base, S.C.

Stratotanker crews from the 916th Air Refueling Wing here, as well as from the 459th ARW, Joint Base Andrews, Md., represented the command.

Also participating in the exercise were aircrews and aircraft from the 27th Fighter Squadron at Langley AFB, Va., the Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 115 in Beaufort, S.C., the 333rd FS at Seymour Johnson AFB, N.C., the 157th FS at McEntire Joint National Guard Base, S.C., the 20th Fighter Wing at Shaw AFB, the 552nd Air Control Wing at Tinker AFB, Okla., and the 128th ARW, Wisconsin Air National Guard.
more...

Jon Paul Kaiser finished up work on a custom WWRp Bertie from 3A Toys. Here's how Jon describes this custom, which unfortunately was a commission and is already with its new owner: This guy in particular is from a specialist Scout Group from the JDF*, The Wraith Squadron. These are a scouting group who work [...]

Check out the new "Green Lantern" trailer from Warner Bros.! The film stars Ryan Reynolds as a test pilot who is given a mystical green ring that bestows him with otherworldly powers -- and a membership into an intergalactic squadron...

Air Force officials announced May 3 the Eglin Air Force Base complex in Florida as a candidate for an Air Force Reserve Command MQ-1 Remote Split-Operations squadron.

"The selection of this candidate is the result of a deliberate, measured and transparent process," said Kathleen Ferguson, the deputy assistant secretary for installations. "The Air Force looks forward to working with the communities surrounding this location to ensure all concerns are addressed."

This base complex is the candidate to accept a single MQ-1 RSO squadron consisting of 140 personnel and associated equipment. There are no remotely-piloted aircraft associated with this action, only ground control systems.
more...

An Airman assigned to the 647th Civil Engineer Squadron here performed self aid and buddy care on a Soldier suffering from a seizure April 15.

"I was at a benefit concert for a Bible study I attend," said Senior Airman Jesse Cornell. "We were sitting there, listening to the guy play and sing, and all of a sudden she started seizing pretty badly."

At first, he assumed there were medical personnel somewhere around, so he sat back, trying not to get in the way of anyone who might assist, he said. But no medics appeared.
more...

Last night, President Obama announced that the world's most wanted terrorist had been captured and killed by U.S. special forces. A CIA-led Navy SEALs squadron of just a few dozen men were tapped to perform the mission. One of the soldiers selected to participate in the "counterterrorism group [that is] so specialized that no one can apply to join it" is Rubén Mejía, the son of Mexican immigrants.

A New Cool Blue Angel Website is Now Online from Milcom Monitoring Post | The Navy Blue Angel website has undergone an overhaul and the new version is simply awesome. The new website has a really incredible feature called Inside the Demo. The site has all the maneuvers that the team makes during an airshow, including the C-130 performance. ...

Photos - 2011 Blue Angels Team

Sights, sounds of an F-16 - Record-Searchlight | Kristin Hubbard of the Thunderbirds prepares to head back to Nellis Air Force Base in Las Vegas after a meeting with Redding Air Show officials. The team of six F-16s will headline the show Sept. ...
   
Homestead air show wins $7.5 million from Miami-Dade, hopes for federal aid too - MiamiHerald.com | Miami-Dade commissioners Tuesday approved spending $7.5 million to bring a commercial air show to the Homestead air base, but the hunt for public dollars continues. A delegation from Miami-Dade plans to lobby Washington lawmakers and ...

Tricolour Arrows, no restrictions on airspace - Turin News Today | Turin - To mark the presence in Turin of the Tricolour Arrows for the celebrations of the 150th anniversary of the Unification of Italy, Thursday, May 5 from 13 to 14, will be put in place constraints on an airspace over the city to allow a test of .. .

Belgian Air Force returning to Royal International Tattoo | A dramatic tiger-painted aircraft from the Belgian Air Force will be among a number of striking aircraft heading for this summer’s Royal International Air Tattoo.

Jupiter aerobatic squadron of Indonesia flies with six aircraft and new paint from CavokBlog | The Air Force of Indonesia made an acrobatic display with his demo team Jupiter and increased to six aircraft Woong Bee KT-1B, which received a new red and white paint. The new color scheme of the Indonesian flag, was presented on March 16 in Yogyakarta. The planes are also equipped with generators of white smoke. ...

GUEST COLUMN: Connecting some historical dots - PNW Local News | The Liberty Foundation's 2011 Salute to Veterans tour will feature the Boeing B-17 “Liberty Belle” and the rare Curtiss P-40E “Warhawk” fighter aircraft. The B-17 flying fortress is particularly fascinating for a couple of reasons. ...

Wings of Freedom Tour at Ramona Airport - Ramona Journal | May 4 to 6, a display of the World War II vintage Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress “Nine O Nine,” Consolidated B-24 Liberator “Witchcraft” and a North American P-51 Mustang will be held at the Main Ramp of the airport, 2926 Montecito Road. The B-17 and B-24 ...

In pictures - BBC News | Imperial War Museum (IWM) Duxford celebrates the role of women in aviation at its spring air show on 22 May. Above, a WAAF (Women's Auxiliary Air Force) Intelligence officer works with colleagues at RAF Duxford, Cambridgeshire, in 1940. ...

Edmonton aviation hero takes last high flight - iNews880.com | Cedric Mah will be remembered as an original member of the "Flying Tigers," a war hero, a northern bush pilot, and more recently, a dedicated supporter of Edmonton's Aviation Museum. He was 88. During WWII, Mah and his brother Albert broke the record ...

Battle of Britain is focus of presentation at National Museum of the U.S. Air Force from National Museum of the USAF Top Stories | Author and aviation artist Paul Jacobs will present "The Battle of Britain: Three Perspectives" at 7:30 p.m. on May 17 at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force.  This presentation is based on research conducted to support Jacobs' book on the Battle of Britain, which took place during the summer of 1940 when the German Luftwaffe attempted to gain air superiority over the RAF as a prelude to Hitler's planned invasion of England. ...

Spitfire Prom relaunch set for firework finale - Sleaford Today | The World War two aircraft from the RAF Battle of Britain Memorial Flight will provide an aerobatic display over National Trust owned Belton House on Saturday, June 4. As the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra performs its opening overtures, ...

Hurricane-hunting turboprop touches down for tours on Cape - CapeCodOnline.com | If the Eastern Seaboard has a guardian angel, it might well be the aircraft with a 100-foot wingspan and Doppler radar tail parked on the tarmac at Air Station Cape Cod on Monday.  The turboprop Lockheed Orion is one of three hurricane hunters operated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and it touched down on Cape Cod as part of a NOAA hurricane awareness tour. ...

The Flying Heritage Collection from Airplanes Channel: | Located in a 51,000 square foot hangar at the southeast corner of Paine Field in Everett, Washington State, the Flying Heritage Collection offers visitors the opportunity to view an extraordinary collection of historic aircraft. Privately owned by American billionaire and philanthropist, Paul Gardner Allen, the collection highlights an era of great advances in aviation during the 1930s and 1940s and includes combat aircraft from World War II – a time when the boundaries of technology were pushed with a sense of urgency in a battle for dominance of the skies. ...

Learn about helicopters during Family Day at National Museum of the U.S. Air Force
from National Museum of the USAF Top Stories | Learn and experience the wonders of the incredible and complex flying machine known as the helicopter during Family Day from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. on May 21 at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force.  ...

Goodyear and Zeppelin: Together Again, 70 Years Later from Airships: A Hindenburg and Zeppelin History Site | More than 70 years after the dissolution of the Goodyear-Zeppelin Corporation the two companies are working together again.  Beginning in January, 2014, the famous “Goodyear Blimp” won’t be a blimp at all, but a Zeppelin NT. ...

Unmanned Phantom Ray makes first flight - CNET | Boeing said today that its Phantom Ray unmanned aircraft has flown on its own for the first time. The prototype unmanned airborne system, which sports a striking flying-wing design, flew for 17 minutes on April 27, reaching a speed of 178 knots and an ...

Mystery Chopper? from The Unwanted Blog | An American helicopter crashed during the takedown of Osama bin Laden. The helicopter was then burned to prevent classified data from falling into enemy hands. Which seemed to me a little odd… what secret info would be on a helicopter during a mission like this? A few photos have been released showing parts of the wreckage… and I can’t identify the helicopter type. Seems that the helicopter was destroyed because it’s either an all new type, or an existing type, heavily modified. ...

VIDEO & PHOTO: F-22, F-35 in loose formation from The DEW Line | I could be wrong (and you'll no doubt feel free to correct me!), but I believe this is the first time that both stealth fighters have been photographed and filmed in formation.  ...

Brooke Regier from Flight To Success | Brooke, an Aviation High School student, was tasked with writing an essay to help bring the Space Shuttle to The Seattle's Museum of Flight. Brooke's essay is one of many that received an award at the Seattle Chapter 99 meeting. While we all know that The Museum of Flight did not get the shuttle, we also know we got something much better: The simulator! ...

May 3, 2011 Lauren Jones, Aviatrix part 4 by Linda Street-Ely

ISDB students enjoy flights above Magic Valley - Twin Falls Times-News | After a few cancellations because of bad weather, 65 students from the Gooding school were finally able to buckle in and fly with volunteer pilots from Nampa, Idaho Falls and Pocatello as a part of the Experimental Aircraft Association's Young Eagles ...

Will Campbell commented on the blog post Hidden Gem: 94th Aero Squadron Glad to see the 94th is still seeing action. I went there for a birthday waaaaaay back and had a blast, afterward enjoying an hour-long desert-to-the-sea helicopter tour. The Proud Bird's been on my list since I briefly worked at nearby DirecTV in 2007, but since then other than LAX, I've had no reason to [...]

Airmen from Bagram Airfield's 83rd Expeditionary Rescue Squadron performed a daring mountainside rescue here April 23 after an Army helicopter crashed in a hostile Afghan valley.

The Airmen, deployed from the 33rd Rescue Squadron at Kadena Air Base, Japan, and the 212th RQS at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, recovered one injured pilot and one fallen hero while coming under heavy fire.

The mission began prior to daybreak, when Airmen at the squadron's tactical operations center received a report of a Fallen Angel, the term which signifies a downed aircraft. Within 10 minutes, two 83rd ERQS HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopters were airborne and enroute to the site where a coalition helicopter was reportedly down.
more...

lezgull commented on the blog post Hidden Gem: 94th Aero Squadron Stick with the cocktails and the appetizers. You will regret ordering actual food there for the price and taste...unless its an out of town relative who doesnt know the difference between good food and bad food and you just want to take them to a place with a cool location and decor.

Jason DeFillippo commented on the blog post Hidden Gem: 94th Aero Squadron Thanks for the Proud Bird Patrick. I did some research after I noticed their website was identical to the the 94th's and turns out they're all run by a company called, not very imaginatively, Specialty Restaurants Corporation. They have a list of all their places across the country but this links to the California section. [...]

Jason DeFillippo commented on the blog post Hidden Gem: 94th Aero Squadron Thanks for the tip but I have to try it at least once. They have a Prime Rib french dip on the menu that I just can't pass up. If it sucks it's no one's fault but my own... :-)

Department of Defense  officials announced April 29 the death of Capt. Charles A. Ransom, a cyberspace Airman assigned to the 83rd Network Operations Squadron, at Langley Air Force Base, Va.

He died April 27 at the Kabul International Airport in Afghanistan of wounds suffered from gunfire while supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. He was assigned to the 83rd NOS, a part of the 67th Network Warfare Wing, one of the three operational wings of the 24th Air Force.

more...

When a 5-year-old Holly Steel watched the rescue helicopter swoop down on Raglan beach to save an injured surfer, she knew she wanted to be a pilot. And on Friday the Royal Air Force squadron leader ...

Around the 6:30 mark, Democratic State Senator Daniel Squadron questions why a series of local bills--ones that extend taxes in areas mostly represented by Republicans--are being sponsored by the Rules Committee, rather than an actual legislator.

"Common practice is that if a senator has a tax-extender in their region, they sponsor the bill," said Squadron. "Why would the senators from this area" not do that?

"I would suggest that you ask the senators, individually,"...

Jason DeFillippo wrote a new blog post: Hidden Gem: 94th Aero Squadron Last Friday my friend took me out to a fantastic little place for Happy Hour nestled next to the Van Nuys Airport called The 94th Aero Squadron . As we're driving through an industrial park to get there I'm a little leery but when we pull into the parking lot there's a bi-plane parked in the front [...]

frazgo commented on the blog post Hidden Gem: 94th Aero Squadron I love that place, years ago when I worked in the Valley we used to hit that place for business meetings, happy hours or lunch. It is a treasure that I forgot about.

Soldiers assigned to 2nd Battalion, 11th Brigade, 3rd Iraqi Army Division, assault an objective during a live fire exercise at Ghuzlani Warrior Training Center, Feb. 24, 2011. Soldiers assigned to Troop A, 1st Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Advise and Assist Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, conducted collective training at GWTC to enhance Iraqi soldiers’ light infantry skills during Tadreeb al Shamil, Arabic for All Inclusive Training. U.S. forces in northern Iraq led individual and collective infantry training for Iraqi soldiers and units from squad to battalion-level tasks during the 25-day Iraqi military training program at GWTC. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Angel Washington, 4th AAB PAO, 1st Cav. Div., USD-N)