Author Archive for PacificFlyer
Navy Wants A New Fighter
The U.S. Navy has announced it is seeking a replacement for the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, something faster and with more technology than the F-35C they're scheduled to get.
Called the F/A-XX for now, the service released its Request for Information on the aircraft in mid-April. Whatever jet is selected will replace the Super Hornets around 2030, [...]
MYF To Close Runways
San Diego County officials have announced a major construction project at Montgomery Field.
The project will involve rehabilitating the primary runway, 10L/28R, and a portion of the crosswind runway, 5/23. This will require both runways to be closed for approximately six weeks, beginning September 10, 2012.
As a result, several operational limitations will [...]
FBO Owner Charged
The owner of Dixie Air at the Tuscaloosa, Ala. Regional Airport has been arrested and charged with vehicular homicide, assault and leaving the scene of an accident after his truck veered off the road and killed an eight year old girl.
Witnesses said he had been attending an air show party prior to the accident. His [...]
Spits In Buried Crates
The discovery of at least 12 and possibly as many as 20 perfectly preserved, still-in-their-packing-crates World War II Spitfires was revealed by a number of internet sources during the month.
First reported by AvWeb and later picked up by AOPA, the report said the aircraft were located buried in Myanmar, formerly known as Burma.
Officially the [...]
Jet Blue Pilot Indicted
A Jet Blue pilot who apparently was mad as hell and just couldn't take it any more has been indicted on one count of interfering with a flight crew.
A grand jury in Lubbock, Texas returned the indictment after prosecutors said pilot Clayton F. Osbon ran through the cabin of Flight 191 from Lubbock to [...]
Long Beach Has GA Plans
Long Beach Airport managers said they are committed to finding a location to develop a new home for general aviation tenants and facilities being displaced due to the construction of a car rental hub near the airport's new terminal.
The site located adjacent to the airport's north baggage claim area at 4225 Donald Douglas Dr. [...]
Ed Berlin Dead at 64
Ed Berlin, 64, owner of Berlin Avionics at the Santa Monica Airport, collapsed from a heart attack while on vacation to Hong Kong last month and died at the hospital, his close friends reported.
"Ed was a longtime radio and electronics geek," said his friend, Steve Lerner. "He got started with ham radio during his [...]
Attempted Plane Thief Arrested
Memo to airplane thieves - check your tiedowns first.
A Bellflower, Calif. man didn't do that and was caught and arrested last month after authorities said he tried to steal a small plane from Compton Airport but was unsuccessful because the rear of the aircraft was chained to the ground.
Troy Daniel Long, 25, was arrested on [...]
Book Review: Enterprise
ENTERPRISE
America's Fightingest Ship
and The Men Who Helped Win WW II
By Barrett Tillman
Simon & Schuster, $27
Writing fiction is hard, really hard.
But writing non-fiction, especially about a major event or well known era of history, is 10 times harder because so many people are still around who experienced it.
But Barrett Tillman, as he has in his past [...]
Don’t Fly? Turn In Your Leather Jacket
Airmen assigned to the Air Force Space Command will cease wearing flight suits, the green flight jacket and the A-2 Leather Jacket by the end of the fiscal year, officials announced April 13.
"Between the expense of purchasing these items and the fact that our operations don't involve flying, this recommendation was good common sense," Gen. [...]
