The Aero Experience Editorial: Sequestration - Don't Let It Stop Aviation Dreams

The Aero Experience Editorial, by "Mr. Airshow" Leo Cachat

By Leo Cachet

With sequestration taking place, many airshows throughout the country have cancelled their events, and the list keeps growing. At The Aero Experience, we strive to provide top quality aviation-related stories, events and media material complete with pictures and sometimes video. We try to keep everything as positive as we can because aviation is great, and I'd even reach out and say it is a magical thing. It's the closest we can get to heaven and the stars while still enjoying life - and what can be negative about that?

This leads me to ask this question, "Why are cities cancelling their airshows?" Now, I know the obvious reason, the removal of military jet teams, which really draw in crowds and in turn generates revenue. Here's the problem I have with that: after attending innumerable airshows, it has NOT been my experience that people will sit in the sun for hours JUST to see a military jet team. There are so many great individual aerobatic pilots on the circuit, along with many civilian formation aerobatic teams, to draw an audience.  Also, let's not forget the predecessors to the military planes of today, the warbirds of years past. Sean D. Tucker, Julie Clark, Skip Stewart, John Mohr, Kyle Franklin, Matt Younkin, Patty Wagstaff, Aeroshell Aerobatic Team, Lima Lima Aerobatic Team, Team Aerodynamix, B-29, B-24, B-17's, P-51's, F-4U's, P-40's, B-25's, P-38's, T-6's, SNJ's, TBM's, Skyraiders, T-34's, Stearmans, WACOs.  These are just some of the performers and aircraft that come to my mind when thinking about airshows, there are many more. Yet, a lot of people will miss out on seeing these unbelievable performers/artists just because the military has grounded the Thunderbirds, Blue Angels and some of the tactical fighter teams.

I enjoy the modern aircraft immensely, the noise, the power, the speed.  But were there not airshows before the jet age arrived?  Millions of people have headed out to Reno for years to see different aircraft race and perform, and will continue to go whether there is a military jet demonstration team there or not.  A good example of this was yesterday at the St. Louis Science Center where we attended a showing of the Air Racers movie. The theater was filled and it was the second weekend they were showing it.  The audience was not there to see a military jet demonstration team, they were there to enjoy the magic that is aviation. My advice to those organizers of airshows nationwide: Promote your shows as throwbacks to the glory days of aviation, where barnstorming and tales of the aces of WWII captivated audiences and taught people the history of how aviation evolved to what it is today. Bring people into the world of aviation, rather than cancelling shows that may captivate and consume a boy or a girl like it did me many years ago.

Book Review: Fear No Evil: The Stories of the Mighty Eighth by Charles D. Hamlin

By Carmelo Turdo

Some books about World War II can be overly academic and clinical, and I generally put them at the bottom of the stack for use as my anti-insomnia therapy.  Then there are books that transport the reader into the middle of the action, fighting alongside grizzled veterans and shiny new rookies alike in the war zone. Fear no Evil: True Stories of the Mighty Eighth, is more of an experience rather than a book of war stories. Written by Charles D. Hamlin, a B-17 ball turret gunner who flew 35 missions over Germany after enlisting in 1942 at the age of 15, Fear No Evil takes you into the heart of Germany on bombing missions with the Eighth Air Force's 385th Bomb Group out of Great Ashfield, England. Hamlin lays it on the line on the first page of the Foreword: "The crews managed to complete only 27% of their assigned missions before being killed, wounded, taken prisoner or suffering some kind of breakdown."  No sugar-coating the war experience here, just a reminder of the grim reality of war and the adventures that lay ahead for the reader.

The book is divided into short chapters that capture a specific mission or incident that made an impact on the veteran telling the story. These brief glimpses of war range from social foibles of Piccadilly Circus in London to the tension of nursing a severely damaged B-17 past German flak gunners and Luftwaffe fighters to a ditching in the English Channel (if you're lucky). Other crews were not so lucky, falling victim to vicious anti-aircraft artillery (AAA) fire, fighter attacks and even mid-air collisions with other bombers. Throughout Fear No Evil, the attentive reader can experience the musty, oily smell of the bomber's close confines and feel the bone-jarring impact of 88mm shells as large pieces of the aircraft disappear into the murky air.  The cries of wounded crewmen can be heard, and the fear of being captured by enemy soldiers can be felt as the crew (and you) parachute out of a burning B-17 into enemy territory.  With every adventure, Hamlin is careful to credit the skill and bravery of the crews in overcoming tremendous odds in attempting to complete the mission in the face of a determined enemy.

The Aero Experience highly recommends Fear No Evil for anyone interested in the real story of the B-17 bomber crews in World War II as told by those who experienced it first-hand.  It can be ordered through Amazon.com or Barnes and Noble.  Autographed copies can be obtained from Charles Hamlin. 

Round Engines in Rolla: Ramp Walk With the Radial Warbirds

By Fred Harl

A recent visit to Rolla National Airport turned into a Round Engines in Rolla Aero Experience. The airport, owned and operated by the City of Rolla, Missouri, is located about 14 miles north of the city and offers two 5500'x100' asphalt runways. On the ramp were a 1954 Grumman S2F-1 Tracker and a 1944 Douglas C-47 Skytrain, both locally owned. On the other side of the runway, though were the sad remains of three more DC-3/C-47 aircraft practically destroyed by severe storms several years ago. The visit was too short to inquire about other aircraft behind closed doors, but that can be left to another day. Thanks to the airport management, this S2F-1 and C-47 walkaround is provided here. 

St. Louis Science Center Aviation Day Follows Debut of "Air Racers" Omnimax Movie

Steven Hinton, Jr.

By Carmelo Turdo

The James S. McDonnell Planetarium at the St. Louis Science Center Held "Aviation Day" Saturday following the debut of Air Racers at the facility's OMNIMAX Theater. Air  Racers, the new IMAX film featuring the Reno National Championship Air Races, focuses on the highly modified P-51 Mustang flown by Steven Hinton, Jr. for Team Strega.  Mr. Hinton, the youngest winner and four-time national unlimited class air racing champion, made a special appearance at a reception for St. Louis Science Center Members and VIP visitors Friday evening.  He also spent time with visitors to the St. Louis Science Center on Saturday, answering questions and signing autographs.  Other attractions at "Aviation Day" included aircraft on display, an F-4 Phantom II fighter jet cockpit, and information booths staffed by representatives of the local aviation community.  Below are highlights of the day's events.

Aircraft on display in the rotunda

 

Greater St. Louis Air & Space Museum's BD-5 and EAA 32's Sonerai

St. Louis Community College Aerospace Institute

Steven Hinton, Jr. visits with EAA Chapter 32

 

Steven Hinton, Jr. signs autographs

St. Louis Flight Simulator

 

St. Louis Aero Pilots RC Club

Gateway Area Ultralight Association

Show Me RC Airshows

F-4 Phantom II Cockpit from the Greater St. Louis Air & Space Museum