Category: Aviation

5 Things, Aviation

Omaha Beach, Normandy

Omaha Beach is the code-name-turned-common-name of one of the Allied landing sites in Normandy on June 6, 1944. American soldiers hitting Omaha Beach were assured that air and naval bombardment would knock out the German strongpoints there. When B-24s had approached Omaha Beach shortly before the landings, however, the weather had been bad, and all but three bombs fell inland, killing French civilians instead of demolishing the twelve … Continue reading Omaha Beach, Normandy

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5 Things, Aviation

Veterans Day: Normandy American Cemetery

During our fellowship at The American Library in Paris, we took a day trip to Normandy. Doug’s great uncle was a top turret gunner in a B-17 in the 100th bomb group. On August 8, 1944, his B-17 was shot down near a small town called Perigny, and all aboard perished. While we went to Normandy to see the memorial that townspeople built to honor … Continue reading Veterans Day: Normandy American Cemetery

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5 Things, Aviation

Farman Magasin d’Antiquités (Part Deux)

Also, look at Paris: Antique Aviation Shop for the first part of this story. On Saturday, 14 June 2003, Pierre Farman was a passenger onboard the very last flight of Air France Concorde F-BTSD. Informally known as Sierra Delta (the last two letters of the aircraft’s call sign in the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) alphabet, this particular Concorde was a record breaker, holding the … Continue reading Farman Magasin d’Antiquités (Part Deux)

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5 Things, Aviation, Science, Space Exploration

On This Date: 5 Things

May 25, 1931: Georgy Grechko was born in Leningrad. He grew up to become a cosmonaut who flew on several Soviet missions to space and spent almost a month aboard the Salyut 4 space station in 1975, almost three months aboard Salyut 6 in 1977, and eight days on Salyut 7. May 25, 1961: President John F. Kennedy told a joint session of Congress that the United States … Continue reading On This Date: 5 Things

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5 Things, Aviation

On This Date: 5 Facts about Harriet Quimby

Then I was off. The noise of the motor drowned the shouts and cheers of friends below. In a moment I was in the air, climbing steadily in a long circle. I was up fifteen hundred feet within thirty seconds. ~ “An American Girl’s Daring Exploit,” Harriet Quimby Harriet Quimby was born on May 11, 1875, in Michigan. In 1911, Quimby became the first woman … Continue reading On This Date: 5 Facts about Harriet Quimby

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5 Things, Aviation, Space Exploration

Five Aviation and Space Anniversaries

Last week, Doug spent a day at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center (AFRC) attending a #NASASocial event dubbed #StateOfNASA. Read last week’s post HERE. #1. NACA’s 100th (last year) NASA’s predecessor organization was the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA). NACA was founded on March 3rd, 1915, a little more than eleven years after the Wright brothers first took to the skies. #2. NASA Langley’s … Continue reading Five Aviation and Space Anniversaries

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5 Things, Aviation, Space Exploration

The State of NASA: Five Bold(en) Points

Yesterday, Doug spent the day at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center (AFRC) attending a #NASASocial event dubbed #StateOfNASA. A multi-center event, the plan for the day was to listen to NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden’s State of NASA presentation (you can view the speech on YouTube: ), planned concurrently with the release of the FY2017 Federal Budget, and then to see how NASA’s part of the … Continue reading The State of NASA: Five Bold(en) Points

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Aviation, Science

Jaws! (and Airport 1975)

Forty years ago, Jaws hit the theaters. The opening weekend box figure was more than $7 million, which almost covered the film’s estimated budget of $8 million. By the Independence Day weekend in 1975, just a few weeks after its launch, Jaws was holding steady at the box office. It would go on to gross more than $470 million worldwide. Forty years ago, Anna saw … Continue reading Jaws! (and Airport 1975)

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Aviation

Countdown to The Cold War: Inside the B-24 (Photos!)

On May 10, Anna flew in a B-24, and Doug flew in a B-17. Both aircraft are part of the Collings Foundation’s tour and stopped at Lyon Air Museum. Last week, we shared the view from inside the B-17 Nine-O-Nine during a flight along the California coast. This week, we share photos taken from inside the B-24 during flight. Continue reading Countdown to The Cold War: Inside the B-24 (Photos!)

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