Showing posts with label aviation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label aviation. Show all posts

Pilot and passenger airlifted out of crash site in Olympic National Park

Sunday, April 2, 2017

The downed plane was similar to this Cirrus
Photo courtesy Cirrus Aircraft
For once, a story with a happy ending...


Two individuals were rescued from a downed aircraft in the Olympic National Park Sunday evening near Mt Jupiter and have been airlifted for medical treatment.

The Cirrus SR22 aircraft went down in the snow covered wilderness and search and rescue officials were alerted at 3:48pm Sunday, April 2, when the plane's Emergency Locator Transmitter activated.

The signal was detected by satellites and the distress message was forwarded to the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center at Tydall Air Force Base in Florida, who alerted the Washington State Department of Transportation.

Rescue helicopter and crew at crash site
Photo by Long B. Nguyen of Washington Air Search and Rescue


The occupants of the aircraft were also able to alert overflying commercial aircraft on the emergency frequency.

Search and Rescue personnel from Naval Air Station Whidbey Island Search and Rescue were able to locate the wreckage with the help of a search aircraft from Washington Air Search and Rescue, who tracked the distress beacon's signal.

The Navy crew then lowered rescuers to the ground to locate, access and hoist the downed flyers up and onto the rescue helicopter and transport them to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. Exact details about their injuries are not available at this time, but they were described as minor and not believed to be life threatening.

The names of the pilot and passenger are not available nor is the purpose of the flight. The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board are already mobilized and will begin their investigation to try to determine what caused the plane to go down.



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Shoreline resident meets with Sen. Cantwell's staff re airplane noise

Friday, November 11, 2016

By Jean Hilde

My meeting with Senator Maria Cantwell's staffers this past Wednesday regarding the FAA's Next-Gen program and the noise it has created over Shoreline went very well.

They had read the materials I'd sent them before the meeting, actively listened and asked pertinent questions. They brain-stormed with me about what steps might be taken. They also warned that the FAA is notoriously difficult to work with and that anything resembling progress might take a long time.

We agreed that a good first step would be to have noise-monitoring equipment set up in Shoreline.

Currently, the Port of Seattle's northernmost monitoring station is located at the Maple Leaf Reservoir, which is four miles south of Shoreline.

Despite the fact that the FAA identified Shoreline as "central to the area where procedures would be changing north of the airport", the agency has placed no noise equipment here to monitor how Next-Gen's changes are impacting the community.

Sen. Cantwell's staffers will reach out to the Port next week.

A big thank-you to the 50 neighbors who added their names to the list and shared their stories of how they've been affected by Next-Gen. If you'd like to join the list, please send your name and cross streets to jmhilde@earthlink.net.

To give you some background on the FAA's Next-Gen program (and about "Greener Skies", Seatac Airport's version of Next-Gen) I've put together some information which you can read here

See previous story: Shoreline resident takes on airplane noise



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Shoreline resident takes on airplane noise

Monday, November 7, 2016

Shoreline resident Jean Hilde has an issue with airplane noise over her home on the east side of Shoreline.

Briefly, this past year Next-Gen moved all incoming air traffic, which used to approach Seatac using multiple routes, into one narrow approach path.  That path is basically along the I-5 corridor with its northern access point just above the Shoreline area, meaning hundreds of jet aircraft are now descending over our homes every single day, often as frequently as a plane every two minutes, with virtually no breaks in-between.

She reports that you can watch this happening on the Port of Seattle's free PublicVue flight tracker, available here. Click on "flight tracking" in the top left corner, accept the user agreements, and you will be taken to the map.

According to Jean, the FAA claims that Next-Gen, which uses GPS navigation instead of ground-based navigation, is more efficient and environmentally friendly, claims that have yet to be substantiated. What is unquestionable is that Next-Gen has concentrated all incoming flights into one path, meaning the noise of all incoming flights is now also concentrated along that one path, rather than shared across the Puget Sound area as it was prior to Next-Gen.

If you live anywhere near the I-5 corridor, you are now under what is in essence an aircraft "super-highway", a highway that was put in place without your knowledge or your permission, and which is negatively impacting your peace and quiet, probably your health, and very possibly your property value.

She has an appointment with Sen. Maria Cantwell's staff this week to talk about the recent implementation of the FAA's Next-Gen aviation program and the endless stream of aircraft over our heads that has resulted. 
 
I would like to be able to show Sen. Cantwell that there are many of us whose lives have been impacted by Next-Gen
If you would like to be on my list, please send your name and address (just cross-streets is fine) to me at this email



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Summer residency program for high school juniors at Museum of Flight

Friday, September 30, 2016

Washington Aerospace Scholars is a distance-learning and summer residency program for high school juniors that emphasizes science, technology, engineering and math, and encourages students to consider careers in these fields

Phase One of the WAS program runs from December 2016-May 2017 and consists of a NASA and UW designed online curriculum that focused on space and space travel and provides college credit for scholars.

Students can earn acceptance into Phase Two, a six-day Summer Residency at The Museum of Flight in June or July 2017. During their residency, students will design a human mission to Mars guided by aerospace professionals, tour engineering facilities, and compete in hands-on engineering challenges.

The WAS program is open to high school juniors throughout Washington. Applicants must be US Citizens and Washington State Residents. The student deadline for the 2016-17 cycle is November 4, 2016.

Washington math and science teachers are also invited to apply as Online Academic Evaluators from December to May and Summer Residency Facilitators for one six-day session in either June or July. Stipends, 60 clock hours, and all room/board and travel expenses are provided to participating teachers. The 2016-17 deadline for teacher applications is November 4, 2016.

For questions, contact Paz Clearwater, Education Specialist, The Museum of Flight, 206-764-5876.



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New technology for Boeing 737-400 can save coastlines, marine life & tax dollars

Wednesday, July 27, 2016

Photo by Steven H. Robinson

On Wednesday July 26 RVL Group and Waypoint Aeronautical Corporation celebrated the a Supplemental Type Certificate from the FAA for and “Oil Spray Dispersant System.”

RVL’s Oil Dispersant Spray System (ODSS) is an airborne system that drops dispersants onto oil slicks to break them into droplets that are more easily biodegraded. Dispersant is most effective within the first 24 hours, which makes speed and range critical.

To meet and exceed current government and commercial requirements, the companies selected Boeing’s 737-400SF for ODSS. RVL’s offering will be the only system on the market today built for a modern turbo-fan cargo aircraft, distinguishing it from obsolescent legacy systems.

Obtaining a preliminary Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) from the Federal Aviation Agency (FAA) marks a key milestone in delivering ODSS to government and commercial operators around the world.

The Boeing 737’s advantages in speed and payload, combined with ODSS, allow operators the rare ability to improve performance, increase flexibility, and save money.

ODSS offers a role-fit pallet design that gives users the ability to get away from full-time dedicated dispersant aircraft a significant value-add, especially to government contractors and commercial customers.  RVL’ cuts fuel consumption in half compared to other jet options while improving performance by up to 3 times legacy turbo-prop aircraft.

The system is planned to be available for use in the United Kingdom by the Maritime Coastguard Agency after final approval of the system is completed by the FAA and European Aviation Safety Agency.



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Scene on the Sound: B-17 bomber over Richmond Beach

Sunday, June 12, 2016


Text and photo by Wayne Pridemore

The Silver Overcast B-17 bomber has flown over the Richmond Beach area of Shoreline several times this weekend. The flights originated from the Boeing Museum of Flight at Boeing Field and offered rides in the vintage plane.

The plane was delivered to the U.S. Army Air Corps on May 18, 1945 but never saw combat action in World War II.  The first owner purchased the plane for $750 as surplus from military inventory.

The plane has flown more than one million miles to date. The B-17 was bought by the Experimental Aircraft Association in 1983 and then restored. The Aluminum Overcast moves on to the Victoria International Airport on June 16th.



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The Russians have landed ... at Everett

Tuesday, March 17, 2015

Antonov An-124
Photo copyright Marc Weinberg


Marc Weinberg was taking some out of town guests to the Boeing Everett plant when he saw this plane coming in - and of course he got some pictures.

A little Googling turned up this information:

The Antonov An-124 Ruslan (Ukrainian: Антонов Ан-124 "Руслан") (NATO reporting name: Condor) is a strategic airlift jet aircraft. 
It was designed by the Antonov design bureau in the Ukrainian SSR, then part of the Soviet Union. 
The An-124 is the world's highest gross weight production cargo aeroplane and second heaviest operating cargo aircraft, behind the one-off Antonov An-225 (a greatly enlarged design based on the An-124).
An-124 at Boeing Everett
Photo copyright Marc Weinberg


Marc says, "I was talking with some Boeing guys also taking photos ..... they said that Boeing is short handed and the Russians are helping to make deliveries of parts for the Everett.

"I was told that the crew is taken by bus to Sea Tac to be processed by Customs every time they land. After a long flight, I'd hate to be riding on a bus through late afternoon traffic all the way to Sea Tac."



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Historic P-51 mustangs fly over Horizon View Park in honor of 70th anniversary of D-Day

Saturday, June 7, 2014

P-51 Mustang over Lake Forest Park
Photo by Wayne Pridemore

It was a fantastic day for the Historic Flight Foundation’s 70th Anniversary of D-Day fly over at Horizon View Park in Lake Forest Park. Horizon View Park was a fitting spot for the fly over as it has a military history as a Nike missile base during the Cold War.

V formation for Victory as P-51s fly over LFP
Photo by Wayne Pridemore

June 6, 2014 was the 70th anniversary of D-Day. Three North American P-51 World War II era fighters staged a Memorial Fly-by in a three plane Victory Formation over the City of Lake Forest Park.

The planes made two passes over the park
Photo by Steven H. Robinson

D-Day was Operation Overlord, the allied invasion of western Europe at the Normandy coast in France during World War II. According to Wikipedia, "The largest seaborne invasion in history, the operation began the invasion of German-occupied western Europe, led to the restoration of the French Republic, and contributed to an Allied victory in the war."

Each fighter is from flying museums located at Paine Field in Everett, Washington managed by the Historic Flight Foundation. The three were the P-51B "Impatient Virgin", Flying Heritage Foundation P-51-D "Umpopa Epops", and P-51D "Valhalla".

A small crowd waited for the fly-over
Photo by Steven H. Robinson

A small crowd gathered near the noon hour in anticipation of seeing the three P-51 Mustangs fly over in a “V” for victory formation. As the planes passed over once, then looped around for a second pass, everyone cheered.

After two passes, the formation flew on to its next stop
Photo by Jerry Pickard

More information about Historic Flight Foundation and the 70th Anniversary fly overs.

Collene Gaolach, Steven H Robinson, Jerry Pickard, and Wayne Pridemore contributed to this article.


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Historic planes fly-over Horizon View Park Friday June 6, 2014 11:56am

Tuesday, June 3, 2014

P-51 Mustang
Wikipedia

On Friday, June 6, 2014 at 11:56am Lake Forest Park citizens can gather at Horizon View Park to remember D-Day and view historic planes flying over the City. 

Historic Flight Foundation at Paine Field will be launching a “Diamond Four” formation of rare P-51 Mustangs to honor the 70th anniversary of D-Day.

In addition to the P-51B “Impatient Virgin,” a veteran of four sorties over the Normandy beaches on June 6, 1944, the formation will include P-51D “Val-Halla” from Heritage Flight Museum, P-51D “Upupa Epops” from Flying Heritage Collection, and P-51D “Hell-er-Bust” from Boise, Idaho.

Horizon View Park 19845-20099 47th Ave NE, Lake Forest Park, WA 98155 (map).


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Historic planes to conduct trial "Fly Over" Lake Forest Park

Thursday, May 29, 2014


Historic planes from the Historic Flight Foundation are scheduled to conduct a trial “fly over” Lake Forest Park on Friday and Saturday, May 30 and 31, in preparation for a 70th anniversary of D-Day. 

On Friday, June 6, 2014, Lake Forest Park citizens can gather at Horizon View Park to remember D-Day and view historic planes flying over the City, tentatively scheduled between 12:20 and 1:00pm. The specific hour has not yet been confirmed.

Historic Flight Foundation at Paine Field will be launching a “Diamond Four” formation of rare P-51 Mustangs to honor the 70th anniversary of D-Day. In addition to the P-51B “Impatient Virgin,” a veteran of four sorties over the Normandy beaches on June 6, 1944, the formation will include P-51D “Val-Halla” from Heritage Flight Museum, P-51D “Upupa Epops” from Flying Heritage Collection, and P-51D “Hell-er-Bust” from Boise, Idaho.

For more information, see this link (great sound effects!)


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Historic Flight Foundation offers chance at B-25 bomber flight and Commemoration events for the WWII Doolittle Raid

Wednesday, April 9, 2014

Mitchell B-25 bomber
Photo by Steven H. Robinson

During this time in 1942 the United States was planning its first air raid on Japan in response to the Pearl Harbor attack.

This year, in commemoration of the 72nd Anniversary of the Doolittle Raid, Seattle’s Historic Flight Foundation is hosting a daylong series of activities centered on this event, including remarks from Dolittle Raider Lt. Col Edward Saylor (ret.) and Jonna Doolittle Hopes (Jimmy Doolittle’s granddaughter). The celebration will include a B-25 Mitchell bomber aerial demonstration as well as an exclusive evening celebration.

The Historic Flight Foundation is also offering the opportunity for six lucky people to receive a free flight in a B-25 bomber. The six winners will be announced at the event! Those interested in this once in a lifetime opportunity can enter to win before April 18th at 12:00pm - enter here or on Facebook.    

North American Mitchell B-25 Bomber
Photo by Steven H. Robinson

The exclusive evening celebration will include a gourmet dinner, speeches from both Doolittle Raider Lt. Col Edward J. Saylor (ret.) and Jonna Doolittle Hoppes, and a screening of the movie “Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo.” Seating will be limited to 250 people and tickets are available at Brown Paper Tickets

The general public can follow the event live online via @HistoricFlight and #Doolittle.


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Shoreline resident remembers flying the C-47

Friday, August 30, 2013

HFF DC-3 C-47
Photo by Steven H. Robinson

Steven H. Robinson's photos and stories about the "Pilot for a Day" event in a C-47 (see Vintage View and WWII DC-3) brought up some old memories for Shoreline resident Jack Leicester. 


In the early '50's, I flew on the C-47 for a local airline both as a steward and a pilot trainee in the second seat. The Captains were all WWII vets. 
I marveled at the performance of the aircraft under terrible weather and terrain conditions. 
For years, I awaited the release of the archived John Wayne movie "Island In The Sky"-- the story of a C-47 that crash landed in the Canadian Arctic and the search for that aircraft by the close knit group of fellow C-47 pilots who flew this aircraft for the military. 
The aerial photography, the formation flying of the search pilots in the poor weather and mountainous terrain was just superb. It showed the capability of the aircraft under extreme conditions.

A still from the 1953 movie "Island in the Sky"

The Internet Movie Date Base describes the plot of the movie Jack refers to:
A simple group of commercial flyers, post WWII, one plane is downed in uncharted Canadian tundra, dead of winter, wicked cold. Limited resources. Other pilots start a search. Simple, huh? Remember... See more (warning! contains spoilers)


The movie is based on a book by Ernest K. Gann, the author of multiple best-selling novels about aviation, several of which were made into popular movies. He died in 1991 at the age of 81 at his home in the San Juan islands.


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Flights over Lake Forest Park?

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Flights from Paine Field may overfly Lake Forest Park
Photo courtesy Paine Field


Paine Field commercial flights draws citizen, council interest
By Lauren Broudy, City of LFP

A presentation from Snohomish County about the Allegiant Air and Alaska Airlines request for commercial service from Paine Field drew more than 20 citizens to the May 9 City Council meeting. Lake Forest Park is approximately 9 miles directly south of the runway. For the past several months, comments and notes have trickled in from citizens worried that noise impacts from an increase in commercial jet traffic at Paine Field would have a negative effect on quality of life. 

However, the loudest message delivered by Paine Field Manager Dave Waggoner was that legal uses of airports are not only determined by federal law, but also -- in the case of Snohomish County’s Paine Field – by conditions contained in tens of millions in federal grants over several decades. This prevents Paine Field from discriminating against commercial airline carriers desiring to use Paine Field for flights.

The City Council made it a lively Q/A period by probing the facts offered about number of flights, prospective flight increases, how the flight patterns operate, the noise “footprint” of take-offs and landings, and the relative noise factor of the aircraft to be used by the two airlines. Mr. Waggoner and Peter Camp from the Snohomish County Executive’s office also agreed to go to another room and field questions from the interested citizens, which took approximately 90 minutes. Before the presenters left the Council Chambers, they noted to the Council that the comment period on the federal environmental checklist had ended, precluding Lake Forest Park from commenting or appealing it, but that the City of Mukilteo had appealed the impact.

The first few minutes of the citizens Q/A session were audio- tape recorded and the City and Paine Field plan to put it on their respective web sites. Several Councilmembers noted they would like a briefing on that session information before discussing any possible next steps. The slides and audio from the Paine Field presentation will be placed on the City website.

Slide Presentation 

Audio Recording of City Council Presentation 

Audio Recording of Question and Answer Session outside of City Council Meeting, May 9, 2013 


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Paine Field Manager to brief City Council on commercial flight proposal

Saturday, April 13, 2013

Paine Field Airport Manager Dave Waggoner will brief the Lake Forest Park City Council about the proposal for commercial flights in an out of Paine Field in Everett. at its meeting on Thursday, May 9 at 7pm in the City Hall Council Chambers. 

The public is welcome to attend and observe.

The proposal before the FAA is to allow commercial flights in and out of Paine Field. The City Council is interested in learning more about this and how it might impact safety and quality of life in Lake Forest Park.

Citizen concerns are that the flight path would often be directly over Lake Forest Park.

A letter opposing the proposal was sent to a large number of residents by a citizen who used the Mayor's name in the signature bar.
However, neither the Mayor nor the City Council have taken a position on this proposal. They are currently in a fact finding process. No communications have been issued by either the Mayor or City Council.

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If you were caught in I-5 traffic - here's why

Saturday, August 6, 2011

Photo by Steven H. Robinson

You do not normally have to plan for jet planes in your freeway driving, but The Blue Angels are in town for the hydro races and the I-90 bridge is closed during their practice hours.

At 11am on Thursday morning, traffic was parked on the I-5 freeway from Seattle to Northgate and from Seattle just as far south.  On Friday afternoon, Seattle traffic was backed up to 145th.

Photo by Steven H. Robinson


Here's what WSDOT has to say about their schedule:

Which roads and ramps will be closed?
Interstate 90 will be closed to all vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists, eastbound and westbound, mainline and express lanes, between Interstate 5 in Seattle to Island Crest Way on Mercer Island:

Saturday, Aug. 6:  12:45 p.m. - 2:40 p.m., (Full show)
Sunday, Aug. 7:  12:45 p.m. - 2:40 p.m., (Full show)
    The bridge highrises will still be accessible to pedestrians and cyclists. However, no one on foot or bike can travel beyond the highrises up to 30 minutes prior to posted closure times.



    I-90 east of Mercer Island will NOT be closed during the performance, although drivers should note that heavy congestion during these closures often restricts access to the exits.



    The I-90 express lanes will close at 9 a.m. on Thursday and at 10:45 a.m. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. The lanes will reopen to eastbound traffic by 3:30 p.m. each day.



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    Follow up to the Bomber photos - it was Witchcraft

    Thursday, July 14, 2011

    Witchcraft, B-24 bomber. Photo by Jerry Pickard.
    Photographer and reporter Jerry Pickard has a follow up to his photos of the WW II bomber over the Shoreline Arts Festival (see previous article)

    By Jerry Pickard

    A follow up on the B-24 Liberator pictures. I was reading my August issue of Flight Journal and to my surprise, when I got to the centerfold section of the issue, there it was, the plane I had photographed at the Shoreline Arts Festival.

    There are only two B-24's left in the world that are airworthy. "WITCHCRAFT" which I photographed, is owned by The Collings Foundation. It's USAAF serial number was 44-44052. It is currently painted to represent the B-24H of the 790th Bomber Squadron, 467th Bomb Group, 8th Air Force which was based at Rackheath, England. 

    Flight Journal states that Witchcraft survived 130 missions with no early returns or injured or killed crewmembers between April of 1944 and June of 1945.




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    Bomber fly-by over the Shoreline Arts Festival

    Wednesday, June 29, 2011

    Over the Shoreline Center. Photo by Jerry Pickard.
    SAN Photographer Jerry Pickard was taking shots of the Shoreline Arts Festival on Sunday, June 26, when he heard a familiar rumble overhead and captured these photos of a World War II bomber doing a fly-by.

    Consolidated B-24-J Liberator.  Photo by Jerry Pickard.
    He would have been more surprised if he hadn't known that the Museum of Flight was doing some preparation leading up to their event "Heroes of the Homefront: A Celebration of the B-17" on Saturday, July 16, 2011.

    Fly-by over the Shoreline Arts Festival.  Photo by Jerry Pickard.
    Jerry says that this plane is a Consolidated B-24-J Liberator, used almost as heavily as the B-17 Flying Fortresses in the European Theater of operations during WWII.

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