Aircraft Expeditions

  C-130 Hercules C-130 Model Evolution Four decades have elapsed since the U.S. Air Force issued its original design specification, yet the C-130 remains in production. The initial production model was the  C-130A , with four Allison turboprop engines. A total of 219 were ordered and deliveries began in December 1956. The  C-130B  introduced Allison T56-A-7 turboprop engines and the first of 134 aircraft of this model entered USAF service in May 1959. Introduced in August of 1962, the 389  C-130E s that were ordered used the same Allison T56-A-7 engine, but added two 1,290 gallon external fuel tanks and an increased maximum takeoff weight capability. In June of 1974, the first of 308  C-130H s were delivered, with the more powerful Allison T56-A-15 turboprop engine. Nearly identical to the C-130E externally, the new engine brought major performance improvements to the aircraft. The latest C-130 to be produced, the  C-130J , entered the inventory in Feb...

  Top Gun- Maverick My Thoughts Top Gun was the Iconic Movie that Every kid my age at the time loved the first movie, however the New Top Gun-Maverick is the new sequel to the franchise.  We wanted to be Maverick and we wanted to be Iceman and Viper. Our Pop Culture revolved around " I feel the Need For Speed", "Show me some of that Pilot Shit" and other catch phrases that have lived with us for over 35 years. Naval Recruiting Went through the roof after Top Gun was released. I gather now that with all of the pilot shortages that are going on now, I feel that This will prove a valuable tool again for recruiting new pilots to different aspects of aviation, not just military. With all of the reboots of movies such as Red Dawn , Midway, The Star Trek franchise as well as the new Firestarter movie that are now out in theaters and DVD, one has to be very skeptical on how Top Gun- Maverick Is going to be played out in theaters after such a long wait for this movie.  This ...

  F-14A Tomcat BU#160684 (NL-211) — Pima Air And Space Museum Written By Dan Rivera Walk around video of the Pima Air Museum F-14 Tomcat (Above)  Video Courtesy Of Marc0 Antonio Avila MarktownUSA and Fans Of the Pima Air and Space Museum Admin Photos of BU#160684 (NL-211) Operational: In Flight In Flight #2 At an Unknown Airshow #1 At an Unknown Airshow #2 At an Unknown Airshow #3 At an Unknown Airshow #4 F-14 Tomcat History It was 1960, additionally, the Soviets were developing a family of long-range formidable cruise missiles that may be launched from ships, submarines, and aircraft. These missiles flew quickly and at low altitudes which made them ideal for targeting US Navy carriers. A sufficiently sizable amount of these missiles could overwhelm the foremost of any advanced air defenses of that time. The US Navy also lacked a Long-range fighter with a sufficient weapon load and range to intercept and destroy these Soviet missiles and aircraft before they got too close to t...

  Thunder And Lightning Over Arizona Airshow Week Is Here! Airshows are a great way to see our military in action. It is also a good way to get inspired for Adults and Children. It bonds families and they are all around a blast to watch in person.  The aircraft and military hardware and capabilities that are displayed are of the best in the world.  Davis-Monthan Air Force Base is home of the A-10 Thunderbolt II. DM Hosts the EC-130 Compass Call Aircraft as Well as A CSAR Contingent for Search and Rescue. The Capabilities at this Air Force Base are quite awesome. Of course we cannot forget about the "Boneyard" where thousands of aircraft are flown in to either be reclaimed or stored for future sale or reactivation.  The airshow experience is a tradition as football is to sports. Walking around with Cameras, binoculars checking out all of the flying acts is a surreal experience. Watching the aircraft fly and the performers do amazing things is awe inspiring. This weeke...

  In Memory Of Captain Ted Harduvel Ted Harduvel was born on 28 October 1947. He was the son of Theodosius Theodore Harduvel who emigrated in the early 1900s from Leonidion and Poulithra in Arcadia district, Peloponnese. He enlisted in the Army to get his citizenship and fought in France during WW1. His mother was Luxembourg and English named Margaret M Cooper. Except for Ted the couple also had another son, John Harduvel, an MIT graduate is an aerospace engineer who worked for McDonnell Douglas, and a sister, Maria, an ultrasound tech living in Chicago. Ted joined the Air Force after his father died in 1971. He was working on his Master's Degree in Physics at the University of Illinois at Chicago Circle. The Vietnam War was on, Ted had a low draft number, so rather than join the Army, he volunteered for the Air Force. Since he was a college graduate, he went to Officers Training School in 1971 graduating as a distinguished graduate, and got selected for pilot training in 1972. He ...