Airspeed

Steve starts and ends the show from the cockpit as he is in the process of undergoing a biannual flight review.  That's the minimum instruction of an hour on the ground and hour in the air that every pilot must undergo every two years in order to exercise the privileges under his or her private pilot certificate.  And yes, he passed!

Update on preparations for the 2006 Field of Flight Airshow and Balloon Festival in Battle Creek, Michigan.

This episode starts off our Steely-Eyed Missile Men series and features John Aaron, the Gold Team and Apollo 12 EECOM who uttered the greatest call in all of manned spaceflight control.  This is the story of SCE to Aux. Audio used under the NASA policy entitled Using NASA Imagery and Linking to NASA Web Sites - 10.13.05 - Still Images, Audio Files and Video available at http://www.nasa.gov/audience/formedia/features/MP_Photo_Guidelines.html.  No use of any NASA material in this podcast should or does express or imply any endorsement of this podcast or any person or business that helps out with this podcast by NASA or any person whose voice is contained in the audio material. Thanks, NASA, for having such a great policy.  On to Mars! DMCA and other copyright contact is Steve Tupper - steve@airspeedonline.com - 248-470-7944.

Airspeed's first installment of the best music to plug into your intercom while you're flying.  From Bela Fleck to Cirque du Soleil and from Gary Hoey to Cheis Thile, here's what's on Stephen Force's playlist when he goes up.  Featuring commentary about: 1. Richard Wagner's Ride of the Valkyries - Royal Memorial Orchestra from "Music from the War Movies" 2. Gary Hoey's Low Rider from "Wake Up Call" 3. Cirque du Soleil's Svecounia from "O" 4. Bela Fleck and the Flecktones' The Big Blink from "Left of Cool" 5. Van Halen's Dreams from "5150" 6. Enya's Book of Days from "Shepherd Moons" (English version) 7. Chris Thile's Raining at Subset from "Not All Who Wander are Lost" Musical snippets used under 17 USC 107.  DMCA copyright notices, if any, to Steve Tupper - steve@airspeedonline.com.

General information about instrument flight and the attendant challenges.

We provide a little ammunition for your arguments with those who seem to think that general aviation represents a threat to the American Public.

We leave the Airspeed studios and have lunch at Pasquale's in Royal Oak, Michigan with Paul Stambaugh, aerobatic pilot (and owner of Pitts S1-S N34RM "Psycho Therapy") and Great Lakes Ferry pilot, among other things.  We talk about aerobatics for both fun and safety, what it's like to be the premier Great Lakes aircraft ferry pilot in the United States, and why, despite all of his experience, Paul keeps his day job as a senior mechanical engineer.  Pull up a chair at this classic southeast Michigan Itallian eatery and hangar-fly with Steve and Paul!

We cover the Canadian Forces Snowbirds - The 431 Air Demonstration Squadron.  From its earliest heritage in England in WWII to the Golden Centennaries in 1967 to the beginnings of the modern incarnation that started in Moosejaw in 1971.  This is one American's take on the nine-aircraft demonstration squadron that takes beauty, coordination, discipline, and showmanship to a new level.  Can't wait until they come to Battle Creek July 4!

Ever wonder what goes on behind the scenes to present a major regional airshow?  We talk to Barb Haluska, executive director of the Field of Flight Airshow and Balloon Festival in Battle Creek, Michigan.  It's February, but June 30 through July 4 are just around the corner for Barb and her intrepid staff.  Listen in as we talk to the people who bring in the Thunderbirds, the Snowbirds, and many others to fill the skies with thunder and beauty each summer.

Ever hear a media reporter tell you that an airplane accident involved an engine stall?  In our experience, most reporters and members of the public get this wrong.  We discuss aerodynamic stalls and explain how they have nothing at all to do with the engine.  Disclaimer:  Nothing in this or any other epidsode of the Airspeed podcasts is flight instruction.  You should seek the counsel and instruction of a certified flight instructor if you ever plan to experience stalls - or fly an airplane - yourself.  The descriptions in the Airspeed podcasts are general descriptions based on FAA literature and the pilot's operating handbook for several popular training aircraft.  They don't apply to all aircraft or to all circumstances.  Always consult the manufacturer's specifications and recommendations and any supplemental type certificates or other applicable data for the specific aircraft in question.

USAF Maj. Glen Richards, an F-16 instructor pilot at Luke AFB, joins us to talk about Air Force Aviation.  Maj. Richards talks about what it takes to become an Air Force Pilot (all the way from commissioning to flying the F-16 and other Air Force aircraft).  We also talk about how the best practices in both military and general aviation are sometimes the same.

Can you name six people cool enough to stand in for Van Halen in the only music video the band made in support of its critical 5150 album?  Try the US Navy Blue Angels, the ambassadors of US Navy and Marine aviation.  Here's an energetic summary of the (blue and) gold standard in precision aviation.  Find out why the Blues don't wear g-suits and lots more.

Ever feel the urge to go hurtling through the underbrush on foot with a radio direction finder chasing an ELT signal?  Or fly a Cessna 172 into a soon-to-be-restricted area so that the authorities can practive intercepting you?  If so, the Civil Air Patrol may be for you.  CAP, the civilian auxiliary of the United States Air Force, has something for almost everyone.  This episode will give you an overview of the organization, its history, what it can offer you, and how you can find more information about it.

Here's as much of the USAF Thunderbirds as you can fit into a six-minute podcast (including an F-16 fly-by).  The most-asked questions about the precision flight demonstration squadron that's now well into its sixth decade.  If you haven't made plans to see the Thunderbirds at an airshow near you this summer, visit http://events.airforce.com as soon as you can!

We look at ballistic recovery parachutes, a relatively new technology that has the potential to make general aviation even safer.

What to expect on your first flight lesson and how to get that lesson for $59 or so.