100 Years of Flight

[82Rigger]

I would like to dedicate this post to all of our veterans who are fliers.
You have played an instrumental role in the last century of aviation.


December 17, 1903 *** December 17, 2003


We've come a LONG WAY, baby!!!

[39mto39g]

The newest . F-35
Ron

[exlrrp]

Does Falling through the air count? Its sorta like flying but mono directional
I figured one time I might have fallen 10 miles through the air although I know you'll beat THAT one right away Steve.

They didn't know what to do with the airplane untill they invented the parachute

James

[revwardoc]

I just read an article about the Wright brothers' accomplishment and how it was received around the world. Prior to their flight, several European countries (especially France) had tried powered flight but with disastrous results. So much so that they all discontinued the efforts deeming it impossible. When word of the Kittyhawk flights reached France, the people who had abandoned the efforts, collectively called the Wright brothers "liars, not flyers". After the truth was corroborated, they declared that France was embarrased and that the government should increase spending on flight research in order to put France in the forefront of aviation. They didn't bother to congratulate Wilbur and Orville for what they did.

[Dragon Lady]

Let us not forget those who keep the aviators aloft...The Hangar Jockeys, the Wrench Slingers, and my absolutely favorite nickname thanks to my husband...Wingnuts!

Without a great ground crew willing to try just about anything from "silly putty" on the fuel leaks to good ol' American Duct tape, the silly beasties just wouldn't get into the air.

Here is one of the bad boys I worked on and this Fred's still flying!

[Dragon Lady]

Sorry about the size of that picture. It's kind of hard to fit a C5 into a small space. :-)

[39mto39g]

see

[Dragon Lady]

It just doesnt look right. C5s are supposed to be HUGE!

The cargo compartment alone is 2 feet longer than the Wright Bros first flight!

Silly beans.

[billr]

Colonel William "Pete" Knight, USAF, Retired

Colonel Knight is now a California State Senator and I've had the pleasure of meeting him on a number of occassions as he is a member of the Calif. Senate Veterans Affairs Committee. Here's a little bit of his official biography.

"During his tenure in the U.S. Air Force, he flew and tested more than 100 types of fighter, trainer, bomber and transport aircraft. To date he has more than 7,000 flying hours including 5,000 in jet aircraft. Colonel Knight's combat service includes 253 missions in the F-100 aircraft over Vietnam. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Legion of Merit, both with two Oak Leaf Clusters, and the Air Medal with 10 Oak Leaf Clusters.

Colonel Knight flew the X-15 rocket research aircraft to 4,520 MPH (mach 6.7), establishing the still unbroken world speed record in a fixed wing aircraft. He earned astronaut wings for another X-15 flight to 280,000 feet in altitude.

In 1988, Colonel Knight was enshrined in the National Aviation Hall of Fame in Dayton, Ohio. In 1998, he was inducted into the International Space Hall of Fame in Alamogordo, New Mexico."

[39mto39g]

Any one of the fixed winged shuttles fly ,under power, to 17,000 mph and 30,000 mph coasting in space.

Ron