Amelia Earhart in 1936 . . .

One of the most enduring mysteries of the past century may – after numerous dead end and various strange and mostly speculative theories – finally be close to a genuine forensic styled resolution.

Since her disappearance 80 years ago, on July 2, 1937, while flying her Lockheed Electra Model 10E from New Guinea to her destination of Howland Island, the following eight decades have witnessed one “new discovery” after another, but none ever managed to produce any truly hard evidentiary findings – – – until a just discovered, once labeled SECRET photo from the National Archives, in Washington, DC. surfaced for inspection.

One of the most promising and professional organizations among the many in pursuit of an answer to this missing American Heroine’s fate, has been one focusing on the a small Pacific Island known as Saipan, where for over 75 years there have been a multitude of eye-witnesses or sometimes, if now deceased, their relatives, who remember clearly back in 1937 when a young white woman – with short hair and wearing men’s clothing –  and a tall white man, who had been both described as flyers, had been captured by the Japanese occupiers of the Island and placed in the local Japanese jail.

This group of mystery-solving enthusiasts, calling themselves “Earhart on Saipan,” obtained crowd funding to pursue their research and investigative efforts, which have just been given a sudden spotlight of never before witnessed credibility – all as the direct consequence of this long obscured single SECRET photo, one hidden away for more than 75 years in Washington’s Classified Archives.

In that photo, taken on Saipan in the year of Amelia’s disappearance, there appears to be a woman with the characteristics of Earhart, along with a Caucasian man, closely resembling her Navigator, Fred Noonan. This just discovered photograph has been studied by professional photographic intelligence experts who claim the print does not seem altered and that, indeed, both the two white people in the photo appear to be Earhart and Noonan. Furthermore, it also appears to contain the image, on a barge being towed by a Japanese ship, of their wrecked Lockheed Electra. So, without further ado, let us explore this astounding news.

Never before, in some 80 years, has even one photo alleging to be either Amelia or Fred Noonan, ever surfaced. So now it’s time for us to determine if this is the real thing, or not.  What do you think?

The above video is lengthy, some 35 minutes long, but it gives a wealth of extraordinarily consistent eye and hearsay witness testimony confirming that Amelia and her navigator, Fred Noonan were captured by the Japanese – and imprisoned on Saipan – immediately after their crash on a nearby uninhabited atoll.

Most troubling of all is the emerging evidence that Washington and the U.S. military establishment have long known of this situation, but for some reason, chose to keep it both secret and unacknowledged.*

* Editor’s Note: Almost since her disappearance from the world stage back on that fateful July day in 1937, it has been openly and quietly speculated that Washington had set up Earhart and Noonan to take copious aerial photographs of the Japanese occupied Marshall Islands over which they planned to fly.  I’d suggest that, if this were true, and it likely was, the Japanese military who captured the pair would have quickly seen the special and expensive camera gear aboard the Electra, which it seems they also captured, and have legitimately determined the two explorer-adventurers to be genuine U. S. spies. 

This fact (assuming it is a fact) would also explain why the U.S. Marines, who now reportedly re-captured the Lockheed Plane late in the war, might have elected to bury it at the Japanese Airfield – thereby obscuring the discomforting reality that we had been spying (provoking?) on the Japanese some four years before they struck us at Pearl Harbor.  Could it be that this unpleasant reality has kept Washington’s lid on the mystery? Please don’t hesitate to let us know what you think down below in the rectangular “Leave a Reply” field”- – – and why.  RL

Amelia Earhart and her Navigator, Fred Noonan, in Oakland, CA, in publicity photo, before their flight began in 1937.

The above video by NBC News’ TODAY show, summarizes the breaking new story about what may ultimately prove to be the final resolution of the 80 year old Earhart Mystery  . . . (6:24 long).

This (above) 6:20 minute long video, tagged “Least Controversial Amelia Earhart Theory,” is well put together by Mr. Dennis Borja.  Dennis put his speculated chain of events together almost four years before the new Saipan “Secret” photo was even made public.  His thesis was a  compilation of an impressively well thought out and then logically put together group of currently known facts, but now his speculation has suddenly gained a new found credibility, particularly because of today’s latest photo, along with some new eye witness testimonials from Saipan.  The new once SECRET photo appears to suddenly make Borja’s 2013 thesis now a highly probable description of what might really have taken place, as this classic American Mystery came to its tragic ending some 80 years ago.

Least Controversal Amelia Earhart Theory. This is only a Theory

Is this above photo the first time a genuine post-crash picture of Earhart and Noonan has ever appeared in public? This is the startling new photo which is analyzed in the above video by NBC News.  Can you guess which figure is Amelia – – – and which is Noonan – – – without first viewing the video?

Amelia Earhart sitting on the nose of her Lockheed Electra . . .

Amelia Earhart seated in the Co-Pilot’s position (she took no co-pilot) in her Lockheed Electra before her final flight in 1937

Amelia Earhart with Mayor Walker of New York City in 1932 in celebration of her Transatlantic flight

1928 Photograph of Amelia Earhart in Los Angeles, California standing by one of the planes she flew . . .

Amelia in Front of one of her planes ca 1935

Amelia Earhart & her publisher and primary promoter, George P. Putnam right after their marriage in 1931.

Amelia Earhart with President Herbert Hoover, as he presents her with the the National Geographic Medal at the White House on June 31, 1032.

Amelia Earhart at White House to meet President Calvin Coolidge on November 2, 1928

Thanks to the alert eyes of Wayne and Debbi Evans of Arizona, early founding members of the FASF, we are able to share this nifty story with you all.

The story is by Richard Souza, whose Zulu X-Ray Photography firm also takes credit for all the photos of young Caroline Daugherty as well as of the aircraft depicted below.

Golden Age Aviation Museum’s Curtiss Jenny in which Caroline Made her Solo Flight at only 16 years old!

Published June 25, 2017 | By Richard Souza On the Air Museum Network Website.

Grimes Field, Bethel. PA – If we think back to our earliest memories, we remember major milestones. We probably don’t remember our first words or our first steps, but maybe our first day of school, our 10th birthday or even our first crush. And who doesn’t remember the first time they got behind the wheel of the family car? It was an exciting time; getting your learner’s permit and with a parent riding shotgun, driving as carefully as possible because the last thing we want to do was to dent to dad’s pride and joy.

But what if dad’s pride and joy was a 100-year-old biplane? A what? That’s right, a Century year-old Curtiss JN-4D “Jenny”.

Caroline Daugherty poses with the historic Golden Age Aviation Museum’s JN-4D in which she made her solo flight.

Air Museum Network recently attended the Golden Age Aviation Museum’s Flying Circus Air Show in Bethel, Pennsylvania. During the event, we learned of this young lady who turned 16 earlier this year. While most soon-to-be 16 year olds are dreaming of a sweet sixteen party, Caroline Daugherty had dreams that soared even higher.

Golden Age Aviation Museum‘s Curtiss Jenny Parked at Museum’s Airfield

Caroline is the daughter of Paul and Melissa Daugherty. Caroline’s earliest memories are around aviation and airplanes.  Her father has been flying since he was about 16.  Paul has amassed approximately 22,000 hours in an assortment of aircraft and is the President of the Golden Age Aviation Museum. Since the age of 2, Caroline has flown with her father and spent many hours in and around the little museum with the picturesque grass field.

Caroline Daugherty in the cockpit of the Curtiss Jenny

So it shouldn’t be surprising that Caroline wanted to be a pilot. After watching Patty Wagstaff (one of the FASF’s distinguished Advisors) perform at an air show, Caroline got serious and began to pursuit her dream. Caroline didn’t have to look far to find an instructor. It is the aviation version of home schooling. Together, father and daughter, instructor and student, embarked on the flight path to that major milestone – the solo flight.

Caroline, as part of the Daugherty Air Show Program, prepares for one of show’s comic routines and the BANG!

It was during one of certainly many father-daughter talks, that the question of soloing came up. “Which plane would you like to solo in?” After giving it some thought, Caroline looked at Dad and said, “Why not the Jenny?” Many fathers would have flashbacks of the movie “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off”. You know, where Ferris’ friend Cameron destroys his father’s 1961 Ferrari 250 GT California Spyder. But not Paul.

Soloing in the Jenny wasn’t enough. It had to be special (as if flying a Jenny isn’t special enough). The decision was made for Caroline to solo in the Jenny, on the day of her 16th birthday.

Cast of The Golden Age Aviation Museum Flying Circus Airshow, with young Caroline standing tall.

The duo put in the time and hard work to ensure that Caroline was ready for the big day. There was one minor obstacle that was out of their control, mother nature. On the day of her 16th birthday, the weather conditions were less than favorable for Caroline to solo, much less in the Jenny. The two sat around at Grimes Airfield watching the rain come down, hoping things would get better. Just like in the movies, the rain stops, the wind dies down and cloud cover breaks. It is now or never.

They hop into the vintage plane and Caroline took her up. This wasn’t the first time the young aviator had flown the Jenny. It was as if it were just another lesson with the instructor. It doesn’t count as a solo if anyone other than the student pilot is in the aircraft. So Caroline lands the aircraft and Paul climbs out of the centenary plane. Paul then turns to Caroline and asks “Are you ready?” “Yes.” Caroline responds. Paul asks again “Are you sure?” and with a voice of a confident aviator, Caroline says “YES!”

One can only image the proud look that must have been on Paul’s face when the wheels left the ground. If Caroline ever had an ounce of doubt in her abilities, they vanished as she and the Jenny became one. Although Paul was firmly on the ground, his voice was in Caroline’s head every step of the way. As the flight progressed and the tension eased, Caroline realized “I’m flying a Jenny!”

This young lady isn’t your average teenager. Caroline grew up in and around aviation and aviation history. When asked what her friends and classmates thought about her accomplishment, Caroline said, some think it is really cool, others say “What’s the big deal? Flying a plane is easy, just move the stick around.” Of course we all know that the brain trusts that make comments like those, live in a world of video games and have no notion of how the real world functions. It is a big deal for many reasons.

Caroline did what no other 16 year old has ever done. When was the last time a student pilot soloed in a 100 year old Curtiss Jenny on their 16th birthday? That is a major accomplishment. It is also something special when a father and daughter do anything together.

The Golden Age Aviation Museum puts on several shows a year. Paul and Caroline are part of a large cast of volunteers that entertain the crowd with their family oriented show. This father-daughter team has also taken their act on the airshow circuit. Paul flies an aerobatic routine in a Christen Eagle II and Caroline does an impressive job as the announcer for “Daugherty Airshows“. Anytime a family shares a passion then yes, that is special.

We suspect that we haven’t seen the last of Caroline. This solo flight was just the first of what will surely be many milestones. When it comes to flying and being a pilot, this is only the beginning, but judging by the look in her eyes no worries Paul, Caroline is in it for the long haul.

F-35 Demo Pilot: Paris Performance Will ‘Crush Years of Misinformation’

Thanks to our Aviation News Scout, Virg Hemphill, here’s the latest news about the F-35 saga.

This story is from AVIATION WEEK SHOW NEWS Section: Jun 18, 2017 – – – by Lara Seligman

Lockheed-Martin’s F-35A

Not as agile as the Super Hornet nor as fast as the Typhoon? Don’t you believe it, says Lockheed Martin test pilot Billie Flynn. He will put the F-35A through its paces at Le Bourget this week, proving that the aircraft is more maneuverable than any he has flown, he says, including Boeing’s F/A-18, the Eurofighter, and his own company’s F-16 Viper.

“After 10 years since first flight, with our first opportunity to demonstrate the capabilities and the maneuverability of the F-35, we are going to crush years of misinformation about what this aircraft is capable of doing,” Flynn said in an interview with Aviation Week.

The F-35’s maneuverability is all the more impressive because, unlike the F-16s that perform at air shows, the Joint Strike Fighter flying the demonstration this week is fully combat-ready. Flynn’s F-35A will move easily through complex aerial maneuvers loaded with everything it needs to go to war.

“All of those airplanes that do air shows—the Hornet, Viper—they are all slicked off without all the external stores,” Flynn said. “They are a party trick at an air show, versus a combat-configured F-22 or F-35.”

The flight demonstration is carefully scripted to highlight the kinematic capabilities of the F-35A, particularly its slow-speed handling qualities, said Flynn. He will start with an afterburner takeoff, almost immediately pointing his nose to the sky and letting the aircraft climb away essentially vertically. This impressive move is unique to the F-22 and the F-35, he said.

High Altitude Flight Demo Plan for F-35 at Paris Air Show in June of 2017

Billie Flynn aims to silence the skeptics with complex F-35A demo flights at the Paris Air Show.

Next, Flynn will reverse back in front of the crowd, and perform a “square loop” to show the aircraft’s instantaneous pitch capability and high angle-of-attack (AOA) maneuverability. Then he will turn around, reverse back in front of the crowd, and perform a slow-speed, high-AOA pass. Afterward, he will light the afterburner and fly straight up into the sky once again.

From there, Flynn will pull up vertically in front of the crowd and execute a maximum AOA “power loop,” where the aircraft flips on its back—another signature Raptor move. Then he will initiate a spiral at 50 degrees AOA, called a “pedal turn,” which he says will be the most impressive part of the entire routine.

After reversing again in front of the crowd, the last move is a maximum-G, 360-deg. turn, which highlights the maximum-rate, minimum-radius-turn capability of the aircraft, Flynn said. The F-35 in its current 3i configuration is limited to 7g; when the fighter gets its full war-fighting capability with the final 3F software, it will be able to pull 9gs.

“This aircraft down low in this environment is an absolute monster,” said Flynn. ”It is more powerful, it is more aggressive than any of us, including those of us that fly the F-35, would have imagined before we began this flight-demo process.”

The high show does not include the F-35 opening its weapon-bay doors, as the F-22 does during its airshow routine. The low show, which the F-35 will perform if there is inclement weather or cloud ceiling, includes opening the weapon-bay doors, according to Lockheed spokesman Mark Johnson.

Lockheed’s F-35 airshow profile has been in the works for well over a year, according to Flynn. The team has conducted over 800 simulator runs to evaluate the profile, and Flynn began practicing in the aircraft at the company’s facility in Fort Worth, Texas, about a month ago.

The company has developed air show routines for all three F-35 variants—the U.S. Navy F-35C carrier variant and the U.S. Marine Corps F-35B vertical-takeoff-and-landing variant as well—but this year Flynn is focused on the U.S. Air Force F-35A version.

Flynn had to modify the routine to accommodate airspace restrictions unique to the Paris show, he said. Flying is limited laterally and vertically because of Le Bourget’s proximity to both to the city of Paris and Charles De Gaulle Airport. Flynn is also limited by time—he only has 6 min. for the routine at Le Bourget, where at most air shows he would have 10 min.

“We focused on the ‘wow’ factor and left out the elements of a routine that would be part of a non-Paris-type profile,” Flynn said. “You have to live inside very tight restrictive boundaries, but it still permits us to put on a show that I believe will squelch the critics once and for all.”

So how will the F-35 demonstration compare to the Raptor’s always-impressive routine? It’s very similar, Flynn said.

“We all love what the Raptor can do. I would say the F-35 and the F-22 both put on demonstrations that are unique to our fifth-gen maneuverability,” said Flynn. “But don’t forget, that’s not how we dominate—we dominate because of stealth and sensor fusion.”

The two F-35As from Hill AFB, Utah, arrived at Le Bourget Airport June 13 and will be maintained on-site by Air Force maintainers and security personnel. One aircraft will be flying, and one will be on static display.

The F-35 Lightning II Fighter Jet in Action (7:27 Long)

Can you help us solve this mystery?

The story’s source is from none other than our own long time member, Editor of the colorful EAA Chapter 555 Newsletter, Carl Bogardus.

Carl received this information from his mother’s brother, USAAF Major Benjamin Milam. The Major was stationed at Fort Bliss’s Biggs Army Airfield, in El Paso, TX at the time of the incident, and was involved in retrieving the wrecked Russian fighter,  a Bell P-63 Kingcobra, show below.  This fighter was extensively and successfully used by our wartime ally, the USSR, on many of its widespread battle fronts.

Bell-P-63 Kingcobra in flight

About 8 months before the end of WWII (on September 2, 1945), Carl has hard evidence from his Army Air Force uncle’s old mementos, including never before seen photos, that a P-63 fighter had crashed at Columbus.  Strangely enough, a local check has not uncovered anyone familiar with this incident.  We hope our members and other visitors to this FASF site might help shed further light on this mysterious crash, in which the pilot was apparently not even injured.

Here, below, are Major Milam’s photos of the crash site at Columbus.  We hope someone who visits this story might know about the incident and supply us with more information.  For instance, it would be useful to know if the ship crashed at the old Army Airfield, now owned and preserved by our FASF, or at some other open area near the town.  It you know anything about this crash event, then simply send us your remarks down below at the end of this story where is says: “Leave a Reply.”

Crashed P-63 Fighter at Columbus on 1-25-45. Aside from the collapsed L gear, the plane seem not badly damaged.

Another view of the crashed Russian P-63 Fighter near Columbus, New Mexico on January 25, 1945.

U.S. Army Air Force Photo of Carl’s Uncle, Major Benjamin Milam

Another photo of Carl’s uncle, then Captain Benjamin Milam, near a North American AT-6 Texan trainer

Selfie photo by Carl of himself happily sitting in his airplane at Las Cruces Airport, New Mexico

Aside from this as yet unsolved mystery crash at or near Columbus some 71 years ago, with which Carl’s uncle was somehow involved, the history and evolution of this sleek looking tricycle geared fighter, so popular with the Russians during WWII, is, in and of itself, an interesting story.  Let’s look at how the evolution to the final P-63 model that took place from the original P-39, Bell Airacobra:

All the information so meticulously documented at this link is thanks to the tireless research and work of Greg Goebel, who’s Internet Twitter Blog and Website, “Air Vectors” are dedicated to technical documenting of military and commercial aircraft from both past and present.  Greg’s comprehensive story about the evolution the WWII era Bell Aircraft Corporation’s Airacobra’s  may be second to none.

The comprehensive story of the P-63 “Kingcobra” used by the Russian Air Force is found at this Internet site.

Here is what Carl reported: “I don’t have all of my uncle’s service records, but have emailed my little sister, who should still have that material.  Major Milam was my mom’s brother.  After he finished flying in Europe, he came home and was made a B-29 instructor, but again, we don’t have much of the detail as to where, etc. After being discharged, he went back to ranching.”

And, here, below, is another Bogardus, somehow also related to Carl. This Bogardus flew with the First Aero Squadron out of Langley Field, VA right after WWI.  This Bogardus story comes to us through the courtesy of one of our favorite historians, Dr. Bob Bouilly, formerly with the U.S. Army Sergeant Majors Academy at Biggs Army Airfield, El Paso, TX.

First Aero Squadron JN-4, based at Kelly Field, San Antonio, TX, with Lt. Bogardus in the rear cockpit.

Here, below, are more of the details pertaining to the Jenny above photograph, also from Dr. Bouilly. Note that Lt. Almon Bogardus entered the wrong date for the formation of the 1st Aero Squadron as being 1914, when in fact we know that it was actually formed in Texas City, TX in the previous year, 1913.  The other dates he listed seem to be accurate.

 Click on the above image in order to see it full size and be able to read its text more easily.  The below photo shows the predecessor the the Kingcobra, the P-39, or Bell Airacobra with its Russian Air Force markings – identical to those markings originally used out of Columbus by the First Aero Squadron during the Punitive Expedition! Russian Air Force P-63 Kingcobras depicted flying  in action over Sakhalin in August of 1945

This beautiful short (2 minute) video reminds those of us who carry the spirit of those early First Aero aviators in our own love of flight, was provided by our Aviation News Scout Virg Hemphill, himself a former USAF and Airline Pilot.  The video shows these two modern airliners flying out of this year’s Paris Air Show. Virg reflected . . . “I can imagine how nice it would be to fly these liners.”  Just notice their amazing climb performance, alone, as they lift off from the runway.

Click on the above Cover Photo to see these two new Boeing Creations in Flight – together.

From Aviation News Scout, Virg Hemphill and originally printed in the Riverside CA Press-Enterprise Newspaper.

CAVEAT!

Please make sure to read the remarks and correction just posted below this story by FASF Advisor and former First Aero Commander, U-2 and SR-71 pilot, Major General Pat Halloran, USAF Retired. 

Your Webmaster’s own cross-checking on the Internet unfortunately was not sufficient to reveal this story’s bogus nature.  Any other knowledgeable readers are invited to add their comments, too.  We always invite critical remarks on our stories simply because our single intent is to print only accurate and truthful posts.

Men like this retired U-2 Dragon Lady pilot rarely get attention from the media, and that’s how they often prefer it.  Either way, unfortunately and understandably, not all U-2 pilots survived their dangerous high altitude careers to tell their stories in their old age, but this high flying pilot’s recollections may be one of those more fortunate exceptions.

U-2S Latest Model Dragon Lady Spy Plane with special mission Electronic Intelligence Equipment in above-fuselage Pod

Cliff Beeler was a spy.

Cliff Beeler at 88 – –  he is now 92 years old

He didn’t hang out on shadowy street corners with his trench coat collar obscuring his face. The Air Force major, now retired, spent his snooping time in a plane.

Beeler, 92, of Riverside, was a U-2 pilot at the height of the Cold War.

His missions took him over Russia, Cuba and China, photographing targets from nearly 80,000 feet in the sky.

His planes crashed more than once. He was occasionally targeted by MIG fighters, and he once landed on and took off from an aircraft carrier in the Pacific using only a few feet of the deck.

Beeler, who grew up in Santa Ana, CA and spent most of his retirement in Santa Barbara, is a resident of Air Force Village West, near March Air Reserve Base. Back surgery in 2012 has left him reliant on a walker (photo below), but his memories are as vibrant as ever.

                       Cliff Beeler picture in his home among his numerous mementos of his unusual USAF career.

He remembers enlisting at 19, during WWII, learning to fly a P-51 fighter, and being on his way to Saipan to get ready for the invasion of Japan. Then the United States dropped its atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki . . .

The war was over, and Beeler was sent home. Unlike many of his fellow pilots who left the service, Beeler stayed in. He learned to fly the Air Force’s first jets and then trained others to fly them.

Then the U-2 program caught his eye. “I wanted to fly the latest,” he said.

“There were never more than 24 pilots in the program,” he said. In 1958, he entered that highly specialized program. He spent seven years flying missions high above the Earth — out of the range of other planes – and most other defenses – in his long-winged and comparatively lightweight aircraft.                              

It was not an easy task, he said.

 Beeler at home near March Air Force Reserve Base, CA

As a plane climbs in altitude and the air thins, it must go faster to avoid a stall. The higher it climbs, the faster it needs to fly. Above 70,000 feet, the critical stall speed approaches the plane’s Mach speed, or the speed of sound — somewhere above 650 mph at that altitude. If that barrier is crossed, the shock waves can break the plane apart. U-2 pilots usually had a window of less than 12 mph between the two speeds! They had to meticulously keep the plane within that narrow speed window for hours at a time.

CLOSE CALLS

Beeler learned the hard way what it meant to violate that window. He was above Louisiana on a night flight when he reached Mach speed.

“It tore the tail off,” he said. “The plane flipped over, and that tore the wing off.”

The plane fell apart, he said, and at 78,000 feet, “I’m out in space. That’s a long way down.”

Fortunately, he was in the always used U-2 space (pressurized) suit with oxygen and had a parachute. After a long free fall, he opened his chute and found himself floating toward the ground. To his right, he could see lights on the ground. To his left, the same. But beneath him, all was black.

He remembered he was over Louisiana

“I thought, ‘That looks like a swamp.’ ”

It was.

“I landed in a big cypress tree,” he said. “My chute got caught and swung me into the trunk.”

Telling the story, Beeler reached down toward his calf, “I always kept a double-bladed knife in my suit leg pocket,” he said. He was able to cut himself free of the parachute and use the ties to temporarily lash himself to the tree.

He took off his helmet and dropped it into the darkness below. There was a distant splash.

“All I could think about was alligators and cottonmouths in the swamp,” he said.

Lucky for Beeler, the breakup of his plane had been spotted on radar. Within an hour and a half a rescue helicopter was overhead.

Another close call came over Cuba . . .

Beeler said MIG jets would fly beneath the U-2 planes, at about 50,000 feet. The fighter pilots would sometimes attempt to reach the spy planes by turning on their afterburners and flying straight up, higher than the Mugs were capable of operating effectively.

A Cuban pilot’s effort was particularly memorable, Beeler said.

“I look back and there’s this MIG tumbling about 50 feet off my wing,” he said. The plane was so close that he could see the pilot’s face.

Remembering, Beeler turned his hand cockeyed in front of his face. “His goggles were like this and his face was . . . ” The sentence ends in a grimace, Beeler’s eyes and mouth wide. “He was sure scared up there.”

Beeler took the U-2 on numerous missions over Cuba, providing information on the country’s armaments and the strength of its air force. Images from U-2 flights, he said, showed that Castro had only a few dozen bombers instead of the more than 400 he had claimed.

At one point, Beeler said, President John F. Kennedy stopped by the then U-2 headquarters in Del Rio, Texas, to talk to the pilots.

“He said, ‘You guys gave me information that prevented World War III at least twice,’ ” Beeler said.

AMAZING IMAGES

Sometimes the U-2’s high resolution, long-range camera captured images that had nothing to do with national security.

During one Cuban mission, Beeler spent some time following the coastline. Afterward, he was called into the lab by the man in charge of analyzing the film.

“He showed me a picture of this Cuban gal sunbathing nude on the beach,” Beeler said. “It was so clear I could see she had blue eyes. (The analyst) said, ‘The only film these guys want to work with is your film.’ ”

Returning from another mission, he took some images over San Diego. Later, he was shown a photo of a man sitting in his backyard reading the paper.

“I could read the headline on the newspaper,” he said.

Beeler is somewhat famous among USAF U-2 pilots for his landings of his Dragon Lady on an aircraft carrier (below left). The landing followed a mission over northeast Russia . The U-2’s 80-foot wingspan meant it could only go a short distance before it collided with the superstructure of the ship. Because of the ship’s speed and a headwind, Beeler said he was able to touch down and come to a stop in only about five feet!

U-2 Landing on USN Carrier CV-66, the USS America

“When I came aboard they had a ceremony welcoming the Air Force into the Navy. I said, ‘I don’t have much I like about the Navy except one thing,’ ” he said. That one thing was the Navy pilots’ leather jackets. Before he left the ship the following day, the Captain had given him one.

Above is a view of a U-2 reconnaissance aircraft parked on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS AMERICA (CV 66).

It lasted.

“I gave it to my son last week,” he said.

 

AFTER THE U-2

Among the military photos and plaques on the wall of Beeler’s room is a framed row of medals from his service, including the Distinguished Service Cross.

He points to the photo of one plane, an experimental B-46 medium bomber.

“It was a God-almighty bomber,” he said. But he declined a chance to fly it and similar bombers.

“I didn’t like the mission,” he said. “Go out and drop bombs. I wanted to shoot things up.”

After he left the service, in 1965, Beeler said he worked on the Apollo 5 program for three years. He was in charge of purchasing the equipment for the swing arm on the launch tower, he said.

He spent the next 25 years selling airplanes. He had his own dealership in the Santa Barbara area.

When his wife, Mary, developed Alzheimer’s disease, he retired to take care of her. After five years, he felt he needed help, so he moved with her to Air Force Village West, which has a nursing home on its campus.

“She lasted 11 days after I brought her here,” Beeler said. “I guess I kept her about as long as I could.”

The couple, who were married for 65 years, had two sons. The elder son lives in nearby Corona, CA, and comes to see him most days, Beeler said.

For Veterans Day, he said, he doesn’t have any big plans.

“I’ll probably sleep late,” he ventured.

Above is a short (2:37) SILENT (NO SOUND) video showing the 1964 CIA conducted aircraft carrier test operations with the U-2 being conducted aboard the USS CV-61, the Ranger, a Forestall Supercarrier, the first to be built with a slant deck, enabling successful Dragon Lady operations.

Latest (U-2S) Dragon Lady Specifications

Lockheed U-2S General Specifications

• Length: 63 ft.
• Wingspan: 103 ft.
• Height: 16 ft.
• Wing Area: 1,000 sq. ft.
• Empty Weight: 14,300 lbs.
• Loaded Weight: 40,000 lbs.
• Crew: 1

Lockheed U-2S Performance Specifications

• Power Plant: 1 × General Electric F118-101 turbofan
• Range: 6,405 miles
• Max Speed: 500 mph
• Ceiling: 70,000+ ft.

An Air Force U-2 flies a training mission. (U.S. Air Force Photo by Master Sgt. Rose Reynolds)

No spring chicken, the Lockheed U-2 spy plane, affectionately known to those who manage her deployments, as the “DRAGON LADY,” is already a genuine senior citizen, having been in continuous operation since the mid 1950’s, making her now over 62 years old.

Operated by our own fabled 1st Aero Squadron in the conduct of the identical Surveillance and Reconnaissance mission in which the 1st Aero was first engaged out of Columbus, NM during the Punitive Expedition 101 years ago, this impressive aircraft has a long history helping maintain the defenses of the United States.

Story thanks to Aerodrome Aviation Scout, Virg Hemphill.

DOOLITTLE RAID’S LONE SURVIVOR

Commemoration of Doolittle Raid’s 75th Anniversary will be held at this year’s AirVenture 2017 Aviation Extravaganza

June 7, 2017

Dick Cole by Mitchell Bomber at AirVenture 2012 – Lone surviving Raider at 100 years old.

The lone remaining veteran of the famed Doolittle Raiders mission of April 1942 and at least 16 B-25 bombers will be part of the raid’s 75th anniversary commemoration and air show activities at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2017.

The activities will honor those involved in the daring mission that included 16 B-25 bombers that departed from the aircraft carrier USS Hornet on April 18, 1942, and bombed military sites in Japan. The Doolittle Raiders, led by legendary pilot Jimmy Doolittle, then faced hardships after their airplanes made forced landings in China and other areas.

“The Doolittle Raid 75 years ago was important not as much for its military gains as it was a morale lift to an American military and public that had been buffeted by bad news in the months immediately following the attack on Pearl Harbor,” said Rick Larsen, EAA’s vice president of communities and member benefits who coordinates AirVenture features and attractions. “Our activities at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh this year will connect our attendees with the importance of this mission, as well as the people and aircraft involved.”

Among the highlights of the 75th anniversary commemoration will be an evening program on July 26 with 101-year-old Dick Cole, the only remaining member of the 80 original Doolittle Raiders, as well as Jimmy Doolittle’s grandchildren, Jimmy Doolittle III and Jonna Doolittle Hoppes.

“I want to thank EAA for honoring the Raiders at their 75th anniversary,” said Cole, who was copilot for Doolittle in the lead aircraft. “Thank you for paying tribute to us even though we never felt like heroes. We were just doing our job. We can also never forget the men who fought at Wake, Midway, and all across the Pacific. See you at Oshkosh.”

Other highlights include:

• Arrival of at least 16 B-25 bombers at AirVenture by Tuesday, July 25, with the aircraft parked in AirVenture’s Warbirds area. Notable aircraft already confirmed include Panchito (Delaware Aviation Museum); Briefing Time (Mid-Atlantic Air Museum); Yankee Warrior (Yankee Air Museum); Miss Hap (American Airpower Museum); Barbie III (Cavanaugh Flight Museum); Devil Dog (Commemorative Air Force); and Miss Mitchell (Commemorative Air Force – Minnesota Wing).
• Several programs at the popular Warbirds of America Warbirds in Review speaker series.
• Sixteen B-25s flying in the warbirds air show on Tuesday, July 25, and re-enacting the 1942 Doolittle Raid to start the night air show on Wednesday, July 26.

Other highlights will be announced as they are finalized.

VIDEO below depicts the famous Raid’s evolution.  It is  2:43 Long

EAA’s Annual AirVenture 2017 Promotional Video is below.  It i 2:27 long

Dick Cole in 2017

 At the left, is another photo of General Mitchell’s co-pilot.  Dick was in the right seat during that historic B-25 raid that took off from a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier to bomb Tokyo soon after Pearl Harbor.  This picture was taken in Atlanta, GA, during the 75th Reunion of the Flying Tiger Organization.  Dick is the last survivor of the Doolittle Raiders, he is now over 100 but he will once again return to Oshkosh this month – – – along with 16 flying B-25s.

One of Raiders takes off toward Tokyo in 1942

Lt. Col. Doolittle, pilot; Lt. Richard E. Cole, copilot; (back row) Lt. Henry A. Potter, navigator; SSgt. Fred A. Braemer, bombardier; SSgt. Paul J. Leonard, flight engineer/gunner. (U.S. Air Force photo) (We originally erred in names on this photo, but the sharp eye of Bill Madden, FASF Airfield Site Director, caught the goof! Now the names are all correct – Thanks, Bill.)

A fighter pilot conducts pre-flight checks inside an F-35A Lightning II before a training mission April 4, 2013, at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. (U.S. Air Force/Senior Airman Brett Clashman. 

USAF Announces New Pilot Incentive Pay Bonuses

Story and photo courtesy of Aerodrome Aviation News Scout, Virg Hemphill.

The Air Force on Monday unveiled a tiered bonus system to combat a chronic pilot shortage, with bonuses of up to $455,000 over 13 years for fighter pilots.

And while the benefit clearly takes aim at fighter pilots, it’s also designed to target aviators across a number of platforms, including drones, and for periods of as short as one year.

“Pilot retention right now is in a crisis when it comes to fighters, and we’re changing around the way we do incentive pay,” Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson said in announcing the initiative during a breakfast in Washington, D.C. The bonus “will encourage pilots to stay where they are needed most,” she said.

The new Aviation Bonus Program is an expansion of Aviator Retention Pay and puts into place the cap authorized for the incentive under the 2017 National Defense Authorization Act, or NDAA. It also details for the first time the “tiered” benefit, with specific amounts based on specialty area.

$35K a Year for Fighter, Drone Pilots. Fighter and drone pilots are slated to receive the highest maximum bonus of $35,000 a year, while special operations combat systems officers the least at $10,000.

Here’s a look at the different tiers for the bonus, according to figures released by the Air Force:

Tier 1 — Fighter Pilot (Air Force Specialty Code: 11F)

Bonus eligibility based on one-year, two-year, five-year, nine-year, or up to 24 years of aviation service (13-year maximum) commitments.
Maximum annual bonus: $35,000.

Tier 2 — Bomber Pilot (11B)/Special Operations Pilot (11S)/Mobility Pilot (11M)

Bonus eligibility based on one-year, two-year, five-year, or nine-year commitments.
Maximum annual bonus: $30,000.

Tier 3 — C2ISR Surveillance Pilot (11R)/Combat Search and Rescue Pilot (11H)

Bonus eligibility based on one-year, two-year, or five-year commitments.
Maximum annual bonus: $28,000.

Tier 4 — RPA Pilot (18X/11U/12U/13U)

Bonus eligibility based on a five-year commitment.
Maximum annual bonus: $35,000.

Tier 5 — Combat Search and Rescue Combat System Officer (12H)

Bonus eligibility based on a five-year commitment.
Maximum annual bonus: $20,000.

Tier 6 — Fighter Combat Systems Officer (12F)/Bomber CSO (12B)

Bonus eligibility based on a five-year commitment.
Maximum annual bonus: $15,000.

Tier 7 — Special Operations Combat Systems Officer (12S)/C2ISR Surveillance CSO (12R)

Bonus eligibility based on a five-year commitment.
Maximum annual bonus: $10,000.

Thanks to FASF Member Virg Hemphill, Aerodrome Aviation Scout, for this story from SAFB.

Dorian Walker, Chairman of Friends of Jenny, flies the JN-4 Jenny, at Bowling Green, Ky. The Curtiss JN-4 along with Scott Air Force Base are celebrating a century of service. The Jenny is scheduled to perform at the Scott AFB Centennial Air Show and will also be on display for spectators to view the aircraft. Photo by Senior Airman Tristin English

Scott Air Force Base News

June 1, 2017 1:52 PM

Curtiss JN-4D Jenny, Scott celebrate 100 years of service
By Senior Airman Tristin English

375th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs

One of the highlights for Scott’s Centennial Airshow and Open House on June 10 and 11 will be a flyby and display of an historical aircraft that has rich ties this region as well as the beginnings of flight.

The Curtiss JN-4D Jenny is possibly North America’s most famous World War I aircraft. It was a twin-seat, “student-in-front-of-instructor,” dual-control biplane. Its tractor propeller and maneuverability made it ideal for initial pilot training, and was widely used during World War I to train beginning pilots, with an estimated 95 percent of all trainees having flown a JN-4.

In 1917, Congress allocated $640 million to build more of these trainers because at that point there were only 32 airplanes in the Army in which only 10 or 12 were serviceable.

“Flying a 100-year-old aircraft is not like flying anything that’s in the air today; there’s no dynamic stability,” said Dorian Walker, Chairman of Friends of Jenny, a group that is dedicated to building and flying these aircraft. “It has big wings, which is good if you lift, but it’s got a lot of drag. So you’ve got two things that are normally associated with flying that are working against each other. Drag and lift. So you’re kind of battling those elements.”

Three members of the Friends of Jenny group built the aircraft that will fly at the airshow—a remarkable task since it had to be built from scratch and by matching up designs that would work safely for today’s aviation environment.

“To build one of these airplanes is amazing on so many levels,” said Dorian. “It’s amazingly frustrating because there’s no list of, ‘well this is what you do next.’ It starts with a process. The process is research … and trying to understand what went into making it—and then once you’ve done that you say, well, what about plans? Are there any plans?”

Retired Lt. Col. Gary Wickliff, Treasurer & Board of Directors for Friends of Jenny explained how they acquired the plans from the Smithsonian, but even that was tricky.

“Like with any plans, they’ll change a number somewhere so if you don’t catch it you’ll be trying to find a number that doesn’t exist anymore. You may have the new number or the old number and you just have to know where to supersede it,” he said.

Ultimately, the Jenny was built in three different phases. The main project was started in Kentucky, the wings were built in Lebanon, Tenn., and the plane was put together and painted in Tompkinsville, Ky., and flown there for its initial flight.

They kept the original wood air frame, but built a contemporary engine to the original specs and acquired some updated aviation technology. However, like the original, there are no brakes and no tail wheel—just the tail skid which was used as a brake. The air frame is exactly what people would’ve seen 100 years ago.

For the test flight, the Jenny was brought into a 1,200 foot grass median between a runway and a taxiway. At the end of the median, on the other side of the runway, was a pond of water and on the reverse side was a wooded hill.

“You think about flying this for the first time, and the courage it takes. You can’t go out and get lessons on how to fly this, so when you strap yourself in the first time you don’t know exactly what to expect. It takes a lot of courage and good aviation skills that have to be brought to bear,” said Wickliff.

Myron Callaham, Board of Directors with Friends of Jenny, said “It gives you a great respect for the early aviators because everything they did was for the first time, and many times didn’t know what to expect, so it took a lot of courage to push the envelope.”

Dorian added, “This is the 21st Century, so you don’t fly planes without brakes and you certainly don’t take off on that short of a field with a conventional type airplane. I sat in there and got the crank up and listened to the engine. I had a lot of questions about what was about to happen, but the one thing that calmed my nerves and boosted my courage was the relentless number of hours, time and commitment of all those who had come to bring this icon of aviation to this particular moment. And, guess what? It flew!”

A lot goes into planning a trip in the Jenny. They choose a route that has runways that are close to the prevailing wind at the time that they’re flying. The wind and the weather can change in any moment and they have to be ready to adjust their travel plans.

And, since the Jenny was built as a trainer, it only has a 24 gallon fuel tank and it burns about 11 gallons an hour, maybe more depending on the wind, so it will take about half a day with two refuel stops before arriving at Scott Air Force Base.

Dorian said, “I really believe in the notion that you need to understand your past, look at what worked and what didn’t work as a foundation for building a better future. The more we know about the past, maybe the better we can build that future. We’re delighted to be coming to the airshow and open house. We’re praying for good weather and delighted to be a part of the 100th Anniversary of Scott Air Force Base!”

Dorian Walker, Chairman of Friends of Jenny, flies the JN-4 Jenny, at Bowling Green, Ky. The Curtiss JN-4 is possibly North America’s most famous World War I aircraft. It was a twin-seat, student in front of instructor, dual-control biplane. Photo by Senior Airman Tristin English

Read more here:

2 Minute Video of Restored Jenny Flight!

Watch this restored 1917 Jenny as it is hand-cranked and takes to the air at the Owls Head Transportation Museum, in Owls Head, Maine. This original Jenny is part of the outstanding collection of pioneer era air and ground vehicles in the collection of the Owls Head Transportation Museum. As with most of this collection, the Jenny can be seen flying on this video, or in person at one of the ten special events that take place each year at the museum, in Owls Head Maine.