Category Archives: There I was…

Personal Trifecta

Posted on June 15, 2018 by merlinjr01

It began like this. Early in the year, I learned that the US Air Force Museum was going to unveil the Memphis Belle B-17 exhibit in early May. I called my friend, John (of Michigan and New Orleans trips “fame”), … Continue reading →

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From Takeoff to Landing – Part 2

Posted on December 20, 2016 by merlinjr01

What you see, hear, and feel on a typical airline flight – Continued Part II – Cruise and Descent Phase: Cruise Pilot Activity: At this point, the aircraft is probably flying on autopilot. The autopilot can maintain altitude, speed, and … Continue reading →

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From Takeoff to Landing – Part 1

Posted on December 19, 2016 by merlinjr01

What you see, hear, and feel on a typical airline flight It has been several years, but recently I had business that required a flight from Tennessee to Philadelphia. I used to travel a good bit before I retired. It … Continue reading →

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The C-141 Starlifter That Had A Mission To Catch The Space Shuttle

Posted on August 31, 2016 by merlinjr01

When two space-age technologies came together…almost (The KAO and the Space Shuttle) The C-141 Starlifter That Had A Mission To Catch The Space Shuttle — Avgeekery.com – We Love All Things Aviation The best, deep-space optical observatories are mounted high … Continue reading →

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Balls Eight – The B-52 That Was The Mother of Mother Ships

Posted on August 29, 2016 by merlinjr01

How engineers used a B-52 to rapidly advance our understanding of supersonic flight The Challenge: The engineers have designed and developed a new aircraft that can fly five times the speed of sound (Mach 5), but it does not carry enough … Continue reading →

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The Aviation Museum of Kentucky

Posted on August 4, 2016 by merlinjr01

Serendipity – While planning a trip to a family reunion, I discovered an aviation museum within minutes of our planned route. It was a well-timed and worthwhile side-trip. The Aviation Museum of Kentucky is set in a rolling bluegrass landscape, adjacent … Continue reading →

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Grumman America AA-5A Cheetah

Posted on April 12, 2016 by merlinjr01

Tuesday Topics – Aircraft of the Month The Grumman Cheetah was a development of the earlier AA-5 Traveler, originally built by American Aviation. After the aircraft line was purchased by Grumman, their engineers felt the design had more speed potential … Continue reading →

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The T-29 “Flying Classroom”

Posted on March 8, 2016 by merlinjr01

Aircraft of the Month My first flying assignment following Air Force flight training was as a pilot for the Navigator Flight Training school at Mather AFB, near Sacramento, California. Imagine the shock. I had just spent four months flying a … Continue reading →

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Piper J-3 Cub

Posted on January 12, 2016 by merlinjr01

Topical Tuesday – Aircraft of the Month Prologue: Last year I made an abortive attempt to post an “Aircraft of the Month.” It did not continue because of several reasons—or excuses. But the main fault was that I did not … Continue reading →

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There I Was – Merlin First Flight

Posted on July 20, 2015 by merlinjr01

Aircraft of the Month – The Merlin GT This is an experience I knew I was going to have to describe. By now you are aware of my continuing interest in aviation, airplanes and flying. In a manner of speaking, … Continue reading →

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