Relentless has new paint

And she is looking good!  Mike Shreeve took some great photos!

Glacier Girl: It wasn’t meant to be

Yesterday, it was announced that Glacier Girl will not complete the trip to England.  Operation Bolero II continues, however, as Ed Shipley continues the flight in the P-51 Mustang, Miss Velma.  Glacier Girl is parked in Goose Bay awaiting an engine replacement by her dedicated and skilled crew.  The people at Airshowbuzz.com have been fantastic in covering the whole flight and keeping us informed.  I’m sure they are disappointed, but I like what Shipley told someone over the phone, which was related in one of the posts:  Glacier Girl still has history to make!

The story of Glacier Girl is already remarkable.  The initial mission that failed on the ice, being buried in the ice for 50 odd years, the recovery from the ice, the restoration, appearances at various airshows, and then this attempt at the original mission again.  Simply remarkable. 

Everyone involved in this plane’s history deserves a standing ovation.  There has been a lot of money spent to keep her flying, but I think the most important investment that needs to be recognized is the time and effort that has gone into her recovery, restoration  and maintenance. 

Keep an eye on the link blog (link is in the right column).  I’ll share any news stories or blog posts related to Glacier Girl as they appear.

Operation Bolero II: Why they didn’t fly today

Ed Shipley explains why they didn’t take off for the next leg of Operation Bolero II today (video).  The whole mission is an exclusive on Airshowbuzz.com.  There’s a lot of us in my office wishing these guys LOTS of luck!

Voodoo team: Interview with the crew

The Voodoo website has been updated with some interviews (video) of the crew.  This is one reason I really like the internet.  Things like this never make TV anymore, and it is nice to have access to the race teams.  Like others, I just wish some more air racing teams would follow this example.  [via] 

Video: Raptor demo

Keith left this is the comments this morning.  It’s worthy of a post of it’s own. 

Just added an F-22 Raptor Video to the site.  I got to spend some time with the demo pilot, Major Paul “Max” Moga.  In the video, he talks you through each maneuver.  The focus of this 9 minute video is the videography of the flight.  Each maneuver is presented from entry to exit so the viewer can experience the next best thing to watching it live.  The bonus of this video is it starts at preflight, and has nice shots of the engine start with full control surface checks- all within 20 feet of the Raptor.

http://www.kbvp.com/extreme-videos/f-22-raptor

Pilot story: Cpt Paul Olsen

Sadly, he passed from cancer, age 86.  His doctor posts one of his stories here. 

Relentless update, 6/23/07

Team Relentless has a post on AAFO letting us know the latest on their beautiful plane.  It will be getting new paint soon.  I can’t wait to see it.

A proud feeling

Have you watched something and felt that feeling of pride swell up in you?  Last night, my wife and I were standing in a parking lot waiting for a certain thing to happen.  And then, at 10pm as the news predicted, we saw the Internation Space Station come out of the WNW and travel to the SE.  My wife said then:  “I’ve got that feeling of pride swelling up in me right now.”  Strange as it may sound, it was an awe inspiring moment as we watched the station pass over head.  After her statement I couldn’t help but think about Tom Hanks in the movie Cast Away, banging his chest, yelling “Look what I’ve created.”  Yes, man is an amazing creature.  I could have pounded my chest last night, pointed skyward, and yelled, “look what we’ve created.”  We’re hoping the weather will clear today so we can get another glimpse tonight. 

Glacier Girl – more news

The historic flight is taking place this weekend.  News coverage has been prolific.  All the folks on Airshowbuzz have been great about posting links to what they’ve seen.  Most are consolidated here, and I’m sure there will be more as the weekend progresses.

USA Today covers Operation Bolero II

WWII warbird to finish aborted 1942 mission.  USA is in on the act now covering Glacier Girl’s flight to England.