Crossing the Pond Contributor: Barry Fetzer Sources: Oleg Makarenko, Simplyflying.com, and History Press It’s hard to imagine a world without commercial jet aircraft. But, like everything, there was a first and, in this case, it was not in America, arguably the world’s most prolific aviation innovator. It was our friends in Great Britain who were…
Wiley Post Contributor: Barry Fetzer Sources: History.com and Wikipedia Hello again fellow lovers of aviation history. This historical vignette reminds me of the story of “Lucky”, the mangey, stray, three-legged, castrated, one-eyed, “Heinz-57” (mixed breed) dog that despite his adversities somehow was still making it in the canine world…somehow had found a way to survive…
Apollo and Viking Contributor: Barry Fetzer Sources: History.com and Wikipedia Good morning. Today we have an outer space “twofer” to celebrate our aviation heritage: Apollo and Viking. “The most Greek of the gods”, according to Wikipedia, “Apollo was the god of archery, music and dance, truth and prophecy, healing and diseases, the Sun and light,…
A Busy Aviation History Day Contributor: Barry Fetzer Source: History.com Happy mid-July. The autumn solstice is only two months and six days away (September 23, 2023). The eternal and unstoppable passage of the seasons…and time…continues to “fly” unabated. Yes, it’s hot but we’ll be commenting on the cold weather before we know it. Today’s aviation…
Presidential Helicopter Squadron Author: Barry Fetzer Can you imagine the “dog fight” that would occur today if the military services were competing for the honor of being the “Presidential Helicopter Squadron”? In many ways, life was simpler back in 1957 and in the early 1970’s, when the Marines, who had been pioneering use of helicopters…
Amelia Disappears Author: Barry Fetzer Like many girls of her “vintage” (she was born in July, 1928), my mom’s heroine when she was a young girl was Amelia Earhart. Mom is dead, now, but scrap books of hers cobbled together as a kid and retained as an adult are replete with newspaper clippings of Earhart’s…
Atlantis and Mir Author: Barry Fetzer It’s probably just me (although I’d feel better if I knew others are as nuts as I am), but why is it I like round numbers so much? It may be my “manageable OCD” (manageable, depending on the eye of the beholder I suppose), enhanced, a bit, by my…
The Berlin Airlift Author: Barry Fetzer Actions by the Soviet Union today in 1948 became the impetus for one of the largest, aviation-centric logistical efforts ever undertaken: the Berlin Airlift. Only two days after the Soviets closed all surface access to west Berlin, in what turned out to be a vain attempt to gain concessions…