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NTSB Air Race and Air Show Safety Hearing Wraps in DC

January 10, 2012 by Leave a Comment

 

The NTSB’s Air Race and Air Show Safety Hearing just wrapped up in Washington.  I was able to watch the last hour or so.  If, like me, you missed part or all of it, the NTSB’s website indicates that the webcast will be available in archived form as early as this evening.  I’ll be checking the NTSB’s web page for the hearing (http://www.ntsb.gov/news/events/2012/air_show/index.html) this evening and,  if the archived version is available early enough, I might try to get through all of it and do a post or two with my thoughts (such as they are).

 

Filed Under: Stephen Force

Studio Renovation in Full Swing

January 8, 2012 by 1 Comment

January is the time at which I get some breathing room and can pay attention to some of the core things about the show, the movies, and related stuff.  It will come as no surprise that my studio facilities (affectionately known as Flaming Duck Studios) have become increasingly entropic during the 10 years since I initially started using the space for that purpose.  I’ve known for a few years that I needed to pull everything apart and reorganize it.  It finally ascended to the top of the list and I’ve been working on the studio for the last two weeks.

The most important change is a relocation of the work area across the room.  I now sit facing the digital side of the studio with the video and digital audio editing system on that side.

If I swing the chair around 180 degrees, I’m facing all of my old analog equipment.  This frees much of the other space for the fridge, racks for audio and video equipment, the drum kit, and places for visiting performers to set up and play.

It’ll be a few more weeks before it’s done, but I’m really looking forward to posting a full panoramic shot of the studio when it is.

 

Filed Under: Stephen Force

Making Good on a Deal – Audio Episode Show Notes

January 6, 2012 by Leave a Comment

These are the show notes to an audio episode. You can listen to the show audio by clicking here: http://traffic.libsyn.com/airspeed/AirspeedDeal.mp3.  Better yet, subscribe to Airspeed through iTunes or your other favorite podcatcher. It’s all free!

As many of you know, I recently flew my first aerobatic competition, placing second in the Primary category at the IAC Michigan Aerobatic Open in Jackson, Michigan 9-10 July 2011.  I kept a diary of the experience and turned it into an episode.  You can hear the audio by clicking the link above and you can check out the actual diary text and images at the links below.

Sunday 3 July 2011:  The Deal
Thursday 7 July 2011:  Setting Up the Box
Thursday 7 July 2011: I Suck!
Saturday 9 July 2011: Flying Aerobatics in Anger
Sunday 10 July 2011: Making Good on a Deal

For those interested, the Jackson contest will be 7-8 July 2012 at Jackson County Reynolds Field.  Organizers in the host city have some great ideas about organizing events around the contest to turn it into a destination attraction.  Head to IAC Chapter 88′s website for additional details as they become available.

In the meantime, if you’ve never flown aerobatics, now might be a good time to think about starting.  You have plenty of time to consider your options, head to a few local IAC chapter meetings, find an instructor and an aircraft, and go get upside down.  Though I’ve been flying acro on and off since 2008, I didn’t get serious about it until this year.  And I flew my first contest after less than two hours of flying the Pitts aerobatically.  This is a doable thing.

And there’s an amazingly supportive group of people that does this.  You know how pilots are such a reliably stalwart, competent, and friendly group?  Aerobatic pilots are even more so.  You’re going to love flying acro and love competing even more.

 

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Airshows 101 at ICAS 2011 – Audio Episode Show Notes

December 6, 2011 by Leave a Comment


These are the show notes to an audio episode. You can listen to the show audio by clicking here: http://traffic.libsyn.com/airspeed/AirspeedICASAS101.mp3. Better yet, subscribe to Airspeed through iTunes or your other favorite podcatcher. It’s all free!

I’m once again at the Paris Hotel in Las Vegas for the annual convention of the International Council of Air Shows (“ICAS”).

It’s the annual event at which the airshow community in North America gets together to talk about the recently completed season, catalog the collective experience, and plan for the next year’s operations. Just about everyone who matters in the airshow industry is here in person or represented in one way or another.

I attend ICAS each year on media credentials. It’s a great opportunity to meet the performers whom I cover and make connections that help me to produce the show. The T-38 episode from January of this year was a direct result of a contact made at ICAS. Additionally, many of the performer cameos that you’re going to see in Acro Camp resulted from conversations over coffee or beer at ICAS. [Read more...]

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ICAS 2011 – Day 1

December 5, 2011 by Leave a Comment


This is a regular blog post that updates listeners and viewers on events in the Airspeed world. Airspeed is an audio and video Internet media source that brings the best in aviation and aerospace to media devices and desktops everywhere. If you’re looking for the audio and video content, please check the other entries on the site. It’s all here! In the meantime, enjoy this update about what’s going on in Airspeed’s world.

I’m here at the ICAS Convention at Paris Las Vegas for a few days. I again hit Airshows 101 yesterday and then got reacquainted with the airshow pros. The opening session kicks off in a half hour and then the exhibit hall opens for the first session mid-day.

I’m working on the Airshows 101 episode and have hopes of getting it out later today.

In the meantime, here are a few shots of the convention so far.

The first is a panoramic shot of the welcome reception last night. We had a nautical theme in honor of the centennial of naval aviation. My costume was a TSO’ed life vest. I gave it a 50-50 chance of making it through the party without someone pulling the handle to inflate it. The handle got pulled as I was making my last round of the floor before heading out to the bar. No worries. That’s what it was for. And now I have experience with yet another piece of emergency equipment. And, yeah, there’s got to be a way to log it.

The rest are shots of Le Central, better known as the “circle bar,” just inside the main entrance. Other than the parties at some of the suites upstairs, Le Central is the place to be. You can check out my episode from last year for a more complete gouge.

Back to work on the Airshows 101 episode!

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