Reel Stuff Film Festival - Because Airplanes And Popcorn Go Together

Reel Stuff Film Fest - March 12-15, 2009 in Dayton, Ohio 

Matthias Schweighöfer as Manfred von Richthofen in "Der Rote Baron"

Der Rote Baron (The Red Baron - 2008) showing Sunday, March 15, 2009

 The Reel Stuff Film Festival is only in its second year, but it seems to be getting some serious traction.  The event will take place Thursday, March 12 thru Sunday, March 15, in the birthplace of aviation: Dayton, Ohio.

 It's a pretty cool idea really... to take some of the best films that feature aviation from the past and then mix them up with new (and new-ish) projects that really capture the spirit of flight.  Then, gather together to watch them, talk about them, and celebrate a little. And, maybe most important, to inspire pilots and filmmakers to push harder to make more great aviation films in the future.

 I like this idea so much that I've just decided that I need to make the three hour trip (each way) to Dayton on Sunday to go watch the US premier of "Der Rote Baron", the 2008 film about WWI ace Manfred von Richthofen: The Red Baron.  Some of the reviews I've read say the story is a little flat, but after seeing the trailer, it looks stunning.  I'm willing to risk it.

 There will be 13 films in all shown over the four days, and admission is just $10 for each showing. There's also an all-shows pass for $95, but I'm not sure if it's available at-the-door. The screenings include an up front presentation as well as Q & A right after with those who are presenting the films.  Go to the website for all the details.

 I highly encourage you to become aware of this unique film fest, and I'm trying to knock you off the fence and get you involved.  If you can get there, do it!  And if it's simply not possible this time, stay connected to it so maybe next year you can be right there in the thick of it all.

 In many ways, aviation is in peril, and I think film is going to be one of the most powerful ways we're gonna get people into the sky in the future. We really need to support projects in the works like Wilco Films "A Pilot's Story" (see trailer) and events like the Reel Stuff Film Fest.  Everyone comes out ahead when we do.

Sky High WiFi With Kevin Rose On VirginAmerica!

 OK, it's true, I've been following @kevinrose on twitter, but I didn't recognize the name when I saw a tweet fly by that said he was Ustreaming live from a Virgin flight headed toward New York.  I clicked the link and signed in to ustream.tv and there he was, for real, live steaming from an aisle seat and looking pretty happy.

 Then I'm thinking, who's the dude? OH! He's the Digg.com guy - that's cool.  So, before you know it, 800+ people are logged in to the chat and enjoying this special wifi moment. Seems he's en route to New York for a Wednesday night, March 11, 2009 appearance on the relatively newly-minted Late Night With Jimmy Fallon show (I don't really 'do' network TV these days, so I had to do a bit-o-research on that).  Apparently some people watch this kind of stuff.

 So, we've got two points of interest here for us to take a closer look at: First point is that Kevin Rose claims to be an avid tea drinker. Well, as the lower pic seems to indicate, it looks like he is indeed drinking some delicious tea.  That's the tea bag hanging below the cup there.  I'm gonna assume that the tea bag isn't a trick, so we seem to have some proof that the guy does like his tea!

 Second point is that we've got us here some wifi that's fast enough to do a really good job of streaming live video.  That seems pretty impressive cuz that's an aluminum tube scampering along at almost 600mph! My recent airline comfort poll results suggested that people are really looking for more ways to pass the time in the air, and looks like wasting time on the net is ready to step up to the plate... well, that and drinking tea!

VTOL Verticopter Flying Manta Ray Concept - I'm Likes It!

VertiCopter.com

'Caption Contest' #11 Is Off The GroundEnds Tuesday 3-10-09 At 9PM EDT

 Umm, can you say 'different'? It's actually a pretty cool airplane the more you look at it, but it's also one that should pretty easily generate some funny thoughts for captions. So, please, generate away!

 There's $20 in AirPigz funny money (safely under 24 hour guard) just waiting for the winner! You've got til 9pm EDT Tuesday to make your submissions, and then voting will begin shortly after that.

 The Rules:

1) Max of 2 submissions per person

2) Submissions go in 'comments'

3) Game ends Tuesday at 9pm EDT

4) Keep it clean!

 Then, anyone who wants to cast their vote will be able to shortly after the 9pm Tuesday submission deadline. The voting will be open for 24 hours, til 9pm EDT on Wednesday.  The winner will be posted within an hour after voting ends : )

Boeing 787 Poll - We Wait Cuz It's Late But Will It Be Great?

 Q1 2009 will be gone before we know it, which means Q2 is fast approaching... And that's the latest target ‘quarter' for Boeing's 787 Dreamliner to finally slip the surly bonds of earth.  I sure hope this is a target they can hit cuz I think that almost 2 years behind schedule is quite enough, don't you!?

 Don't get me wrong tho, I'm bullish that this airplane will be as great a success story in the long run as the 747 has been, and I shared those thoughts a few weeks back when I was a guest on the AirplaneGeeks podcast #33.

 My thinking here is if Airbus was a full 2 years behind making an airplane with essentially off the shelf technology, how much harder must it be to pretty much re-invent the commercial airliner like Boeing is doing with the 787.

 The fact that it looks like they might have a firm grip on only 2 years behind might actually be a pretty good accomplishment.  Might.

 This brings us to the question I ask you in the poll below.  I'm curious to know if you think this project is going to rise up victorious and position Boeing clearly in the lead once again as a global airframer, or do you think this will be the airplane that truly weakens Boeing's place in the marketplace?  The truth of the situation might well fall somewhere in the middle, but it's still interesting to see what people think.

 You know how I voted, as I'm fully expecting the 787 to revolutionize air travel.  Unless of course, the global economy shrivels up and falls head first into some black hole leaving all of us to be more concerned with how to grow potatoes!

 (Sorry, this poll has expired)

Reno Air Races 1970 Darryl Greenamyer And Conquest 1

I haven't been to the Reno Air Races in years - but I'll be there in 2009!

  Because my dad was both an airline pilot and an airplane nut, I had a bazillion awesome opportunities when I was a kid to see some amazing things in the world of aviation.  Like the 1970 Reno Air Races where a record 60,000 people attended!

 If you didn't know better, it would be easy to think the airplane in the picture is just another everyday F-8 Bearcat racer with a really big prop.  Well, it's a whole lot more than that! This is the fastest piston engine airplane in the world in 1970!  Darryl Greenamyer flew the big white Conquest 1 to a record setting speed of 483.041mph on August 16, 1969.

 He was the favored to win at Reno in 1970, especially since he had placed first from 1965-1969... but a very dramatic problem with one of the landing gear legs not fully retracting left him in last place.  I'm saving a complete story on that fabulous championship race for later.  I was blessed to not only be there at the races, but to have pit access too.  I couldn't believe I found the actual passes in a box a while back -wow that's cool!  So I scanned them in.

 1970 was an incredible time in the world, and the experience at Reno was, in some ways, on the leading edge of it all.  I'm so thankful for the opportunity to have been there, even if I was only 9 years old.  I still clearly remember seeing my fave racer of all time, Darryl Greenamyer. limping around the course with that gear leg hanging out.

 My story on the panoramic pics of the Udvar-Hazy Center is a nifty connection since you can see a little of Conquest 1 in this pic, just behind the original 707.  I'm really glad to know it's there with its modern yellow paint, but in my mind, the simple white paint with a blue prop made this airplane absolutely perfect!

Caption Contest #10 Appropriately Won By "tendancer"

 $5 in AirPigz Funny Money has been won in Caption Contest #10 by twitter follower @tendancer.  Hmmm, I guess we got the numbers all lined up on that one!  So congrats, and may you never leave your Cherokee in a tree : )

 As more people are playing the game, I may have to adjust the way it all works.  But, that's a good problem to have.  And hey, keep an eye out (no wait, leave it in) for contest #11 to crack the egg Monday March 9, 2009.

1900 Foot Apogee And A Little Trouble On The Way Down!

 Model Rockets are just awesome... and even better that these days putting a video cam onboard is no big deal.  The view of a launch and ride is a total kick.

 I really like watching the fire and the body tube flex in this one.  Zero g at the top (my fave part) - what a view!  And, a most unusual vid of the ride down as well!  Enjoy.

360 Panoramic Extravaganza! Must See Pix Of Udvar-Hazy NASM

Don't think... just do it!  Click this pic for an awesome full 360 panoramic! 

After the pic loads, click it to enlarge to super mega size : )

Click to view this one too!

After the pic loads, click it to enlarge to super mega size : )

NASM Udvar-Hazy Center near Washington Dulles Airport   photo: Smithsonian Institution

 
James S McDonnell Space Hangar at the Udvar-Hazy Center   photo: Smithsonian Institution

Awesome Animation Video: Sully AndCactus 1549 Ditch In The Hudson