HD Video: UK Wingsuit Flyer Lands Without Deploying Parachute... On Cardboard Box Runway

 To be honest, I wasn't sure I wanted to post anything about the successful wingsuit jump accomplished earlier today by Gary Connery in Henley, England. But after seeing him speak about the jump immediately after (as this video shows), I decided that his effort was not driven by runaway ego and excessive pride. I can certainly respect that, and his accomplishment.

 The jump was from 2,400 feet out of a helicopter, and Gary was wearing a parachute as a backup plan in case the approach was not deemed proper. His runway for the landing was made of over 18,000 empty cardboard boxes stacked about 12 feet high, 350 feet long and about 50 feet wide. After making a couple of practice jumps where the parachute was used, the successful landing was accomplished on what appears to be the first actual attempt at landing without the parachute. As any pilot would expect, the approach was at a very steep angle and high speed with a hard flare maneuver slowing the rate of sink for the landing into the boxes. Airspeed at first contact with the boxes is estimated at about 50 mph.

 The point of contact was just past the halfway point down the runway, and Gary was completely unharmed by the landing. This is believed to be the first time a wingsuit has been used to land on the ground without using the parachute.

 The extreme wingsuit flying phenomenon of the last 10 years is both fantastic and too close to the edge of death in my opinion. And while I do think this was a very impressive accomplishment, my fear is that others will push the concept forward without being properly prepared to handle the risks. Maybe I'm just getting old, but I honestly have a hard time understanding the justification of these risks against the potential gain. The sport won't truly advance if a lot of these guys wind up dead. Agree? Disagree? Feel free to let me know how you feel about it.

HD Video: Kirby Chambliss, Red Bull, And GoPro Make A Great Combination!

 This sweet promo video from the GoPro youtube channel for the HD HERO2 makes for fun 4 minutes! It has a strong music video feel with a loud background and edgy editing... usually I'm all for just let me hear the airplane but I gotta say I like this as entertainment. And the crazy-boy smile on Kirby's face as he flies inverted around some Arizona rock formations pretty much says it all.

 Btw... I miss the Red Bull Air Races : /

(to watch in HD: hit play and then pause - then look for the 'gear' icon in the lower
right of the video window & select 1080p... click 'fullscreen' and enjoy!)

Video screenshot showing Kirby Chambliss having GoPro fun in the Arizona desert!

Video: Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (SpaceX) Successful Falcon 9 Launch May 22, 2012

 At a time when many of the forward-thinking people in America have been kicking around dust with the toe of their shoe wondering what really is next for the United States and space exploration (Shuttle Program retired, Constellation Program termination) - today brings some sunlight out from behind a darkened planet... SpaceX has successfully launched their ambitious, unmanned Falcon 9 spaceflight launch system. Liftoff came at 3:44 am EDT at Cape Canaveral in Florida. Congratulations to Elon Musk and the hardworking people who have made this day a reality!

 The real work in developing a truly viable space launch system is really just beginning, but today's successful launch will fuel both the desire and the drive to keep pushing forward toward complete success.

 This video gives a good view of the launch (1:13) and continues on thru main engine cutoff (4:19) - secondary engine cutoff (10:51) - Dragon Spacecraft separation (11:19) - and then solar array deployment (12:52). The best moment comes directly after as you hear thunderous applause and great cheering from the people involved in making it all happen.

 This, this is a good day.

Video screenshot of the successful SpaceX Falcon 9 launch May 22, 2012

Video: The Awesome And Mighty Martin Mars Water Bomber!

I could listen to this amazing and beautiful airplane fly all day long!

MartinMars.com

(to watch in HD: hit play, then look for the 'gear' icon in the lower right of
the video window & select 1080p... click 'fullscreen' and enjoy!)

Caption Contest #74 Winner - 'Pancake Man' Superhero Edition!

 Yesterday's post about the flying machines in the awesome Marvel Comics movie The Avengers (in theaters now, check local listings : ) has us in a superhero kind of mood... and that's perfect for this Caption Contest winner! Cograts to 'Tailgear' for getting the most votes and securing a bacon sandwich at OSH12 for the effort. And just as important, Pancake Man finally gets some recognition!

 The Flying Pancake theme was used to good advantage in the captions offered up this time around, tho I'll have to say that the Round EZe concept was a great one too!

 The Vought V-173 Flying Pancake is one of the most unusual airplanes ever designed and built, and it actually flew pretty darn well. I've been planning to do an extensive feature on the aircraft but haven't got it done yet. Til then, you may wanna go check out some very nice pix of the recently restored V-173 at this Zone-Five.net modeling forum post. You might also wanna check out this page from the Dallas NBC5 TV station that includes a video and info on the V-173 from its recent arrival at the Frontiers of Flight Museum in Dallas where the restored V-173 will be on display for the next 10 years (on loan from the National Air & Space museum)

 More avgeek caption fun on the way on another Monday morning when the time seems right... watch for it.

Marvel Film 'The Avengers' Continues Hollywood's Love For VTOL

(click pic to enlarge)  The S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier in the hot Marvel movie The Avengers

(4pix)

 Have you ever noticed how much Hollywood is in love with the idea of VTOL aircraft? I guess it's a logical desire... who wouldn't want a flying machine that can do anything and everything? We'd all love to have aircraft that have no limits, but so far, that's just not our reality. Not even close. And that huge flying aircraft carrier above from the excellent and in-theaters-now Marvel movie The Avengers is probably the biggest suspension of reality you're gonna find. It's called the Helicarrier, and while it looks awesome and very believable on screen, can you even imagine the thrust requires to lift a 250 million pound boat? Me either.

 But movies like Avatar and The Avengers aren't meant to be based in the reality we live in every day, and that's exactly why we love them so much. And love The Avengers I did... so much that I saw it twice in less than a week! There are very few movies I've done that with. If you haven't seen it yet I suggest you make plans for this weekend to go experience it - I can't imagine you being disappointed. It's a masterpiece of weaving a story together and keeping you engaged and entertained at every moment. And, it has quite a few flying machines in it as well to keep the avgeek happy. I saw it in both 2D and 3D and honestly I found the 2D to be just as enjoyable. So if you're not into wearing funky sunglasses indoors, I'd suggest you go flat and watch the 2D version.

(click pic to enlarge) Helicarrier lift fans (and they're not sucking in everything in sight?)

Click to read more ...

Video: Shuttle Enterprise Being Lifted Off Of The 747 At JFK

 When I posted the video of Shuttle Discovery being mounted on top of the 747 for transport to the National Air & Space Museum (5th and last video in that post) I noticed the rather massive structure that's used in lifting the Shuttle into place onto the back of the 747. I wondered right then about what's used when they move a Shuttle to a random location such as a museum. So I was really interested in seeing this silent video that shows the Shuttle Enterprise (the glide test Shuttle that never went into space) after it has been moved out of the Air & Space Museum (to make room for Discovery) and was transported to JFK to eventually work its way to the deck of the USS Intrepid WWII aircraft carrier, the foundation for the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum.

 The crane and associated apparatus used here seems nicely simplified compared to that massive scaffold structure, but also easily up to the task of safely lifting the Shuttle off of the 747 and then down to the ground. A job well done I'd say.

 If you're interested in checking out Enterprise in her new home, the Space Shuttle pavilion at the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum is scheduled to open on July 19, 2012.

Caption Contest #74 - Ends Wednesday 5.16.12 At 9PM EDT

 It's time for a little more caption action, avgeek style! This pic from the past should prove pretty easy to come up with a pack of wacky captions as we set our sights on another winner of a bacon sandwich at OSH12 : )

 So, you've got til Wednesday evening at 9pm EDT to submit your clever/funny/cool captions. Then, I’ll pick the best 5 and put ’em in a poll for everyone to vote on for all day Thursday and Friday so we can find the winner. 

 The Rules: 

1) Max of 3 submissions per person

2) Submissions go in the 'comments' area 

3) Game ends Wednesday at 9pm EDT 

4) Keep it clean!

 Then, anyone can cast their vote starting Thursday morning and running thru til 9pm EDT Friday. The winner will be posted Saturday morning 5-19-12.

 Anybody have pancakes for breakfast this morning?

First Customer-Built Onex Flies... Let The Revolution Begin!

Bill Fisher and his 'first customer-built Onex': first flight was yesterday! (photo: Sonex)

 Thursday May 10th 2012 was a big day for the little single seat VW powered freedom machine known as the Onex... the first customer-built airplane made its first flight! I think this is the start of a quiet revolution for the homebuilt aircraft world. The Onex from Sonex Aircraft represents the most affordable, practical and desirable combination of design and function that I've ever seen in a homebuilt aircraft. I'm sure there are those out there who don't agree or aren't attracted to the Onex, but I believe that this little airplane offers more fun and realistic ability to reach completion for the average pilot than anything else that's ever been available. Learn more about the Onex kit at the Sonex website. 

 Congrats to Bill Fisher from Jackson Tennessee for making the first flight on the first customer-built Onex! From these pictures (from the Sonex website) it sure looks like he's done a great job putting the little cutie together... and if you know anything about me, you know I couldn't be happier that the first one done is a taildragger!

The affordable single seat sports car of the air - Onex from Sonex. (photo:Sonex)

 As you can see from the video below from the first flight (which really just shows a nice fly by), the VW engine has finally found the perfect home in the sky. The performance with the AeroVee engine is excellent... and the affordability and low operating costs only make it all the more attractive.

 Plus, the roomy cockpit, the folding wings, and the simplified kit, which includes more pre-formed parts and matched-hole assembly, means that there's very little compromise in the Onex package. I stand by my assessment that the Onex is the closest thing to the homebuilt grand slam that we've ever seen. I think you can expect to see these little machines popping up all over the place! If I wasn't still struggling just to survive financially, you can be sure there'd be one of these in progress out in my garage : )

The roomy cockpit of Bill Fisher's 'first customer-built' Onex kit  (photo: Sonex)

Hot! Air To Air Video & Stills With Holland, Goulian, Stewart And Coleman

 Really fab aviation photographer Jessica Ambats did a hot air-to-air photoshoot with Rob Holland, Michael Goulian, Skip Stewart and Kevin Coleman down at Sun-n-Fun, and this recently released video from the Nflightcam youtube channel takes us all along for the wild ride!

 Please join me in watching this awesome video... and in wishing we were any of the people in the air that sunny Florida day : )

Awesome video screenshot from the Jessica Ambats photoshoot done at Sun-n-Fun