Aviation Insider - May 2011

'Ice Pilots' Help Re-Create 'Dambusters'
"How'd you get this number?" That was Buffalo Airways Manager Mikey McBryan's first response when, as he put it, "a couple British guys" called and said, "We're looking for an aviation company that can drop a spinning bomb and hit a dam." His next comment will come as no surprise to those who are familiar with McBryan and Buffalo Airways thanks to the success of the reality television series Ice Pilots NWT: "Yeah, it's totally possible. And I can guarantee you that no one else will do this but us." Read more and listen to the interview

Ice Pilots Season One Now on NatGeo TV One of the most interesting airlines in the world is now starring in the first U.S. season of Ice Pilots, which arrived on Canadian television a year ago. The show airs stateside Fridays on the National Geographic Channel at 9 p.m. Central. EAAers are quite familiar with the exploits of Buffalo Airways from its appearance at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2010 and the feature article in August 2010's issue of Sport Aviation. EAA's video about the airline is consistently the third most popular video on EAA's video site. Season two, which culminates with the Buffalo staff bringing a DC-3 to AirVenture 2010, is currently airing on Canada's History Television.
Episode one trailer \| Watch the EAA video \| Read the Sport Aviation article

Classic Fighters Omaka Air Show The Classic Fighters Omaka air show has grown from humble beginnings in the late 1990s to become one of the world's great aviation events - arguably the top showcase for the aerial fighting machines from the Great War. Classic Fighters Omaka 2011 was held a couple weekends ago (April 22 to 24) in the Marlborough region at the top of New Zealand's south island, with the Wither Hills ranges forming a dramatic backdrop to the airfield and abundant area vineyards. Read more

Warbird Mountain Flying This video was shot last November as part of the Commemorative Air Force's participation in a Veteran's Day celebration in the Phoenix, Arizona, area. Filmed over the Superstition Mountains east of Mesa and over Saguaro and Canyon lakes on the east edge of the Phoenix valley, the backdrops are stunning, enhanced by the soaring music from the HBO miniseries John Adams. Watch the video

Texas Legends Over St. Barths Aircraft from the Texas Flying Legends Museum recently participated in the St. Barths Bucket Air Show over Shell Beach. Warren Pietsch in the P-40K Aleutian Tiger, Robert Odegaard in the FG-1D Whistling Death, and Casey Odegaard in the P-51D Dakota Kid II made tantalizingly low passes over the Caribbean runway in this video shot from inside the aircraft and out. Watch the video

Open Enrollment for EAA Air Academy Basic Camp The EAA Air Academy Basic Camp is a hands-on camp designed to interest and challenge youth ages 14 to 15 with the fascinating world of aviation. Small group activities and close counselor relationships present intermediate aviation material through a unique combination of fun and discovery in a science camp format. Activities include designing, building, and flying a hot-air balloon model; building and flying a model rocket kit; learning about aviation history and flight; and experiencing flight in an airplane and helicopter! Sessions for 2011: Session 1, June 19 to 24; Session 2, June 26 to July 1; and Session 3, July 5 to 10. Limited space is filling up fast. Find out more

Sign Up Now for EAA's Women Soar You Soar Young women in grades 9 to 12 can enroll now in EAA's Women Soar You Soar 2011. This unique program will be held July 28 to 31, 2011 - expanded to four days! The program introduces 100-plus young women to more than 30 outstanding women, from engineers to fighter pilots, working in a variety of aviation and aerospace fields. Women Soar includes activities such as flight simulation, workshops, career exploration, and mentor sessions - with an overall mission to engage, inspire, and educate young women to pursue their dreams in aviation and beyond. The enrollment deadline is July 10, 2011, or until all spaces are filled. Click here or call 800-236-1025 to find out more about Women Soar You Soar 2011.