100 years of Marine Corps Aviation

More like 100 years of kicking ass and taking names in the skies above some of the largest battles to every take place on the face of the earth.

100 years ago on the 22nd of May, 1912, a Marine 1st Lieutenant by the name of Alfred Austell Cunningham reported for flight-training to the Naval Academy where a training facility for aviators was set up. Thus, May 22nd was recognized as the birthday of Marine aviation.

In naval aviation, you'll hear of the exploits of Navy pilots and their daredevil stunts in the face of death. Lesser known are the accomplishments of their counterpart Marine pilots. Take for example Lt. Col. "Pappy" Boyington. That man had balls of steel. On one occasion, he and 24 fighters flew over a Japanese-occupied airfield (Kahili airdrome), during the Pacific campaign of WWII, taunting the guys on the ground into sending up a few planes. Turns out, the Japs weren't too happy with the sudden appearance of these Marines and sent up more fighters than the Black Sheep (Pappy's squadron) bargained for. In the ensuing battle, 20 Japanese pilots were shot down, forcing back their defensive force, while the Black Sheep returned home with not a single aircraft lost.

How about John Glenn... Marine fighter ace, first American to orbit the earth in 1962, US senator and the oldest human to fly into space in 1998? Or John Bolt, double-ace? Or, get this... TED WILLIAMS! Hell yeah, the legendary left-fielder for the Boston Red Sox was a decorated Marine fighter bomber in WWII and the Korean War!

Iceman and Maverick don't have s**t on the "Duke of Mukden"

Today, the Corps still flies their older F/A-18s, which will be replaced with the F-35s later on. They still fly their AV-8s (to be replaced by the STOVL F-35 variants) and their Sea Knights and Super Stallions. But the Air Wing's going through a major overhaul. Enter, the UH-1Y Venoms and the AH-1Z Vipers. Oh, and the super-awesome tiltrotor MV-22 Ospreys. This massive update will ensure that years from now, Marine aviation elements will still be relevant to America's war-fighting capabilities and will still be one of the leading forces at the tip of America's military spear.

Discovery's last ride

Today, the first operational space shuttle to be decommissioned and retired, Discovery, was flown over to Dulles International Airport in Virginia, to be placed as an exhibit in the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center (the annex to the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum). It's spent a total of 365 days, 22 hours, 39 minutes and 29 seconds in space, and has traveled approximately 148,221,675 miles during its  27 years of successful service! If you're ever in the DC area, and you've got time to spare to travel over to the Udvar-Hazy center, DO IT! Don't miss an opportunity to see one of the greatest flying machines of our time!

"The journeys of a young pilot"

What's your passion in life? How dedicated are you to your goals? Today, I want to share with you one of my favorite blogs, created by a fellow pilot, who I'm very, very proud to call a friend.

18 going 1800 feet is the story of Waverly, a teenage pilot from the United States, who is forging ahead on the long, hard path to becoming a career pilot. Let me tell you, from experience, becoming a certified private pilot is not an easy task at all, whether you're in the US or Canada, or wherever. It involves A LOT of study, concentration and dedication. Most people get licensed in their mid to late 20s or 30s. Waverly, has done so much more than the average recreational pilot, and she's only 18! Her accomplishments speak volumes of her skill and prowess as a pilot, at such a young age!

Her blog has a ton of inspiration for future, and current pilots, a whole lot of wisdom that can only be gained through experience and excellence. I highly recommend it to all aviators, young and old!

Check it out!

18 going 1800 feet

National Air and Space Museum

I've referenced it previously, but I've never actually spoken a whole lot about the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum.

Located in Washington, DC., and part of the Smithsonian Institution, it is home to the world's largest collection of historic aircraft and spacecraft. It's actually a set of two museums, one on the Mall and one at Dulles Intl. Airport. Both house amazing exhibits and showcase pieces of aviation history, including the Wright Flyer, the Enola Gay (the B-29 that dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima), ballistic missiles, fighter aircraft, a space shuttle, a lunar lander, and a whole lot more! The best part about the museum is that it's fun for all ages. Kids can enjoy the fun, adventurous atmosphere, while adults can enjoy the the finer aspects of the history behind each aircraft/spacecraft.

One of the most fun parts about the museum is the guided tours. The docents offer a very interesting insight into the histories of each of the aircraft featured, and the aviators who flew them. You'll definitely leave the museum knowing a whole lot more about aviation than you did when you entered! For a guy like me, who's obsessed with anything to do with airplanes, it was a heavenly experience!

Call the Ball

Awesome footage of the air wing landing aboard the USS Enterprise (CVN-65) for its last cruise! You also get to see a few cat-shots, and some of the flight deck operations.

The Lawnmower of Death

During the Persian Gulf War, captured Iraqi soldiers would recount to their interrogators their fear of the "noise". As it turns out, this "noise" was the lawnmower-like whirring of the engine of a RQ-2 Pioneer drone. After the drone passed over, the Iraqi soldiers knew the massive guns of the Iowa-class battleships would send  shells hurtling their way soon after, raining death and destruction from afar. 

In one case, the Iraqis actually surrendered (no kidding!) to an RQ-2 drone. That drone is now on display at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC. Check it out, sometime!

http://www.nasm.si.edu/collections/artifact.cfm?id=A20000794000