30 June 1956. Two airliners, a TWA Lockheed Constellation and a United Airlines DC-7 are eastbound, in uncontrolled airspace in the vicinity of the Grand Canyon. Both were flying under visual flight rules ostensibly to avoid the thunderstorms building in the area. At 1056 local, the DC-7 struck the Connie from above and behind, severing…
Who was Daniel Weitzenfeld? If you have anything to do with Naval Aviation, you should be thankful for this: epecially in light of the way things used to be: From the Washington Post: Daniel Weitzenfeld, 90; Navy Innovator Tuesday, May 13, 2008; Page B08 Daniel Kehr Weitzenfeld, 90, a retired Navy rear admiral who was…
Day 2 – Heavy blows traded by both sides. Each side loses at least one carrier, but the Japanese thrust to Port Moresby is thwarted. Read more here. See also the animation via this link: Battle of Coral Sea (Illustrated)
Sixty-six years ago today… Want to know more? Go here.
  Speaking of ethos…great new site (h/t: Maggie) put up by the family of “Mac” McWhorter, who flew in VF-9, was CO of VF-12 and the first Hellcat ace. Lots of remembrances by those who were there and remember him both during and after the war. We’ve added the site to the blogroll on the right under…
e·thos [ee-thos, ee-thohs, eth-os, -ohs] -noun 1. Sociology. the fundamental character or spirit of a culture; the underlying sentiment that informs the beliefs, customs, or practices of a group or society; dominant assumptions of a people or period: In the Greek ethos the individual was highly valued. 2. the character or disposition of a community,…
So Friday we achieved escape velocity from the Beltway for Norfolk and appearance as a guest speaker for the winging of NFO class 07-5. Hosted by VAW-120 (and Skipper — top flight production too, BZ to ALCON) the ceremony marked the official transition of the fledglings from mere students to replacement NFO’s, designated 1320’s (or…
29 Apr 1961: USS Kitty Hawk (CVA 63) is commissioned at Philadelphia Naval Shipyard. The second ship to be named for the wind swept location on the Outer Banks of North Carolina where man’s heavier-than-air journey first met demonstrable success, she represents a substantial improvement in the “super carrier” design first seen with the Forrestal-class…
Americans At War Through the eyes of those who were there, Americans at War® looks back at the moments when ordinary people were called to extraordinary heroism. High-definition interviews offer intimate, one-on-one experiences. It’s a priceless understanding of the effects of war through harrowing personal accounts. Featured on PBS, this award-winning series offers 50 compelling…
