Salem-News.com Aviation articles Page 40

Oregon Civil Air Patrol Conducts Exercises

The Oregon CAP has participated in over 28 missions so far in 2007.

(PORTLAND, Ore.) - Over 40 members of the Civil Air Patrol's Portland Metro area units are participating in a weekend long readiness exercise conducted from their Northern Incident Command Post located at the Aurora Airport this weekend.

Lt. Col. Thomas Traver, CAP with the Oregon CAP, says the exercise focusing on multiple scenarios. It's primary purpose was tp prepare for a much larger US Air Force monitored and graded exercise to be held in August.

Canadian Snowbird Pilot Dead After Crash in Montana

The plane flown by the Snowbirds is the Canadair CT-114 Tutor, they are part of the Canadian Air Force.

(MALMSTROM, Mont. ) - Officials at an airshow in Malmstrom, Montana say a Canadian Forces "Snowbird" pilot crashed his jet into the ground during rehearsals for two air shows scheduled for this weekend.

CTV Newsnet says the pilot has not yet been identified. A spokesman for the 15 Wing "Moose Jaw" told reporters that all pilots flying on Friday are veterans of the team.
The plane flown by the Snowbirds is the Canadair CT-114 Tutor, they are part of the Canadian Air Force. The jets have a top speed of 750 kilometers per hour with their signature smoke tanks attached, and weigh 7,170 pounds.

Five Killed in Navy Helicopter Crash in Nevada

The helicopter, assigned to Helicopter Antisubmarine Squadron 7 based in Jacksonville, Fla., was conducting a routine training mission from NAS Fallon.

(AUSTIN, Nev.) - All five crew members of a Navy SH-60F Seahawk helicopter died Monday in a crash about 10 miles west of Austin, Nev.

Officials are investigating the cause of the accident.

Press reports indicate the helicopter may have hit power lines in the area.

Eagles Fly From Japan to Portland; F-15 C and D Models Enter 142nd Fighter Wing Inventory

These aircraft will eventually replace all of the Wing's current A and B models, which are some of the oldest F-15's in the Air Force inventory.

(PORTLAND, Ore.) - The 142nd Fighter Wing has defended the skies of the Pacific Northwest for decades, and the workhorse for many of those years has been the A and B variants of the F-15.

These venerable yet venerated airframes, however, will yield their command of the skies to F-15 C and D models starting this month.

Colonel Steve Gregg, the 142nd FW Commander, will bring the first of two F-15 Cs from Kadena Air Base, Japan to the Portland Air National Guard Base on May 5. Additional aircraft will follow on from Kadena as well as other Air Force Bases in the U.S. The conversion to the F-15 C and D models will take approximately 18 months.

Plane Crash Near Chiloquin Injures Three

According to witnesses, the plane made a left turn to the west and disappeared from sight. Minutes later, the deputy in the area received the call of the downed aircraft.

(CHILOQUIN, Ore.) - A pilot and three passengers survived an airplane crash Friday in a treeline adjacent to the Chiloquin Airport. The pilot and his wife, Ron and Susan Gullickson, are from Battle Ground Washington. Their son Trevor Gullickson and a family friend named Jonathan McGinley are from Portland.

Investigators say the aircraft received substantial damage in the crash that was reported to 911 just before 4:00 PM Friday, as a downed airplane near Chiloquin.

Civil Air Patrol Joins Search for William Boyer on Oregon Coast

The Curry County Sheriff is the lead agency in this search and all media inquiries about the search should be directed to their office.

(BROOKINGS, Ore.) - The Oregon Civil Air Patrol has launched Cessna 182 Search Aircraft from the Brookings Airport in support of the Curry County Sheriff in their continuing search for 83 year old William Boyer who was reported missing last weekend.

The CAP first became involved in the search Monday and Tuesday at the request of the Curry County Sheriff Office.

U.S. Airmen Missing in Action from Vietnam War Identified

In 2005, teams found Getchell's identification tag, human remains and additional crew-related items at the crash site.

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) - The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office announced on Tuesday, that the remains of two U.S. servicemen, missing in action from the Vietnam War, have been identified and will be returned to their families for burial with full military honors.

They are Col. Norman D. Eaton, of Weatherford, Okla., and Lt. Col. Paul E. Getchell, of Portland, Maine, both U.S. Air Force.

On Jan. 13th, 1969, Eaton and Getchell crewed a B-57B Canberra bomber participating in a nighttime attack on targets in Salavan Province, Laos.

A Blue Angel on my Friend`s Shoulder

A lighter tale about an old friend and a pilot from an American group called the Blue Angels.

(SALEM) - A close friend of mine in the Marine Corps had an experience with the Blue Angels that I'll never forget, and I would place money on the fact that he remembers it far better than I.

Most encounters of this nature do not have good outcomes.

My friend John Evey was a Lance Corporal, I was a PFC at the time. He was tall and lean and to put it mildly, he liked to stir things up. There is a certain thing that happens to some guys when they join the Marine Corps and that "thing" takes a teenager who already sees himself as nearly invincible, and makes him do things that most rational people would never think of.

Navy Indentifies Fallen Blue Angels Pilot

The Navy is still investigating the cause of the crash.

(BEAUFORT, S.C.) - The Navy on Sunday identified the U.S. Navy Blue Angels aviator who died in Saturday's crash as Lt. Cmdr. Kevin Davis.

Davis is a native of Pittsfield, Massachusetts, and graduated from Reading Memorial High School in 1992 where he played football and was active with the Civil Air Patrol.

The crash, which occurred at 4:00 PM ET Saturday, during a precision-flying team demonstration, injured eight people on the ground and damaged eight structures.

Blue Angel Jet Crashes at South Carolina Air Show

The other five Blue Angel jets were not involved in the incident and landed safely moments later.

(BEAUFORT, S.C.) - An F/A-18A Hornet assigned to the Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron (Blue Angels) crashed during the final minutes of an air show at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, S.C., at approximately 4:00 PM EDT, on Saturday.

The pilot did not survive.

The pilot of the jet was joining the Delta formation for the final maneuver of the aerial demonstration when the mishap occurred.