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Articles by Jesse Lips
Harry Combs Enters the Jet Age
By Di Freeze Harry Combs established a partnership in December 1966 with Charlie Gates (left). In 1958, Combs Aircraft Corporation, operating out of Stapleton Airport, became the leading Beechcraft distributor in the United States. In 1962, through extraordinary marketing and customer service techniques (and a lot of hard work), they became Beechcraft’s largest distributor in the world. The company accounted for nearly 10 percent of factory total production.
How Emily Hanrahan Howell Warner Conquered the Male-Dominated Airline Industry
Emily Howell Warner was the first woman to pilot a scheduled-passenger airliner (Frontier).ou know her now as Emily Howell Warner, but in the 1950s, she was simply Emily Hanrahan. On one particular day, she hurried into the May Company in downtown Denver. She approached Juanita Bailey, her boss in the scarf department, and told her that she had a job lined up at Clinton Aviation, a local fixed base operation. Bailey looked at her with consternation.
11th Annual Living Legends of Aviation Inductees
The 11th Annual Living Legends of Aviation Awards, hosted by Ambassador of Aviation John Travolta, was another great success. Presenting sponsors included Bell Helicopter and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Stacey Elsner, the Executive Director of Kiddie Hawk Air Academy, the producer of the Living Legends of Aviation Awards, welcomed the 750 aviation guests to the black tie event.
Carroll Shelby-from Curtiss to Cobra. BornJanuary 11, 1923 Flown West May 10, 2012
By Di Freeze Most people don’t equate the name of Carroll Shelby with aviation. However, Shelby is a pilot and has actively used his twin-engine Aerostar, which he bases at Petersen Aviation at Van Nuys Airport, to commute back and forth between his manufacturing plant. He also uses that aircraft to fly to his ranch in east Texas.
Carl Williams: The High Flying Cable Guy
Carl Williams’ father once sold 30 heads of steer to purchase an Alexander Eaglerock, like this one owned by Williams. This 1929 Eaglerock, which Williams restored, is the second one he’s owned. By Di Freeze When visionaries embarked upon their journey to establish the City of Centennial, they mentioned it to cable pioneer and philanthropist Carl M Williams. He immediately wrote a check for $10,000. It wasn’t the first time Williams had been that generous, and it wouldn’t be the last.
Bobbi Trout: “Just Plane Crazy”
By Dan Miller and Di Freeze “I’ve always been a little crazy,” says Evelyn “Bobbi” Trout, 95, the only living participant of the original “Powder Puff Derby,” the first Women’s Transcontinental Air Race, held in 1929. “As a kid, my golly, I wanted a hammer and saw and I made things! At 4 or 5 years old I was a carpenter. I hated dolls.
T. Allan McArtor Inducted into the “Living Legends of Aviation”
Allan McArtor, Chairman and CEO of Airbus North Americas, Inc., was inducted into the “Living Legends of Aviation”® at the 11th Annual Living Legends of Aviation Awards, on January 17, 2014 at the Beverly Hilton. McArtor oversees the activities and strategy of Airbus in the United States, Canada, and Latin America, and is instrumental in establishing Airbus’ industrial presence in the U.S. with the A320 Family assembly line in Mobile, Alabama.
Steve Ritchie-The Last Ace
By Di Freeze Brig. Gen. Steve Ritchie has flown the Phantom more than 100 times at air shows nationwide and special events. The actual aircraft in which he downed his first and fifth MiGs is on permanent display at the Air Force Academy. “Every day is a plus,” says Brig. Gen. Steve Ritchie, the only U.S. Air Force pilot ace of the Vietnam Conflict. “Every day I wake up thankful to be alive and healthy in the United States of America.
Harry Combs: The Early Years
Harry and Virginia Combs at their home in Wickenburg, Ariz. It was 1917. Four-and-a-half year old Harry B. Combs, who would one day make his mark on aviation history, was traveling across the country on a three-day trip from Denver, Colo., to his final destination—a Royal Flying Corps training field in Deseranto, outside of Toronto, Canada. Nearby sat his grandmother, who was taking him to visit his father, a pilot in training for the Corps. Once in Buffalo, they took a boat across Lake Ontario.
Doolittle Raiders
By S. Clayton Moore A line of B-25 bombers ready for takeoff during the airshow, which featured the largest gathering of the aircraft since World War II. For the 60th annual reunion of the famous Doolittle Raiders, specially selected cadets from the U.S. Air Force Academy transported 80 silver goblets from their display case in Colorado Springs for the solemn Goblet Ceremony. The goblets are etched with the names of the 80 Doolittle Raiders made famous by the attack on Tokyo.
Read My Lips
By Jerry Lips Our special edition “Aviation and Business Journal Europa” was launched to coincide with the European Business Aircraft Conference in Geneva, Switzerland, May 28, 29 and 30. Copies were distributed at airports in Switzerland, Germany, France, Italy and the UK. The Pacific Northwest Business Aircraft & Jet Preview was a big hit. The Museum of Flight at Boeing Field was the perfect backdrop. For show pictures, see pages 14-B, 15-B and 17-B.
Frederick Smith Honored as “Lifetime Aviation Entrepreneur” at 2014 Living Legends of Aviation Awards
Frederick Smith to be Honored at the 11th Annual “Living Legends of Aviation” Awards on January 17th, 2014 By Barry Schiff and Laurie Lips Fred Smith Lifetime Aviation Entrepreneur Award. Fred Smith is living proof that from little acorns giant oak trees grow. The acorn, in this case, was an original idea for an overnight, small-package delivery service that he described in a term paper while an undergraduate student at Yale University.
Adam Aircraft to Fly Again A-500 Donated to “Wings Over the Rockies”
Museum to prepare “Adam Push Pull” For Flights…. By AJ Staff Adam Aircraft Industries’ prototype composite, twin-engine aircraft made its maiden test flight in March 2000, over Mojave, Calif., as “M-309.” Earlier this year, Adam Aircraft’s first design was named the CarbonAero. The name was picked after Adam Aircraft solicited suggestions. It’s a combination of two suggested names, Carbon Angel and Aero Stallion.
Julie Clark’s Flying Adventures as Captain and Aerobatics Superstar
By Karen Di Piazza Julie Clark’s T-34 is powered by a 285-hp, fully blueprinted, 24-karat gold plated, horizontally-opposed V-6 engine manufactured by Victor Aviation of Palo Alto, Calif. Relaxing at her dining room table, Captain Julie Clark confesses that she’s not happy unless she’s flying. “People think that just because I’m a senior captain for Northwest Airlines, my desire for aviation is completely satisfied.
James Dietz - A Master Storyteller
By Larry W. Bledsoe “Shooting Star” By Aviation Artist James Dietz Recognized as a master “storyteller,” James Dietz, aviation artist, tells a story with his paintbrush. A good example of this is “Shooting Star,” which shows an early female aviator in front of her brightly colored Curtis JN-4 Jenny (Our cover picture). The Jenny, one of the first mass-produced aircraft, was used to train thousands of American pilots for World War I service.
Paul Tibbets: A Rendezvous with HistoryFeb. 23,1915 “Flown West” Nov 1, 2007
A few years ago, Brig. Gen. Paul W. Tibbets Jr. talked to Airport Journals about one of the most momentous occasions in his life. It was a “bombing run,” but it wasn’t the one most people equate with Tibbets’ name when they hear of the 92-year-old’s death, on Nov. 1, 2007, after months of failing health. As he reminisced, Tibbets recalled that it was a perfect day for his important mission. He hadn’t slept much the night before, thinking about what was ahead.
Vern Gorst, “Granddad” of United Airlines, had Long History of “Firsts”
By Terry Stephens In 1930, Pacific Northwest aviation pioneer Vern C. Gorst was the first to suggest uniting four fledgling airlines-including his own, Pacific Air Transport-to create United Aircraft and Transport Holding Co. His idea, and his involvement in the subsequent creation of that nationwide airline with Bill Boeing and others, earned him a place in aviation history as the “grandfather” of United Airlines.
Sharing the Dream: Dave Liniger of RE/MAX
In building RE/MAX International, Inc., Dave Liniger has taken a lot of risks, and he’s definitely left his mark on the world. He’s widely credited with doing more than anyone else in the real estate industry to change the working environment and bottom line of sales agents.
Bob Pond and the Palm Springs Air Museum
Many pilots dream of aviation, but not everyone is willing to share their dream like aviator, collector, philanthropist and businessman Robert J. Pond, who has capitalized on his enormous business success by using his fortune to protect America’s aviation heritage. The Palm Springs Air Museum, located at Palm Springs Regional Airport, is home to his legendary collection of World War II aircraft, automobiles and aviation artifacts.
City of Gold: Emirates Airlines Puts Dubai on the Map
Business is booming in the Middle East. At the heart of both the tourism and business sectors of the United Arab Emirates is its official air carrier, Emirates Airlines. One of the fastest growing airlines in the world, it has received more than 250 international awards for excellence. No other carrier in the commercial aviation world is growing like this company, which has seen record profits in the last year.
Veteran News Anchor & Aviator Hal Fishman Rules the California Airwaves
For someone who always envisioned himself more of a teacher than a television star, Hal Fishman has been on the air a long time. For more than 45 years, the highly respected Los Angeles-based anchor for KTLA Television has been the voice of the news for many California residents. In fact, it’s widely believed that Fishman holds the record as the longest-running news anchor in the United States.
The British Invasion: Gerald Freeman Blends Artistic Savvy with Detroit Muscle
Gerald Freeman has a love of automobiles and aviation that he has developed over a lifetime. His adventures have taken him from the streets of London, where he saw British Spitfires battling it out with the Luftwaffe overhead, to the auto plants of the Motor City, where old-fashioned American know-how created some of the finest cars ever driven. He has been led, late in life, to use his considerable artistic talents to create vibrant paintings of days past.
Do the Right Thing: Aviator and Philanthropist Michael Leeds
Michael Leeds puts his money where his mouth is. Leeds, 53, has evolved over the years to become a business leader, an aviator and one of the country’s most remarkable philanthropists. After building up his parents’ small New York company, CMP Media, into a publishing juggernaut, he led his family in giving a $35 million gift to the University of Colorado’s business school, the sixth largest commitment to a business school in the country’s history.
The “Forrest Gump of Astronauts” Tells All in “Riding Rockets”
Space shuttle astronaut Mike Mullane has pulled back the curtains on NASA in his revealing new autobiography, “Riding Rockets: The Outrageous Tales of a Space Shuttle Astronaut.” His raw, touching and often laugh-out-loud book does for space flight what “North Dallas Forty” did for football.
Wheel of Fortune Takes the Show on the Road
The success of “Wheel of Fortune” is staggering. Every episode provides an entertaining half-hour for more than 19 million viewers. The show has been on the air, in one form or another, for more than 30 years. What viewers might not know is that every so often, “Wheel of Fortune” takes its whole production on the road, to tape the show live, in front of fans all over America.
The Outspoken American: Aviator, Senator and Humanitarian George McGovernJuly 19, 1933 Flown West October 21, 2012
By S. Clayton Moore, Few people have had a front row seat to American history like former senator and Democratic presidential candidate George McGovern. He stood up for his beliefs, time and again, even when they put him in the line of fire. He was there in the skies over Europe during World War II, flying 35 combat missions in the B-24 bomber he dubbed the Dakota Queen.
Craig Hosking Brings Aerial Thrills to Hollywood
When visionary Hollywood directors like Martin Scorsese, Michael Mann or John Woo need to bring complicated, thrilling aerial stunts to the big screen, they turn to the professional: Craig Hosking. For the past 20 years, Hosking has been one of the most hard-working and sought-after pilots in the film business, racking up a resume that most traditional actors envy.
Sawdust and Rocket Ships: Erik Lindbergh’s Airborne and Artistic Adventures
It takes a lot of mettle to live up to being Charles Lindbergh’s grandson, and Erik Lindbergh happens to have plenty of it. His creative energies are infused with the freedom, imagination and perpetual motion his spirited grandfather experienced in the aviation world. Like his grandfather, Erik Lindbergh is a pilot; he’s also an acclaimed artist, sculptor and woodcarver. His furniture and artwork flow with the same fusion of nature and science that his grandfather encouraged.
Dancing on the Wind: The Silver Wings Wingwalking Team
It would be hard to find anyone who has experienced the sheer joy of flight as viscerally as Margaret “Margi” Stivers. Along with her husband Hartley Folstad, the pilot of the couple’s restored Stearman biplanes, she thrills air show audiences across the country as the feature attraction of the Silver Wings Wingwalking Team, based in Chino, Calif. A twist of fate brought them together more than 15 years ago.
Remembering Cole Kugel: the World’s Oldest Qualified Pilot
The Colorado skies are a little diminished this summer with the passing of Cole Kugel, who died June 11 of natural causes at his home in Longmont, Colo., at the age of 105. In 2001, the Guinness Book of World Records acknowledged the lifelong flying enthusiast as the world’s oldest qualified pilot. At the time of his death, the Federal Aviation Administration confirmed that Kugel was the oldest licensed pilot in the United States.
Groundbreaking New Documentary Resurrects Florence “Pancho” Barnes
Strange things come out of the California desert, some curious enough to make you believe in ghosts, such as a new treasure trove of aviation artifacts recently discovered in the arid Mojave region. This discovery is featured in a bold new documentary that should finally cement the legend of one of America’s most flamboyant aviatrixes, Florence “Pancho” Barnes.
A Day at the Races: Motorcycle Racing Legend Ed Kretz Jr.
You wouldn’t know it to look at him, but Ed Kretz Jr. is one of the world’s greatest motorcyclists. Sitting in the kitchen of his home in the Colorado hills, Kretz is a quiet, gentle soul, a little sunburned and with some age in his eyes. The few faint scars from his racing days don’t reveal the story of his remarkable days as a motorcycle racer.
Hank Beaird
“The Learjet 23 could outperform everything that had come before, so it took a little getting used to,” he said, “but people really did catch on in a hurry. Some very important people bought this aircraft because they knew Mr Lear. It didn’t have any troubles getting started as some aeroplanes do,” he insisted. “We built 80 of them in the first year alone.” The aviation world has undergone massive changes since that flight in 1963 and Beaird feels that this is a positive sign.
Voyager: A Crazy Dream?
“Voyager” tells the story of Dick Rutan and Jeana Yeager’s quest to fly nonstop and un-fueled flight around the world, in an aircraft designed by Burt Rutan. As a group of people talked over coffee at the Mojave Inn, in Mojave, Calif., in late 1980, Burt Rutan doodled on a napkin something that seemed like a “crazy,” yet bizarrely feasible dream. Could someone fly around the world on one tank of gas, nonstop?
Airport Journals
Ten years ago, I met Peter Paul Luce at Centennial Airport in Colorado. I was aware that Mr. and Mrs. Luce used their aircraft nearly exclusively in the service of others. Flying their jet himself, Mr. Luce has flown hundreds of missions of mercy for AirLifeline. Knowing that he is the son of Time Life founder Henry Luce, I was curious and ready with questions regarding his family’s publishing heritage.
Read My LIps
Excluding commercial and military aircraft, there are nearly 20,000 jet aircraft flying around this country with our nation’s top business leaders on board—averaging six trips per month with 2.8 executives riding in the back of the aircraft on each trip. Piston aircraft used primarily by entrepreneurs and small business owners represent another important segment of the business aviation portion of GA.
2015 Living Legends of Aviation Awards
The “Living Legends of Aviation” are 88 remarkable people of extraordinary accomplishment in aviation including: entrepreneurs, innovators, industry leaders, astronauts, record breakers, pilots who have become celebrities and celebrities who have become pilots. The Legends meet yearly to recognize and honor individuals that have made significant contributions in aviation.
Sam B. Williams 1921 Flown West 2009
Dr. Sam B. Williams was born in Seattle Washington in 1921. He is noted for his pioneering work in the design and manufacturing of small turbine engines for corporate and military aircraft. Dr. Williams received a Bachelor of Science degree from Purdue University in 1942, and in 1982 he received an honorary doctorate, also from Purdue.
2nd Annual “Living Legends of Aviation Awards”
Carl Williams' father once sold 30 heads of steer to purchase an ... More ... Emily Howell Warner was the first woman to pilot a scheduled-passenger airliner ... More ... Harry and Virginia Combs at their home in Wickenburg, Ariz. It was ... More ...
Dragon Self-Pilot Submarine
2014 Monaco Yacht Show is an occasion to see n entirely new type of personal submarine. The DeepFlight Dragon is the most compact, lightweight personal submarine on the market, and is so intuitive to use that clients self-pilot the craft with minimal instruction. DeepFlight has already integrated its submarines into sailing and motor yacht operations and is the first personal submarine manufacturer to sell its craft for resort and tourism operations.
Ghost of Christmas Flights Past: Luckier even than Santa
By Greg Brown It just doesn’t seem like Christmas, as we navigate our Flying Carpet southward over the sun-drenched Sonoran Desert. It just doesn’t seem like Christmas, as we navigate our Flying Carpet southward over sun-drenched cacti of the Sonoran Desert. True, the baggage compartment brims with presents for distribution to nieces and nephews at my brother’s Tucson vacation home.
Dick Rutan The Frontiers of Flight - The Last Great World Record
By AJ Staff Voyager aircraft’s non-stop and unrefueled flight around the world in December of 1986 placed Mojave proudly on the map and placed Dick Rutan in the history books. In December of 2005, Dick set another world record. This record was set in the EZ-Rocket for the longest distance in a ground launched rocket powered aircraft. He flew from the Mojave Spaceport to the California City Airport.
Living History at The Collings Foundation
Visitors roaming New England might be a little surprised to discover an aircraft hangar nestled deep in the woods near the small town of Stow, Mass. The headquarters of one of America’s best-kept aviation secrets emerges from a misty forest so pastoral it might have been praised by Robert Frost, complete with a commanding view of a nearby lake, frozen in the winter chill.
Bob Hoover: A Calm Voice in the Face of Disaster
In 1984, the Abbotsford Air Show, held east of Vancouver, drew so much attention that traffic was bumper-to-bumper from the freeway to the airfield. In that traffic sat a popular performer who was behind schedule. He watched the sky, judging his launch time by who was in the air. Suddenly, he rammed the car ahead of him. The other driver leaped from his car and raced to the pilot’s window. “Damn it! I just bought this brand-new Lincoln for my wife,” he exclaimed.
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