News Articles from Comcast.net (Last week of July, 2008).

Personal Jet Pack – (listed under Comcast.net Science News) The Twin duct-fan units attached to a support frame that weighs in about 250 pounds, lifted the inventor's sixteen year old son up into the air and hovered there for 45 seconds made news recently at Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
Known as the Martin Jet Pack, the New Zealander inventor Glenn Martin unveiled his invention Tuesday (July 29, 2008) at the AirVenture Oshkosh 2008 airshow put on by the EAA (Experimental Aircraft Association). The Martin Jet pack is designed around a typical weight man. It has a standard five gallon tank that should provide a flight time of 30 minutes and a flight range of 30 miles. Currently, this device is operating under the FAA ultralight flight rules – so that means no overflight of cities and such. There is a emergency parachute that can be used above 400 feet altitude. And the frame has good shock absorbers for hard landings. Mr. Martin told reporters that he is still trying to work on that area between those to heights (i.e for safety).
Mr. Martin hopes that other uses can be found for it such as in law enforcement, and that the expected price tag of $100,000 will come down. Mr. Martin's son, Harrison Martin had two spotters for assistance during the demonstration.

Dr. Edgar Mitchell Sets the Record Straight

If you follow this web link, you will find a article where former astronaut Dr. Edgar Mitchell sets the record straight about what NASA knows and doesn't know about Aliens and if we had made contact with them or not. ( http://www.ufodigest.com/news/0708/record-straight.html ). This is also the actual source link ( http://blog.blogtalkradio.com/2008/07/24/dr-edgar-mitchell-sets-the-record-straight/ ).

B-17 Liberty Belle

WARBIRDS.

Living Legends. There are foundations out there that do their best to keep the living legends flying.

Liberty Belle is a B-17G that in August of 2007, I managed to full filled a life long dream. I was able to take a 30 minute flight when she came to Lubbock, Texas that year.

I managed to snag the flight seat behind the pilot's on the flight deck and took many, many pictures. It was loud,vibrating, and the best thing that I had ever done in my life. My father had recently passed away the month before, and he served as a mechanic in the USAAF - serving on the home front during World War Two. He also worked on other planes besides the B-17. The B-24, B-25, B-29. Trainers such as the BT-13 and AT-6.

A thirty minute flight just is not long enough. I would love to be able to fly on another warbird if the chance ever presents itself.

Edit (07-27-2008): Upon showing off this new creation of mine, friends who have heard me tell this tale told me that I was missing the most important thing from the post itself. So here it goes....

The day that I flew on the B-17, I was not able to get time off from work. I work the late shift at a company called Convergys. We handle technical support for the cable TV company Comcast. As I parked my pickup truck in the parking lot and headed for the front door - I heard those four engines. Searching the skies I finally spotted the Liberty Belle as she headed in my direction from the south going to the north. Liberty Belle flew right over my head as I stood rooted there in the middle of the parking lot. Tears formed in my eyes as she flew overhead at about two thousand feet.

Was it just plain dumb luck. My father sending me a friendly wave from the grave. The hand of God. All of the above or none of the above - just a practical joke that the universe plays on us humans from time to time. Well, whatever it was, that night's shift went a while lot smoother for that flyover than if it had not happened.

Welcome to Aerospace Dreamsblog

Hello!

This is my first effort into the blogosphere. In the next few weeks, updates that interest me from the world of Aerospace science will be posted here.