Wings Over the Rockies

Monday was Memorial Day, 2009. A day to honor those who gave up all their tomorrows for our today and to thank those who still serve. I didn't spent any time in the military, but am incredibly greatful to those who have and those who do, including my father and my eldest nephew among others.

After knocking down some yard work in the morning, I thought it would be fun to trek across town to the Wings Over the Rockies Air and Space Museum in Aurora, CO. I hadn't been to visit since its grand opening many years before. The museum is located in one of the hangars which used to make up Lowry Air Force base in days bygone, near the old Denver Stapleton Airport. Today, both are overgrown with housing subdivisions. However, Wings Over the Rockies has a B-52 parked in front of it, so it definitely stands apart from the rest of the 'hood!

Since Colorado ranks second in the union in aerospace industry activity, the museum has quite a nice display of rocketry and NASA-related historical information. That was interesting, of course, but as an airplane guy, getting to the collection of general aviation and military aircraft was the high point of my visit. From the Beech 18 and Adam 500 through the F4U Corsair, B-1, and F-14 Tomcat - and plenty in between, it was a great stroll through a large hangar, drinking in the aviation history and lore.

For less than the price of a movie theater ticket, you can get lost for an afternoon in the museum, pouring through all the aviation and aerospace information you like while shuffling up close and personal with a wonderful variety of aircraft. The displays are in fine shape, the volunteers helpful, the crowds relatively sparse, and the souvenir shop right handy on the way out the door (I picked up a pair of miniature aircraft models for office decor.). All of which make for a marvelous way to spend the day - particularly one honoring the men and women who flew many of the aircraft on display.

Back in the Cockpit

Good grief! According to the almighty log book, it had been 7.5 years since I last recorded flight time in it. That's waaaay, too long to go without getting into the air. That being the case, I scheduled my first flight this past Saturday in order to begin knocking down the flight portion of the FAA mandated flight review. Since I always renew my CFI, that effort takes care of the ground portion of the required FAA review.

After some shopping around, I elected to fly out of Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport (formerly Jeffco) in Broomfield. It's towered and somewhat busy, but not overly so. The day was overcast, but the ceiling sufficiently high that we could get out for some ground ref maneuvers, steep turns, and a bit o' slow flight. BTW, did I say there was some rust on? Anyway, I didn't bend the airplane - even when we wedged in some touch-and-goes at Longmont's Vance Brand Airport.

We flew 1.4 and it went relatively well given the nearly 2,737 days since the previous stick time. I got the plane up and down safely, but the steep turns definitely didn't meet commercial PTS. Oh, well - that's nothing flight time, a little more review instruction, and a lot more practice won't correct. I can't wait to get up and out again!

UNO Aviation Institute Visit

This past week I had the chance to return to my old stomping grounds. As a graduate alumnus of the University of Nebraska at Omaha's Aviation Institute (UNOAI) far too many years ago, it was a real treat to see where the program has gone since I last departed.

The Institute has moved into a state of the art campus building and added multiple flight training devices (FTD's) emulating a dozen or more aircraft. In addition, the program faculty and staff have significantly bulked up the internship and research opportunities for students working through both undergraduate and graduate degrees.

What's more is that the Aviation Institute's alumni network has grown considerably over the past several years. The program can now count its graduates among a wide variety of corporate and charter flight departments and airlines in both flying and non-flying capacities.

The U. of Nebraska-Omaha has also transformed itself from a commuter only institution to one providing ample housing for students to reside on campus. In doing so, it's attracting a more diverse and wide-spread student body. At roughly 14,000 students in a metropolitan area of 700,000, UNO sits in close proximity to multiple universities, medical schools including Creighton, major corporations, and a variety of cultural (yes, Omaha has culture) outlets. As a result, UNO is well positioned to offer a high quality degree at a very economical price with plenty of amenities. For those interested in an aviation career, that combination just can't be beat.