RAF Sergeant-Pilot Ray Holmes is Dead.

LONDON (AP) 6/28/05 - Ray Holmes, a World War II fighter pilot who rammed a German bomber to prevent a direct hit on Buckingham Palace, died Monday. He was 90.

He died at Hoylake Cottage Hospital in Wirral after a two-year battle with cancer, his wife, Anne, said Tuesday.

Sgt. Holmes spotted a German Dornier bomber lining up to attack the palace on Sept. 15, 1940, and, finding he had run out of ammunition, the pilot from 504 Squadron slammed into the bomber, slicing off its tail.

Holmes parachuted to safety while his Hurricane crashed behind Victoria Station, well away from the palace.

The German bomber plunged into the station's courtyard. Its pilot also survived the incident, which was captured on film.

Last year, archaeologists unearthed parts of Holmes' fighter plane for a TV documentary. The plane's engine was later exhibited at the Imperial War Museum in London.

Editor: All of us who worked seriously as Space Correspondents knew and probably owed something to Howard Benedict. As AP's first writer at Cape Canaveral, Howard invented the process of learning about spaceflight and then simplifying it for the reader. Beyond all that, he was a first-class gentleman and a friend.

At one early NASA press conference, Howard came in a little late. We all laughed when somebody in the back of the room chirped: "Howard Benedict, the man we all re-write!" The truth is, hardly anybody rewrote Howard's stuff..it was just too good on its own. What we did was check each morning to see what Howard was writing that day. If we were writing the same thing, we figured we'd got it right for starters.

I was looking forward to some time with Howard during a recent trip to "the Cape." Sadly, I missed him by about three days.

The following is a press release issued by the organization that Howard led in his 'retirement years,' the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation:

Space Historian, Journalist & Long Time Director of Astronaut Scholarship Foundation, Howard Benedict, Passes On.

Kennedy Space Center, FLA (April 26, 2005) Howard Benedict, known to many as the "dean" of space reporting and the former Executive Director of the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation, died Monday at his Florida home.

In the early years of the U.S. space program, Benedict introduced generations to space exploration, covering more than 2,000 missile and rocket launches as the senior aerospace writer for The Associated Press. He covered the first 65 U.S. human space flights from Alan ShepardÕs Mercury mission in 1961 to the 34th Space Shuttle mission in 1990 for 31 of the 37 years he worked for the wire service.

Benedict authored three books ("NASA: A Quarter Century of Space Achievement" in 1984; "NASA: The Journey Continues" in 1989; and "At Home in Space" in 1995) and in 1994 cowrote "Moon Shot: The Inside Story of America's Race to the Moon" with fellow reporter Jay Barbree and astronauts Alan Shepard and Deke Slayton.

In 1992, Benedict began inspiring a new generation by providing educational opportunities for college engineering and science students offered through the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation (ASF). One hundred and ninety six students reaped the benefit of his tireless efforts and dedication. Under his tenure, the Foundation disbursed over $2 million in scholarships. He retired as Executive Director of the ASF in 2004, but continued to serve on its Board of Directors and committees.

He is survived by his wife Joy.

Astronauts Remember Benedict:

Scott Carpenter (Mercury Astronaut, ASF Director): Howard Benedict will always be with us. He was always an inspiration. Now when remembering him, we will continue to be inspired. With his guidance, the Astronaut Hall of Fame and Astronaut Scholarship Foundation flourished. He will be truly missed.

Bob Crippen (Shuttle Astronaut and ASF Vice Chairman): Howard was a great voice for the Space Program and the driving force behind the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation. He'll be sorely missed by all.

John Glenn (Mercury/Shuttle Astronaut, ASF Director): Howard BenedictÕs professional life recorded the manned space program from its earliest days. Always fair and objective, his coverage became the standard for America and indeed for the world. Retirement was not a real word for Howard. His leadership of AHOF and ASF resulted in help for many, many students whose studies would have otherwise ended. Quiet, friendly and unassuming, Howard became a loyal and wonderful, personal friend to me and to all the astronauts. He lived a most productive life and we will miss him very much. Thoughts and prayers go out to Joy.

James Lovell (Gemini and Apollo Astronaut, ASF Chairman Emeritus): I am truly saddened by the recent death of my friend and colleague Howard Benedict. I have known Howard for over 30 years, first meeting him when I was still in the space program. But more recently I have work closely with him on the ASF board. HowardÕs unwavering devotion and support of the foundation is a tribute to a man that that will live on for years. ASF is what it is today in great part to Howard and his steadfast dedication to the astronauts, their legacy and the scientists of the future that benefited from his many years of work. We have not only lost a friend but we have lost a true champion.

Editor's Note: The Astronaut Scholarship Foundation was founded by members of the astronaut corps who still serve on its Board of Directors. The foundation provides scholarships to univerity-level students who exhibit motivation, imagination and exceptional performance in the fields of science and engineering. If you'd like to know more about this remarkable organization, contact them at:

All contributions are 100% tax deductible.

BULLETIN: Wright Brothers' First Flight Took Place in Texas!!

La Vernia TX:

The Wright brothers made their first flight in Texas! This time, it was done right; in an Ercoupe!

Travis & Tyler Wright (left & right), along with classmate Kirsten McDowell (center) all made their first flights under EAA's Young Eagles Program on April 16, 2005.

True to form, the Wrights took to the air in a coordinated-control, three axis aircraft with one heckuvva wing, and a good time was had by all. The Wrights and Kirsten messaged that they'd be "home Christmas."

Pilot: Tommy Terry
Coordinator: Connie Terry
Photo: Megan McDowell

News services please copy.

Astronaut John Young retired December 31st, 2004.

John's one of the truly great ones, continuing in NASA as an engineer and senior advisor long after stepping down from flight status. I first met him when he flew with the late Gus Grissom on the first Gemini Mission, Gemini III. That's the one when John (on right in picture) stuffed a corned beef sandwich in his flight suit to share with Grissom when the NASA chow got unbearable during the flight. NASA didn't like the sandwich, but they sure loved the flight. It was especially interesting because it was Grissom's first ride after the Mercury mission in which his space capsule sank in the Atlantic. He joked about it, but it made him uncomfortable. What upset the PR guys at NASA was that Grissom and Young named their Gemini ship Molly Brown, as in "Unsinkable Molly Brown." We reporters thought it was great copy..NASA's flacks didn't. Nevertheless, that's how it flew, and that's how the mission patch read. John and Gus were quite a pair

Here's part of the lengthy press release NASA put out on John's retirement. It outlines his career better than I would, since I'd probably use up a lot of space telling stories about one of my favorite astronauts:

NASA SPACE PIONEER JOHN YOUNG, ASTRONAUT WITHOUT EQUAL, RETIRES

Space pioneer John W. Young, a man who flew twice to the moon, walked on its surface and commanded the first Space Shuttle mission, is retiring.

Young's achievements during his 42-year career at NASA are unmatched. He was the first human to fly in space six times and launch seven times, six times from Earth and once from the moon. He is the only astronaut to pilot four different types of spacecraft, flying in the Gemini, Apollo and Space Shuttle programs. Young is the longest serving astronaut in history.

Young, a native of Orlando, Fla., retired U.S. Navy Captain and test pilot, joined NASA in 1962. His first mission was as pilot of the maiden manned flight of the Gemini Program, Gemini 3 in 1965. With Young and Commander Virgil Grissom on board, Gemini 3 was the first American space flight with more than one person.

He next flew in 1966, commanding Gemini 10. Along with Mike Collins, he performed the first dual rendezvous maneuvers during a single mission.

In 1969, two months before man's first landing on the moon, Young orbited Earth's satellite. Young orbited the moon in the Apollo Command Module, while his fellow crewmembers, Thomas Stafford and Eugene Cernan, descended to within 50,000 feet of its surface in the Lunar Module. Apollo 10 was a full rehearsal for the first lunar landing.

Young returned to the moon in 1972 as commander of Apollo 16. He piloted the Lunar Module to a landing on the surface, along with Charlie Duke. Young and Duke drove more than 16 miles across the lunar surface in the Lunar Rover Vehicle, collecting more than 200 pounds of samples. It was the most extensive lunar exploration mission to date.

Young was at the helm of Columbia for the first Space Shuttle mission, STS-1 in 1981, with Robert Crippen as pilot. It was the world's first flight of a reusable, winged spacecraft; the first landing of a spacecraft on a runway; and the largest, heaviest craft to launch and land to date. It was the first time a manned spacecraft was launched without previous unmanned test flights. Young guided the 96-ton Columbia to a perfect touchdown at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., after a two-day mission. Ed: And he did it wearing half-moon reading glasses. Made us old guys feel really good..

Young's sixth and final space mission was again in command of Columbia on the ninth Shuttle flight, STS-9 in 1983. It was the first launch of the Spacelab laboratory in the Shuttle's cargo bay. It was the longest Shuttle flight to date, with the first international crew working around the clock for 10 days to conduct more than 70 experiments.

When he was not in flight, Young's extensive contributions continued on the ground. He served as chief of NASA's Astronaut Office for 13 years. He also served eight years as an assistant and associate director of NASA's Johnson Space Center, providing advice and counsel on technical, operational and safety matters.

"John Young has no equal in his service to our country and to humanity's quest for space," said the Director of NASA's Johnson Space Center, Jefferson D. Howell Jr. "He is the astronaut's astronaut, a hero among heroes who fly in space. His achievements have taken space from an unknown environment to the expanding frontier we explore today. His steady hand and unflinching eyes have served our cause of space exploration well, expanding our horizons with unshakable dedication and calm courage. He will be missed," Howell said.

The X-43-A
Photos, courtesy NASA

Dryden Research Center, California:Using the air around it as an oxidizer, NASA's X-43A research vehicle screamed into the record books again on November 16th, demonstrating an air-breathing engine can fly at nearly 10 times the speed of sound. Preliminary data from the scramjet-powered research vehicle show its revolutionary air-breathing engine worked successfully at nearly Mach 9.8, or 7,000 mph, as it flew at about 110,000 feet.

The flight took place in restricted airspace over the Pacific Ocean northwest of Los Angeles. It was the last and fastest of three unpiloted flight tests in NASA's Hyper-X Program, which explored an alternative to rocket power for space access vehicles.

It was also the last flight for NASA's famed B52 carrier. The B52 launched many famous experiments, including the flights of the X-15 rocketship.

Launch!! Photo, right.

NASA says that supersonic combustion ramjets (scramjets) promise more airplane-like operations for increased affordability, flexibility and safety in ultra high-speed flights within the atmosphere and for the first stage to Earth orbit. The scramjet advantage is once it is accelerated to about Mach 4 by a conventional jet engine or booster rocket, it can fly at hypersonic speeds, possibly as fast as Mach 15, without carrying heavy oxygen tanks, as rockets must. The design of the engine, which has no moving parts, compresses the air passing through it, so combustion can occur. Another advantage is scramjets can be throttled back and flown more like an airplane, unlike rockets, which tend to produce full thrust all the time.

Just think of the Space Shuttle with it's huge orange belly tank. Half that tank carries Liquid Oxygen..at tremendous weight. This little guy just sucks oxygen out of the atmosphere. Of course, once it's outside the air envelope of earth, that's all she wrote..and you're back to liquid or solid-fuel rockets to go the rest of the way. But it's a start.

Pioneering Astronaut, Gordon Cooper, is dead at 77.

October 5, 2004: We lost another of the great ones today. Gordon Cooper died of natural causes at his home in Ventura, California. He was 77. He was a hero.

As one of the original Mercury 7 astronauts, Cooper set the tone of one of this country's greatest adventures and helped lay the foundation for one of the greatest engineering feats since the pyramids. Cooper and his 6 compatriots awakened us to the term "Astronaut." Cooper was the image of the bright, cocky, fighter jock..and backed it up with a wonderful competence that made you believe he could do anything. Asked once who was the best pilot he ever knew, he grinned and said, "You're looking at him." And you didn't argue.

Cooper was named an astronaut in 1959, along with Alan Shepard, John Glenn, Scott Carpenter, Wally Schirra, Gus Grissom and Deke Slayton. They immediately became famous.

With his death, only three remain: Glenn, Carpenter and Schirra. It is a tight-knit fraternity, men who share memories unlike any other person's on Earth.

For his part, Cooper flew twice in space: on May 15th, 1963, he rode Mercury spacecraft Faith 7 around the globe 22 times in 34 hours and 20 minutes..the last solo orbital flight in American history. During that trip, a light on the instrument panel signalled the ship had begun a premature descent, although it was clear that was not happening. Cooper radioed that if he "had a hammer," he could fix it once and for all. His second mission was Gemini 5, in August of 1965. On that one, he and Charles Conrad, a member of the second group of Astronauts, proved that humans could live in a weightless state for at least as long as it would take to fly to the moon and back. They spent 190 hours, 56 minutes in space, traveled more than 3.3-million miles, and showed the fuel cells were a viable source of electricity on space vehicles. Only recently have US engineers started promoting fuel cell technology for modern transportation. As Cooper might have said, "What took them so long?"

Cooper assisted on two of the Apollo moon missions, not as a crewman, but in Mission Control and in the laboratories. He was an accomplished engineer and was involved with many of the testing and design phases of the missions. Before joining NASA, he was a test pilot at the Air Force's famous Edwards Air Force Base, California.

Gordon Cooper was a good man, always lots of fun. He revelled in his achievments, but cheered just as much for his friends. When you hear that familiar tape of the liftoff of John Glenn's pioneering orbital mission, the voice that says: "God speed, John Glenn," was Gordon Cooper's.

He was a leader and a hero at a time when the nation desperately needed both.

New Air and Space Museum Opening at Dallas' Love Field.

Friday evening, May 21st, 2004, a gala dinner will herald the nation's newest air/space museum, which will open its doors to the public on June 5. The new 100,000 sq. ft. Frontiers of Flight Museum is located at the south end of Dallas' Love Field on the General Aviation side, where it replaces a large old hangar of World War 2 vintage. It was located previously in a very small area on the second floor of the passenger terminal at Love Field. U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, one of the three founders (Jan Collmer and Bill Cooper) who made it happen, will be the guest speaker at the dinner.

The museum will eventually feature 25 aircraft; the initial displays include a Vought RF-8G Crusader, Vought A-7B Corsair II, Huey helicopter, Learfan 2100, a Glasflugel HS-1 sailplane, T-38 trainer and the Apollo 7 module on loan from the National Air & Space Museum.

C. V. Glines

Aviation Community Mourns Pete Knight.

California Sen. William J. "Pete" Knight, astronaut and military test pilot, died Friday, May 7th at City of Hope National Medical Center in Duarte. He was 74.

Senator Knight flew experimental aircraft as a test pilot at Edwards AFB, earning astronaut's wings during a flight that topped 280,000 feet. He also went into the record books in the rocket-powered X-15-2A on Oct. 3, 1967 piloting it to nearly seven times the speed of sound, exceeding Mach 6.7, or 4,520 miles per hour.

Knight was born in Noblesville, Indiana. He attended Butler and Purdue universities, entering the Aviation Cadet Program in 1952, subsequently serving in the Vietnam War.

Knight represented the 17th Senate district of California, which includes northeastern Los Angeles County, all of Inyo County and portions of San Bernardino, Ventura and Kern counties.

Senator Knight is survived by his wife, three sons, four stepsons and 15 grandchildren.

Doolittle Raiders Hold 62nd Reunion

A report from the event by aviation historian & author, C. V. Glines

Liftoff from the Aircraft Carrier, Hornet on April 18th, 1942, as Jimmy Doolittle leads 16 B25s on the famous Raid on Tokyo. The operation was the first American strike at the Japanese homeland after the bombing of Pearl Harbor.

April 18th, 2004. The Doolittle Raider reunion on the 62nd anniversary of their famous mission held in Tucson, Arizona April 14-18 was a great success. It was well-planned and executed. Unforunately, only 8 of the surviving 17 Raiders were able to attend. The schedule included the arrival of the famous silver goblets in a B-25 in a formation with three other B-25s and a B-17. The goblets are brought each year from the AF Academy for display at the reunion site by two outstanding cadets and an officer from the History Department. They are used to toast the Raiders who have gone. If a Raider has "gone west" since the last reunion, his goblet is turned down by one of the survivors. This year the one belonging to Col. Travis Hoover was upended. Each man's name is engraved so that it can be read either up or down. It is a unique and poignant ceremony. As far as I know, no other WW II unit has such a tradition.

There was a special significance to the arrival of the goblets this year. They had been given to the Raiders at their reunion in 1959 by the people of Tucson and this is the first time since then that the Raiders have met there so that the goblets had finally come home.

There were luncheons and dinners for the Raiders at the Hilton Tucson East Hotel, the Pima Air and Space Museum and the Davis-Monthan AFB Officers' Club. A guided tour of the latter area was made where nearly 5,000 USAF aircraft are parked awaiting a call for continued service, spare parts or destruction.

The next reunion will be held at Mystic, Connecticut in April 2005. It is the first time the Raiders have accepted an invitiation from a city in the northeast.

(Above:) Colonel James Doolittle, Task Force 58 CDR, Marc Mitscher and the Doolittle Raiders aboard the Hornet, 1942.
-Photos courtesy of US Naval Historical Center.

Reporting:C.V. Glines
Historian, Doolittle's Tokyo Raiders

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