A World War II flying ace and former leader of the Blue Angels, Capt. Arthur Ray “Hawk” Hawkins, was buried Monday. Full military honors, including a flypast by the Blue Angels, were accorded Hawkins, who died in Pensacola from complications of a stroke at age 81. After 14 kills and three probables in the war, Hawkins flew with the Blue Angels for four years, two as its leader. He was also the first person to survive a supersonic ejection…
A former attack helicopter pilot says pilots need foolproof identification systems to prevent friendly-fire accidents like the one that killed 10 U.S. Marines in Iraq in March 2003. Ralph Hayles made a similar mistake in Operation Desert Storm and killed two U.S. soldiers. A report released Monday blamed the forward air controller in the Iraq incident, but Hayles said pilots should have a direct method of determining who they are targeting…
A granite monument to airmail pilots will be erected at the American Philatelic Society headquarters in State College, Pa. Paul Mulvehill has been looking for a home for the 2,800-pound monument for a year. It commemorates the pilots who died crossing the Allegheny Mountains in the early days of airmail service.
