No. 282 Wings of Freedom Tour Comes to Skagit County Airport

Collings Foundation "Wings of Freedom Tour" comes to the Skagit Regional Airport
Skagit Regional Airport
Main Ramp behind the Main Terminal
15400 Airport Drive
Burlington, WA
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The Collings Foundation  returns to Skagit Regional Airport this week with it's "Wings of Freedom Tour 2014" from Monday June 16th through Thursday June 18th. Every year the Collings Foundation brings it's vintage WWII aircraft on a nationwide tour to honor war veterans and educate visitors on the sacrifices and history of military aircrews.
The tour features 3 fully flight worthy restored aircraft including a 1944 Consolidated B-24J Liverator names "Witchcraft", which flew 130 sorties over Europe; a B-17G Flying Fortress named
"Nine-O-Nine"; and a P-51C Mustang fighter escort named "Betty Jane."
The planes will be on static display behind the main terminal Monday through Wednesday.
Tours of the B17 & B-24 cost $12 for adults and $6 for children under 6 years.
Tour hours are Monday 12pm -5pm, Tuesday 9am-5pm, Wednesday 9am to 12pm.  
30 minute flights experiences are offered at $450 per person on the B-17 or B-24 (minimum 6 passengers/max 10)
For information and reservations to take a flight experience call the Collings Foundation
at 1-800-568-8924

B-17G "Nine-0-Nine"

B-24J Liberator "Witchcraft"

B-17 Cockpit

B-24 Cockpit 

B-24 Bomber

B-17 navigator and bombardier's position - in the nose of the plane.

Bomb Bay 

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No. 281 Olympic Flight Museum Saturday Highlights

Olympic Flight Museum 
7637 Old Highway 99 Southeast
Tumwater, WA 
website: http://olympicairshow.com/

Saturday Highlights.
The sun came out Saturday for the 16th Annual Olympic Air Show and a variety of aircraft from R/C Planes, Helicopters, and Warbirds filled the skies above Olympic Flight Museum with low high speed passes and aerobatic maneuvers. A TFR (Temporary Flight Restriction) over Olympia Airport means only Air Boss approved aircraft can enter the show box over Olympia Airport. This safety measure allows stunt pilots and aircraft to perform more aerial maneuvers such as loops, inverted and low passes that you won't see at other air shows.
Day 2 is Sunday June 15th Gates open at 9am. 

Here are some Highlights of Saturdays Performers

visitors walk through "FiFi' B-29 Superfortress Bomber 

Olympic Flight Museum's FG-1D Corsair before its afternoon flight 

P-51 Mustang Alley 

P-51 Mustang "DiamondBack"

More Photos after the Break Click here

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No. 280 Aviation Father's Day Weekend 2014

Air Show Season 2014 enters its 15th Week in the Pacific Northwest and Father's Day Weekend has of Aviation events going on.  The 2014 Air Show Calendar 

Everett, Washington
Paine Field Airport

Flying Heritage Collection  Ace Makers Day (Father’s Day)
11:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Flying Heritage Collection

Come early, learn about classic aviation, and stay to see our warbirds take flight at noon. Starting at 11:00 a.m., Ed Saylor, a Doolittle Raider Veteran, will share his combat experiences in one of our working hangars.

Flying at noon: Focke-Wulf Fw 190, North American P-51 

Focke-Wulf Fw 190

North American P-51

FHC is also hosting the Collings Foundation this weekend at Paine Field for its 
Wings of Freedom Tour 2014
(B-17, B-24, and P-51)

                 Collings Foundation B-24J "Witchcraft"

B-17G "Nine-0-Nine

B-17 "Nine-0-Nine Cockpit View" 

Olympia, Washington
Olympic Air Museum is hosting their 16th Annual Air Show 

FiFi is the only B-29 that is still flying. Image by Jim Mullhaupt 

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No. 279 Alki Lighthouse, West Seattle

Alki Lighthouse
3211 Point Pl SW, Seattle, WA 98116
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First lit on June 1st, 1913 the Alki Lighthouse helped seamen find the southern entrance into the Seattle’s Elliot Bay replacing oil lamp signal that was previously used. It was one of 13 lighthouses on the Puget Sound.  The lighthouse had three Head Keepers from 1913 to 1970 when the last lighthouse keeper Albert G. Anderson retired. The United States Coast Guard took control of the lighthouse and dwellings in 1939 although the maintenance of the fourth-order fresnel lens was given to keepers who served either in the USCG or as civilian lighthouse keepers. 

In 1962 Alki’s fourth-order Fresnel lens was replaced with a more powerful airway beacon. There is a replica fresnel lens inside the lighthouse and the original lens is located in the USCG Museum in Seattle. USCG staff would stand 8 hour shift at Alki and turn on the beacon light 30 minutes before sunset and turn it off 30 minutes after sunrise. After 1984 the lighthouse became fully automated and the keeper dwellings were refurbished to house senior USCG Officers. The fog horn was silenced in 2005 and since 2007 the Alki Grounds is home to the USCG Commander of the 13th District. 

USCG Auxiliary provides tours of the lighthouse on weekends throughout the summer beginning in June. 

Because the lighthouse grounds are part of USCG property and the home to the Commander of the 13th District the grounds are only open to the public on weekends when the Coast Guard Auxiliary provides tours. 

You can however still get close enough to the property during low tide by walking along Alki Beach from the north or south depending on where you park your car. During high tide your best view will come from the water either from a boat or kayak. 

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No. 278 Woodland Park Zoo

Woodland Park Zoo
601 N. 59th St
Seattle, WA 98103
Website:  http://www.zoo.org/

Established over 110 years ago the Woodland Park Zoo sprawls out over 92 acres in the Phinney Ridge neighborhood north of downtown Seattle. The zoo is open all year long except for christmas. Visiting hours depend on the season. When planning to visit the zoo ask the information desk about special events, exhibits and when feeding times are. Animals are more active when they know food is coming. As of 2010 the zoo has 300 animal species, 1090 animals, 50.000 shrubs and 1000 plant species on the grounds of the zoo.

Here is sample of the animals you may get to photograph inside the Woodland Park Zoo.

Brown Bear (Grizzly) 

Grey Wolf

Grey Wolf

Peregrine Falcon

Patas Monkey 

Giraffe 

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