Video of the Week

The pilot and backseater aboard a Belarussian Su-27 fighter died Sunday when the aircraft failed to recover from loop at an air show in Radom, Poland. A bird strike is being reported as a factor in the crash, but so far there is no explanation as to why the crew members didn't eject.

There's been nothing written (that we can find, anyway) about an accident involving the New Standard biplane used for giving rides at Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome, but this video, posted on YouTube about 10 days ago, tells quite a tale. According to the reader who sent us the YouTube link, the accident reportedly happened July 26 and, from the video, appears to be an off-runway excursion into a nasty ravine filled with big rocks. As might be expected, the off-roading takes a toll on the wood and fabric but doesn't seem to have banged up the pilot and his passengers, one of whom kept the camera rolling through the whole accident and aftermath. There is no NTSB report on the mishap, and FAA incident reports are only available for the last 10 business days. The museum's web site says only that biplane rides are suspended until Labor Day weekend, but it's not clear whether the crash airplane will be fixed or a replacement found for rides.

At Edwards Air Force Base, they still test F-16 fighters, because each software upgrade and each new weapons package introduces new parameters. Experimental test pilots need to identify the aircraft's performance limits, and they need to know how it will perform before their brothers- and sisters-in-arms take upgraded Vipers into combat. This is one of those tests, and Air Force pilot Desmond Brophy walks us through it step-by-step.

Obtained by NBC news, this video shot by an Italian tourist shows the moment of impact between a Piper Saratoga and a Eurocopter over the Hudson River. The accident killed all nine aboard the two aircraft.

A British charity rowing team raced to the scene of a ditching by an Irish pilot in the Irish Sea Wednesday and were in the process of throwing him a line when a rescue helicopter arrived and winched him to safety. One of the rowers had a video camera with him.

The common lament among AVweb staff at EAA AirVenture is that we spend a full week at the show but it seems like we see hardly anything. Sure, we cover the news, interview lots of interesting people and make sure there's a wide variety of video, podcasts, photos and written information to give our readers a good picture of what's going on. But few of us have ever gone to AirVenture for the pure joy of it, and that's been an unintentional gap in our coverage. Kitplanes Editor Marc Cook came across this video on YouTube by James Perkins, of Georgetown, Texas, who has elevated getting the most out of Oshkosh to high art. James, who's been going by the nickname Slick since before he can remember, is a carded aerobatic pilot who competes in his Pitts S-1C. He's also an Eagle Scout and will soon be a freshman at Texas A&M where he has a full ride ROTC scholarship as a future naval aviator. He'll turn 19 next month.

Once again, we visit the LSA Mall and vendor booths at EAA AirVenture to see what don't-miss products we can find among the displays. This time, we uncovered: VAL Avionics' super-slim COM 2000 radio; a keen Bluetooth receiver/remote control from ComLinkPro; and one of the handiest flight bags we've seen, at the Brightline Bags booth.

This video is brought to you by Bose Corporation.

Ever wanted to fly a classic warbird? AVweb's Paul Bertorelli can tell you there are more switches, cranks, and levers that you may be used to in the cockpit of the P-40N. Vintage Wings of Canada's Dave Hadfield walks you through all those mechanisms.

This video is brought to you by WxWorx XM WX Satellite Weather and Bose Corporation.

Thielert AG's financial struggles gave diesel aircraft owners some sleepness nights last year, but now Centurion seems poised to take over the top spot in diesel engine production. Centurion's Jasper Wolfson took a moment to talk with us about the state of the industry at EAA Airventure 2009.

This video is brought to you by WxWorx XM WX Satellite Weather and Lightspeed Aviation.

Jessica Cox, the first person with no arms to be granted a light sport pilot license by the FAA, met with AVweb at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2009. As you watch the video, be prepared to never complain about anything ever again. (For more on Jessica, visit her web site, RightFooted.com.

This video is brought to you by Bose Corporation.