Blog

Innate Passion: John “Bordz” Posson’s Path to Flight

John “Bordz” Posson’s father could be credited with leading him toward a life-long interest in aviation. He was a WWII pilot, after all, and also in the Reserves during the 1950s, but Bordz seemingly sparked his own dreams, instinctively. The dream of being a pilot was constantly on his mind. Read more

Envisioning Flight: the Grit and Genius of the Wright Brothers

111 years ago, human flight became possible. On December 17, 1903*, it was an unfriendly, windswept day in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. Chosen for its regular air currents and sandy banks for landing, Orville and Wilbur Wright were determined to make their flying machine a success. Read more

The Big Blue Sky of Possibility: Dean “Wilbur” Wright’s Path to Lead Pilot of the Patriots Jet Team

Wilbur was a seven year-old boy when he watched the USAF Thunderbirds perform at an air show in Austin for the first time. Read more

Aviator Aspirations: A Young Man’s Journey from a Paper Route to Owning the Patriots Jet Team

From a very early age, Randy “Howler” Howell knew it was his destiny to fly. Now his own dreams realized help to inspire others. In 1972, a local writer in Florida working for the Palm Beach Post interviewed an 18 year-old who had delivered enough newspapers to start paying for flying lessons. Read more

The Lasting Legacy and Promising Future of Women in Aviation and Aerospace

There is no mistaking the increasingly influential role that women are now playing in the aviation and aerospace industries. In the last ten years, many organizations have formed to encourage young women to pursue careers in aeronautics, commercial and military arenas. This support has meant women are more prevalent and successful in these fields than ever before. Read more

Soaring with Love: A Story About Samuel, Our Favorite Future Pilot

By Randy “Howler” Howell

When the 2010 earthquake hit Haiti, young Samuel Wilkins was just over a year old. He was too young to understand the chaos surrounding him, but the world did not. News coverage showed a country in ruins.

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Don’t Let Your Fears Clip Your Wings

By Randy “Howler” Howell

Early this week, one of our team members flew from California to New York, and then back again the next day. Total flight time to travel across the country twice was about 12 hours. 100 years ago, just one half of that trip would have taken over a month via the transcontinental railroad, which was the fastest mode of transportation in 1913.

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Air Shows: A History

By Randy “Howler” Howell

Here in the Hangar of Dreams, our Patriots Jet Team members often discuss their love of flying. It’s not uncommon to hear a team member tell the story of the first airshow they attended. They also tend to remember the first air show they attended as a Patriots Jet Team member after all the rigorous training they received at the team’s Hangar.

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A Thing of Beauty: The L-39 Albatros

Once you see our Patriots Jet Team in action, it’s hard not to wonder a little about the amazing aircraft that make it all possible.  After all, our pilots’ skills and flying talents would be useless if they didn’t have jets capable of performing these amazing acts.
 
When he began dreaming about our team, PJT owner Randy Howell knew that he needed to find a jet that was fast, maneuverable, safe and affordable.  As a former United Airlines pilot and forever jet enthusiast, Randy has extensive aviation knowledge and began researching jets that would meet all these requirements. Read more

Patriots Jet Team Member Soars in the Sky and the Water

It’s no secret that Patriots Jet Team members love adrenaline. Since we can’t all fly the jets, we often look for other ways to feed the need for speed. That is why our team member, Michael Temby, likes to waterski.

Michael isn’t your average water skier, though. In fact, Michael doesn’t really ski. You see, Michael is a barefoot water skier. That’s right. He skis without skis. He also doesn’t really ski. He dances, dives and flips on the water. Read more