Private Briefing

07/03/2025

Stuka …

STUKA BEING RESTORED TO FLY
On June 27 it was announced that the Flying Heritage & Combat Armor Museum’s (FHCAM) Junkers Ju 87R-2 Stuka return-to-flight project was being moved from its headquarters in Washington to warbird specialist The Roost in Bentonville, Arkansas. Here, its restoration to airworthy condition with an original Junkers Jumo 211D engine will continue.
Acquired by what is now the FHCAM during 2004, the project began in earnest during 2013, and is based on the remains of a 1940 Weser Flugzeugbau licence-built StukaR-2 (Werk Nummer 5709) recovered from Motowski Bay in Russia’s Murmansk region during the early 1990s.
Allocated the code ‘L1+KU’, the aircraft was shot down near Motowski Bay on May 28, 1942. With the wreck lying undisturbed for more than 50 years, it was discovered and salvaged during the early 1990s and passed through several private hands before being acquired by Paul Allen. While the time frame for the aircraft’s return to flight is unknown, the prospect of an airworthy Stuka is certainly tantalising.
FHCAM also saw Lockheed P-38J Lightning 'Jandina III' (N988J) returned to flight recently – for more on this busy month for the Everett, Washington-based attraction, see the next issue of 'FlyPast', published at the end of this month.
[Stuka photo credit: Adrian Hunt-The Flying Heritage & Combat Armor Museum]

07/02/2025

In Portland, Oregon, there’s a small coffee shop called Cozy Bean. During the day, it’s what you’d expect—people stopping in for a hot drink, soft background music, the usual warmth of a neighborhood café.
But something unexpected happens after closing time.
Once the customers leave and the lights are turned off, the owner turns them back on—but not for more business. He opens the doors again, this time for a different kind of guest: street dogs.
Since 2018, Cozy Bean has quietly offered shelter to stray dogs in the area. There's no advertising, no big signs, no posts asking for attention. It’s just something the owner does—every single night.
Inside, he sets out old blankets, cushions, and bowls of clean water. The dogs come in from the cold, some limping, some soaked from the rain, and they find a place to rest. They aren’t locked in or forced to stay. They just know they’re welcome—and they settle in like they belong there.
Some of the dogs are regulars. Others come and go. But every night, they have somewhere safe to sleep. A break from the noise and danger of the street.
The owner doesn’t do interviews. He doesn’t expect anything in return. He just makes space for those that have none.
It’s a simple act—opening a door, turning on a light, offering a little comfort. But it shows a level of compassion that’s hard to find in today’s world.
This isn’t about saving the world. It’s about doing what you can, right where you are. And that, in its quiet way, is something extraordinary.

07/02/2025

06/30/2025

I saw this guy speak at while I was there … terrific speaker.

Leonardo DiCaprio played him in “Catch Me If You Can.”

06/30/2025

06/30/2025

🎉 Celebrating 104 years of excellence!

✈️ On June 29th, the 104th Fighter Squadron celebrates its proud 104th anniversary. Honoring a legacy of courage, dedication, and unmatched skill in patrolling the skies and protecting our soldiers on the ground. 🇺🇸

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06/29/2025