I am dedicating this website to my father, Anthony (Tony) Riccio, and his legacy in bringing aviation to Western New York through Buffalo Air-Park. I believe this photo was taken in the spring of 1946 when my father flew this Globe Swift from Texas to the airpark with his wife Maxine and their cat. Check…
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Ah, the Bristol Blenheim—a plane that started as a businessman’s luxury speedster and ended up dodging (or failing to dodge) enemy fire in World War II. Designed initially as a high-speed transport for Lord Rothermere, a newspaper mogul with a penchant for cutting-edge aviation, this twin-engine marvel quickly caught the eye of Britain’s Air Ministry.Continue reading "Bristol Blenheim: The Fast Bomber That Fell Behind in WWII"
11.3.2025 15:00Bristol Blenheim: The Fast Bomber That Fell Behind in WWIIYou ever see a plane that just looks like it was built to get dirty and keep going? That’s the Grumman Ag-Cat. This thing isn’t some sleek, speedy, fighter jet wannabe—it’s a big, burly, biplane that’s about as graceful as a farm tractor and just as tough. Built for one thing and one thing only:Continue reading "Grumman Ag-Cat"
6.3.2025 16:00Grumman Ag-CatPublished in the October 1937 issue of Popular Aviation, the article “Popping Them From the Air” by Spencer Eddy offers a glimpse into a bygone era when hunting from airplanes was not only accepted but even celebrated. The story details the aerial exploits of E.L. Torrey, a hunter who used his aircraft to target hawks,Continue reading "Hunting from the Skies: A Look Back at Aerial Predator Control in 1937"
4.3.2025 16:00Hunting from the Skies: A Look Back at Aerial Predator Control in 1937Alright, let’s dive into today’s story! Picture this—it’s the early 1930s, the golden age of aviation, where aircraft design is rapidly evolving. Biplanes are giving way to sleek monoplanes, and innovators are pushing the boundaries of materials and construction. In the midst of this, one man had a vision: Donald A. Luscombe. Luscombe, already knownContinue reading "Luscombe Phantom: The Forgotten 1930s Aircraft That Changed Aviation"
27.2.2025 16:00Luscombe Phantom: The Forgotten 1930s Aircraft That Changed AviationAlright, picture this: You’re in Queensland, where adventure isn’t just a weekend hobby—it’s a survival strategy. The kind of place where pilots casually battle cyclones, dodge crocodiles, and deliver the mail in what can only be described as the aviation equivalent of a rodeo. That’s exactly what Adventure is SOP in Queensland is all about.Continue reading "Bush Pilots of Queensland: The Daring Aviators Who Tamed the Outback"
25.2.2025 16:00Bush Pilots of Queensland: The Daring Aviators Who Tamed the OutbackThe Vought V-143 was a curious little fighter, a machine built in a time when aviation was evolving at breakneck speed. Imagine the late 1930s—a world where nations scrambled to modernize their air forces, where sleek monoplanes were replacing biplanes, and where speed, firepower, and ruggedness were the hallmarks of a good fighter. Now, theContinue reading "The Vought V-143: The Fighter That Time Forgot"
20.2.2025 16:00The Vought V-143: The Fighter That Time ForgotIt was 1937, and the aviation world was on the cusp of something big. Speed records were being shattered, airliners were stretching their wings across oceans, and the question on many minds was whether commercial aircraft could serve another purpose—warfare. Enter the Bellanca 28-50, an aircraft designed for mail delivery and long-range flights, but oneContinue reading "Bellanca 28-50: The Mail Plane That Might Have Been a Fighter"
18.2.2025 16:00Bellanca 28-50: The Mail Plane That Might Have Been a FighterAlright, let’s dive into today’s story! Imagine soaring high above Manhattan, the city skyline stretching out beneath you, when suddenly—silence. The engine quits. No warning, no sputtering—just a deafening, unnatural stillness. For most people, that would be the start of a nightmare. But for Giovanni Cirillino, it was the answer to a question that hadContinue reading "Over Manhattan with a Dead Engine"
13.2.2025 16:00Over Manhattan with a Dead EngineAlright, let’s dive into today’s story! Imagine a vast, untamed wilderness—an expanse of snow and ice stretching as far as the eye can see. The wind howls through the endless pines, whispering tales of explorers and frontiersmen who dared to brave the unknown. Somewhere in this frozen expanse, a lone aircraft cuts through the sky,Continue reading "Adventures in the Frozen Wilds of Canada"
11.2.2025 16:00Adventures in the Frozen Wilds of CanadaAlright, picture this: You’re hurtling through the sky at 235 miles per hour, minding your own business, when suddenly your plane starts shedding parts like a molting bird. What do you do? Well, if you’re Jimmy Doolittle—stunt pilot, speed freak, and all-around aviation legend—you simply yank the stick, flip the plane on its back, andContinue reading "Jimmy Doolittle’s Wild Ride: The 235 MPH Bailout"
6.2.2025 16:00Jimmy Doolittle’s Wild Ride: The 235 MPH BailoutIn reply to <a href="https://buffaloairpark.com/2024/12/12/the-fatal-flaws-of-the-christmas-bullet/comment-page-1/#comment-124">Larry Pope</a>. Larry, thank you for sharing such a well-thought-out perspective. You’re absolutely right—this story is as much about missed opportunities as it is about tragedy. If Christmas had listened to engineers like Burnelli, who clearly had the expertise to design something far more functional and safe, history might have remembered him differently. Your point about charlatans throughout history resonates deeply. It’s especially chilling when ambition and ego lead to irreversible consequences, as in this case. I can only imagine how Burnelli must have felt, being associated with such a disaster despite his objections and later successes. It’s a stark reminder of the importance of accountability and the weight of decisions when human lives are involved. Thanks again for your insight—it adds so much to the conversation!
16.12.2024 14:13Comment on The Fatal Flaws of the Christmas Bullet by awilliamriccioYes, Mr. Christmas, had he listened to all the engineers, might have had a perfectly good flying machine of the time. Vincent Burnelli designed a slim body, capable of moving through the air with minimal drag. Christmas could have held a few speed records for a time. Had he listened and put wings that could have safely carried the load of the plane, he wouldn't have killed two men in the prime their lives, probably with families. After the second fatal flight, Christmas should have been charge with negligent homicide. There should be a charge of belligerent homicide for a person like this. It is a familiar story of charlatans and scammers throughout the centuries. They lie and boast about their knowledge above all obvious warnings to the contrary. Most of these alternate truth players usually take only money from fools but sometimes lives are lost, and no one is held accountable. These losses cannot be recovered. Burnelli probably had to live with this tragic and embarrassing connection for the rest of his life. At least 2 of his own planes crashed through mistakes made by mechanics. In these, all the occupants survived to fly another day.
16.12.2024 05:51Comment on The Fatal Flaws of the Christmas Bullet by Larry PopeIn reply to <a href="https://buffaloairpark.com/blizzard-of-77-hanger-collapse/comment-page-1/#comment-122">maximum5ff91cffea</a>. It was posted on January 29, 2021. I'm sorry to hear about your dad. Losing a loved one is hard, but their memory lives on in our hearts. I posted some black & white photos of the hangar collapse in another post, "Blizzard of '77", in 2020. Here's the link. https://buffaloairpark.com/2020/01/29/blizzard-of-77/
20.11.2024 12:51Comment on Blizzard of ’77 Hangar Collapse by awilliamriccioWhen was this posted? My Dad's plane was destroyed here when the hanger collapsed. I was missing my Dad, who passed in 2015, and reminiscing about all those times he took me flying and somehow came across this page. Ty. for the pictures. Was wondering if there are anymore.
20.11.2024 10:55Comment on Blizzard of ’77 Hangar Collapse by maximum5ff91cffeaIn reply to <a href="https://buffaloairpark.com/2020/08/23/tonys-scrapbook-burnelli-cb-16/comment-page-1/#comment-100">Tom Barrows</a>. Hi Tom, I’m glad you enjoyed my post and you have a very interesting past! Thanks for sharing!
19.6.2023 13:41Comment on Tony’s Scrapbook: Burnelli CB-16 by awilliamriccioI really enjoyed the Burnelli story. My father was a staff reporter for the Washington Post in the 20's and 30's and covered transportation subjects - planes, trains, automobiles, and ships along with being a White House correspondent. He became close friends with Vincent through that connection and I recall visiting him with my dad during visits to the Washington DC area and once in NY. "Uncle" Vincent actually let me throw a couple of his models off the balcony of his apartment and I recall breaking the wing on one! Both he and my dad passed in 1964. Later I would correspond with and meet Chalmers "Slick" Goodlin who also knew my dad and of course was the CEO of the Burnelli Corporation and fought for the remainder of his life to right the wrongs - actual or percieved - that Uncle Vincent experienced at the hands of the military-industrial-political complex which thwarted his every attempt to put his designs into production and bring them to market. I certainly hope in my remaining years to be able to visit the restored CBY-3. I don't think that was the model I broke but it would be amazing to see that plane close up!
19.6.2023 02:24Comment on Tony’s Scrapbook: Burnelli CB-16 by Tom BarrowsIn reply to <a href="https://buffaloairpark.com/2023/01/22/air-show-fly-in-breakfast/comment-page-1/#comment-98">Darla Richter</a>. Hi Darla, Thanks for letting me know and I discovered them in a folder that my mother Ruth had saved. Your notes must have been important to her and I’m glad that they didn’t get lost!
22.1.2023 17:20Comment on Air Show/Fly-In Breakfast by awilliamriccioHi Billy, the handwritten notes were made by me. Thanks for sharing them. < div>Darla Richter Sent from my iPad < div dir="ltr"> < blockquote type="cite">
22.1.2023 14:46Comment on Air Show/Fly-In Breakfast by Darla RichterIn reply to <a href="https://buffaloairpark.com/2023/01/08/t50-pheasant-hunting/comment-page-1/#comment-96">James Donley Jr</a>. Thanks Jim, and Happy New Year to you as well!
8.1.2023 15:26Comment on T50 Pheasant Hunting by awilliamriccioThank you! Love the old pics and your writing is wonderful! Happy New Year! Jim
8.1.2023 14:36Comment on T50 Pheasant Hunting by James Donley Jr