For The Guy Who Must Have EVERYTHING...
You must have heard the rumors... a VSTOL Harrier "JumpJet" in civilian hands!! Well, rumor no more, ANN and Aero-TV is proud to introduce you to Art Nalls, former USMC Fighter jock and the owner/operator of the only civilian Harrier in the world... much less on the airshow circuit.
Art Nalls is an amazing guy -- one who has given the FAA some interesting tasks... such as administering a checkride last October -- to fly the Harrier! Art says that, "The examiner required me to demonstrate the various takeoffs and landing for VSTOL aircraft, as he was totally unfamiliar with the Harrier, so we discussed the various takeoffs and landings and the appropriate use for each. The examiner was pleased with my flying and granted me the type-rating." This event made Art the first person to have (and pass!) a checkride in the World’s only privately-owned, airworthy Harrier -- also earning a Powered-Lift endorsement to that type-rating.
That Art passed should be no surprise. His first operational aircraft was the AV-8A “Harrier” and he was assigned to VMA-231 at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina. While stationed at Cherry Point, he carrier-qualified in the AV-8A “Harrier” aboard the USS Iwo Jima, LPH-2, and made several shipboard deployments, virtually over the world. He has traveled above the Arctic Circle, below the equator, and made a complete global circumnavigation, reaching Beirut, Lebanon twice – once from the east and once from the west.
While on a training mission attached to VMA-231, Art’s “Harrier” suffered a catastrophic engine failure near Richmond, Virginia. With little time to react, he essentially landed the Harrier engine-out at a civilian airfield. This was an extremely precise and risky landing, not normally attempted. The emergency procedures recommend an ejection. Art is the only person to have made such a landing and he was consequently awarded an Air Medal, with gold numeral one for the act. With over 900 hours in the AV-8A and over 400 shipboard landings, Art was selected as the single Marine Corps Pilot to attend the USAF Test Pilot School at Edwards, AFB, CA for Test Pilot Course, 85A. One Marine, per year, is sent to Edwards, and for 1985, it was Art.
As you can see... Art is a uniquely qualified aviator... one who is also uniquely qualified to demonstrate the amazing Harrier at civilian airshows in the coming year. If you want to see something really different, make sure you check out Art's extraordinary performances in the world's only civilian JumpJet!
Aero-TV Interviews Art Nalls, Civilian Harrier Airshow Pilot/Owner!
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