Flying High

A Father's Day suprise for World War II veteran

World War II veteran rode in a C-47 for Fathers Day.

World War II veteran received a ride in a C-47 for Father's Day.

Photo courtesy of KVUE

KVUE — It will be hard to top this Father's Day for retired Air Force Capt. Arnold Cook.

The family of the World War II veteran arranged a ride in a C-47 for Father's Day. It's the same type of plane he flew in on D-Day, 69 years ago.

"I just cannot express myself but to say thank you for all that's happened today. It's something beyond my belief that could happen to me," said Cpt. Arnold Cook.

Cook's clan all pitched in to arrange a flight on the original World War II aircraft from Burnet to the Austin executive airport in Pflugerville. This gift was given to him for Father's Day and Cook's 91st birthday.

"It was scary to be honest with you. Because on D-Day we dropped the paratroopers off morning of D-Day. There were a few bumps in the road when flying one of these back then. It was not unusual at all for these airplanes to have mechanical problems. And I've had my share of them, believe me," said Cook.

The same holds true today, after the Bluebonnet Belle took off, it had to return to the airport because of mechanical problems.

It was two hours before the plane got the all clear for the flight, which was just fine by Cook. It gave him time to reminisce on days past.

"It was just like going home again. And just to sit in the cockpit and reminisce, looking back, it was a wonderful feeling, believe me," said Capt. Arnold Cook.

Cook walked off the plane to find his grandchildren and friends, making this a Father's Day one he will never forget.

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Read the full story on KVUE.com.

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Self-driving Roller Coaster

More self-driving cars expected to roll out in Austin for 2025

Photo courtesy of Waymo via KVUE

Various brands offering self-driving cars are on-and-off in Austin.

Expect to see more self-driving rideshare vehicles, also known as robotaxis, on Austin roads next year.

Robotaxi company Waymo, which you may have already seen on Austin's roads, is partnering with Uber. At some point next year, customers will be able to use the Uber app to call a self-driving ride.

Austin-based company Avride is in the testing phase and plans to roll out its robotaxis next year.

Currently, Volkswagen ADMT and Amazon's Zoox are in the testing phase in Austin, while Hyundai's Motional is in the mapping phase.

Last year, robotaxi company Cruise paused operations in Austin after the California Department of Motor Vehicles revoked the company's permits to operate driverless vehicles in the state. And last week, General Motors said it would no longer fund the company because of the time and resources needed.

This way of getting around has come with its safety concerns and issues. The city is tracking those concerns. According to the Transportation Department, the problems span from blocking the roads and parking in front of people's homes for weeks with lights beaming through their windows, to actual wrecks.

Since July 2023, robotaxis have been involved in 75 incidents. Only 21 of those incidents happened in 2024. It's important to note that Cruise has not been operating in Austin this year.

Since July 2023, driverless rideshare vehicles have been involved in 22 near collisions, eight collisions and seven instances where driverless taxis ignored directions from the Austin Police Department (APD).

According to the data, at least four of those Austin police incidents happened in recent months. The issues varied from driving through police checkpoints, to malfunctioning and getting stuck at an APD road closure near pedestrians, causing safety concerns.

A Waymo spokesperson said their vehicles have gesture recognition capabilities, which they've been training APD officers on using.

As the report shows, sometimes it does not work and Waymo said it is working to improve that. The spokesperson said that as of just last week, Waymo's First Responder Program has been independently verified by TÜV SÜD, making Waymo the first autonomous vehicle (AV) company to receive third-party validation for our emergency response protocols. They also said the data to date indicates the Waymo Driver is already reducing traffic injuries and fatalities in the places where the company currently operates.

Read the full story and watch the video at KVUE.com.

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