WWII Airplane nuts!!

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my house is always getting divebombed by something cool. a friend of my dad flies them. had a stearman for a while, then a beechcraft model 18, now i think he has a T6 texan, tho i haven't seen it for a while. VERY cool to have anything lke that dive at YOU and make a pass. runs chills up your spine.

 

There is nothing like the sound of a P-51 flying over your house. a guy in salem ore. has one and takes it out every so often. he kinda gets it east of town every so often where i live. you can tell what it is from 10 miles away. very cool to hear one overhead.

 

And if one Merlin is music...TWO is especially SWEET! The "Mosquito" was built of molded plywood...went like stink!! I've poached a period pic (on the deck!!)



Don't know if everyone knows...Hamilton, Ontario (near Niagara Falls) has the Warplane Heritage Museum, with fully operational exhibits, including a Lancaster (One of only 2(?) flying.)

Thing is, every Summer thay have an airshow. Fanatastic! Mustangs, Hurricanes, Spits, Forts! CSA sends some stuff up. Also, Phantoms from (N.Y.) Rainbow Sqaudron . BEST part is how close you can get to the flight line. Nothin like a Corsair taxiing by, then "getting on it"!!

 

Great shot of the Mosquito!

The P-51's are sweet, but my all time favorite is the P-38. Those twin Allison's churning on a low level pass just do it for me!

I get to listen to a neighbor who has a variety of WW1 and WW2 planes, but most often you'll see a corsair overhead playing around.

 

Mustang # 413334 went for a ride in it about 15 years ago. Steve Hinton was the pilot.What a thrill.

 

July 27, 2004 - August 2, 2004 Airventure Oshkosh...!

Oshkosh..., EAA fly-in..., Huge Formations of vintage Warbirds for a whole week...!!!! (Worlds busiest airport for 2 weeks)

I've been Blessed with many hours of ride time in P-51's, T28's, T-6's, T-38, T-33, L-29, Stearman's, WACO's, L-4's and a F4...!

If you've never been there..., you wouldn't understand.

Mark

 

You want fun? Try 100' in a Herk at night. How 'bout 250' in a Herk, at night, in the mountains, in the weather - IMC! Poke out of the clouds, look out on NVGs & see your wingtip about 75' from the rocks! THAT'S FUN!

Going low & fast is fun too - don't do much of that in the Herk, but did a bit in T38s way back when...

 

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You want fun? Try 100' in a Herk at night. How 'bout 250' in a Herk, at night, in the mountains, in the weather - IMC! Poke out of the clouds, look out on NVGs & see your wingtip about 75' from the rocks! THAT'S FUN!

Going low & fast is fun too - don't do much of that in the Herk, but did a bit in T38s way back when...



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Had some crazy marines land at Hill AFB after they almost hit the rocks during a blizzard..., They weren't smiling then but I'm sure that they're Happy they made it through OK!!!

 

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July 27, 2004 - August 2, 2004 Airventure Oshkosh...!

Oshkosh..., EAA fly-in..., Huge Formations of vintage Warbirds for a whole week...!!!! (Worlds busiest airport for 2 weeks)

I've been Blessed with many hours of ride time in P-51's, T28's, T-6's, T-38, T-33, L-29, Stearman's, WACO's, L-4's and a F4...!

If you've never been there..., you wouldn't understand.

Mark


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I WAS there once! 1995! 50th Anniv of VE and VJ Days. Watched Chuck Yeager fly his P-51!! Getting REALLY impatient to take off waiting for the GeeBee replica to get out of his sky.



Have a lot of great memories with my Dad there.

 

Another great event is WWII Weekend at the Reading , Pa. Airport, same weekend as York. The past two years have been rained on, these photos are from 2002

 

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If you've never been there..., you wouldn't understand.

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I WAS there once! 1995! 50th Anniv of VE and VJ Days. Watched Chuck Yeager fly his P-51!! Getting REALLY impatient to take off waiting for the GeeBee replica to get out of his sky.



Have a lot of great memories with my Dad there.

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Yeah Dumar was having fun and trying to steal the "Thunder" Away from General Yeager..., but it didn't work..., Yeager still commands the sky...!

I've been to 24 of the 51 EAA shows...! (addictive..., ain't it??? )

 

I'd love to go to Oshkosh, as I have said before... BUT I don't think I can afford the time if there is any hope at all of getting my car to the Cheater's Show.

Maybe next year, in the '36.

 

Hey Django, the week or so before the show up north all the pilots have to spend the week here praciticing flying in formation. It is incredible, the week starts off with a few flying around, then as the week progress' they start with the larger and larger groups.

We would spend hours out next to the airport just watching them.

Kind of like a mini oshkosh show early in Kenosha

 

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Had some crazy marines land at Hill AFB after they almost hit the rocks during a blizzard...,

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I remember TF-ing up the valley in the pass just to the ENE of Hill and popping up to land - got quite a few noise complaints from that one. No more low-level through that area...

 

Hill AFB had the last of the F-4 Phantoms in the Air Force inventory and we would sit at the end of the runway as they took off in three's... !!!

Those suckers would violently "Shake The Earth" and go vertical right at the end of the runway... !

This year at the EAA My friend should be bringing his Fairey Firefly again...! (RR Griffin W/retract wings!)!

Hopefully I'll get some ride time in that Monster!!!!

Mark

 

Two years ago I was in Västerås, Power Big Meet, Sweden, europe's biggest car happening, and there was ex-sweden air force's P-51 flying show flight. Holy, moly, it's unbelievable sound when fighter goes over LOW and then takes up. Merlin rules!! Anyone V8-engine in whole area didn't sound that good, not even close

 

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Hill AFB had the last of the F-4 Phantoms in the Air Force inventory

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Reno had the last RF-4s & WA Guard had last F-4s - I think Hill is still the depot for the QF-4. Sad plight, that. We've shot up all the F-100s, all the F-106s, & now we're working our way through the F-4s. Converted into drones & shot down over the Gulf of Mexico...

F-4 at Homestead was probably one of the first jets I ever heard...

Nothing quite like the flying brick

 

I was in a t-6 and got to do a "fighter escort" with a b-17. This b-17 is based in Phoenix.

 

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I'd love to go to Oshkosh, as I have said before... BUT I don't think I can afford the time if there is any hope at all of getting my car to the Cheater's Show.

Maybe next year, in the '36.

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I've got friends in high places..., and if you do bring a classic car you'll get prefferential parking and maybe some bonus passes!

Just go on a weekday and you'll be able to move faster than on the weekend and get better photo's!

I like weekdays because you can have relaxed conversations with the old fighter aces, engineers, race pilots, builders, and movie stars!

Seen Harrison Ford, (Late) John Denver, Paul Harvey, John Glenn, General Yeager, Charles Lindberg III, Burt & Dick Rutan, (Late) JFK Jr., John Travolta and many others...!

DAMN AWESOME...!

Mark