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Out at the hanger yesterday

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One of my most memorable experiences was attending the 50th Anniversary of D-Day Hamilton Air Show in 1994. They did a fly over of WW2 bombers with fighter escort while Vera Lynn sang "The White Cliffs of Dover" live. Not a dry eye in the place.

Cheers,
M. Pied Lourd
 
In 2005 I attended an air show in Galveston. Lots of nice warplanes, but the best part of the show was in the side hangar where a small group of older gents were quietly meeting people and signing autographs. I met David 'Tex' Hill, one of the Flying Tigers Aces. I talked with Richard Cole, co-pilot with Lt Col Jimmie Doolittle of the famous Doolittle Raiders. And I shook hands with Dutch Van Kirk, navigator on the Enola Gay. What a day that was, absolutely amazing.
 
My most memorable experience involving air shows was as a child when there was no restriction against breaking the sound barrier in populated areas. It was at the Chippewa Airport near Beaver Falls, PA and the Blue Angels put on a spectacular show including one plane zipping past and breaking the barrier during practice. Quite an impression was made on this lad.
 
We do a Fly In and Car show in Wickenburg Az every year also. Any aircraft and any older cars. Lots of fun.
Really would like to have a MIG 15/17, hot little AC
 
We had a warbirds show only 2 weeks back at nearby Tyabb Airfield with a mock dogfight. I stood near the end of the runway to take in the incredible sound at headheight of the V12's and radials.

Locked in combat against two ex China Nanchangs was a MkV111 Spitfire, P51D Mustang, P40's Kittyhawk and Warhawk, and an Oz built Boomerang fighter. Harvards flew in formation on the flanks. Fantastic show, and our 66 Mustang vert blended in well in the classic car show. The poor TR didn't get a look in.

We actually built many P51D Mustangs here in Oz, and up until recently were supplying spare wings for US rebuilds, until they ran out. We have about 7 airworthy P51D's, and of those a pair are converted to two seaters for joyrides.

Viv.
 
When I was in Jr. high school back in the late '60s I would ride my bicyle across town to the local airport and hang out. Bob Marrow had a '51. He was out doing some aerobatics w/ his nephew in the jump seat one day when smoke started coming up from the instrument panel and his nephew started waiving his wet hand in front of Bob's face. He had blown a hole from a cylinder to the coolant journal in the engine, over pressuring the coolant lines and rupturing a hose. The radiator sits behind and below the cockpit. When a Merlin engine looses coolant it has about 10 minutes of flying time before it seizes up and either the prop comes off or the prop twists the engine out. He got the plane down just in time and I spent the next several weekends helping repair (keeping him company) the engine. I said it must be expensive to own a Mustang and he said it was cheaper than a Piper Cub! Back then you could buy a complete four blade prop for $350, a landing gear assembly for $75 and a whole spare engine for $500! (which he had in his hanger) Of course those were the days of $.35/gallon AV gas too. I remember a pair of A-20s sitting there for years there. There would be many WWII planes coming and going. In those days they were just old planes and the term Warbirds hadn't been invented yet. After he repaired it and test flew it he gave me a ride. Gawd o Mighty! I'd probably have a heart attack today. Never forget it.

Years later, when I was in the Air Force stationed up in northern Michigan I was out walking across base when the hair on the back of my neck kind of stood up and I thought I heard something. I looked up expecting to see one of our B-52s or F-106s or B-57s stationed there and instead saw a P-51 circling for a landing. Those Rolls-Royce V-1650 (cubic inches) make a sound you can't forget. Seems the pilot did not get a "gear down" light and asked to land at the base where they had crash equipment. He must have known the base commander because you just don't drop in at SAC nuclear bomber base with out a big calling card.
 
Very cool stuff, I will admit.

This past weekend, there was an event at Sikorsky Airport in Stratford, CT called "Wings & Wheels". Bunch of old warbirds and classic cars. My boys and I volunteered as part of the Boy Scouts and got VIP parking and free admission.

Since the old F4U Corsairs were built right there in Stratford some 70 years ago, these were the honored mark. They dubbed it "Corsairs Over Connecticut". They had 5 of the 12 air-worthy Corsairs left in the world on hand. They had a good collection of others including a B-25 Liberator bomber.

On Sunday afternoon all five Corsairs did a fly by in formation. I think the hair on the back of my neck is still standing! Simply awesome.

Bob
PS: oh, and saw some cool cars too. Check these guys out: https://www.blackhorsegarage.com/
 
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