 | Chance encounters with Warbirds...| Aviation Discuss Chance encounters with Warbirds... in the World War II - Aviation forums; I thought maybe we could talk about the times we have seen Warbirds at places other than orgainized events. I ... |
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08-31-2006, 06:08 AM
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#1 | | Junior Member
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 6
Country:  | Chance encounters with Warbirds...
I thought maybe we could talk about the times we have seen Warbirds at places other than orgainized events. I always enjoy these chance encounters more that viewing a public display.
Growing up in the 60's, I lived near enough to Republic Field on Long Island, NY to see quite a few warbirds in flight. They flew Hellcats on a regular basis, a B-17 G with a lifeboat attached, AT-6's galore and many others. It was the noise of radial engines that first gave them away and it seems that sweet noise never leaves.
Today, I was at our County airport fixing a computer, as I left the building I looked out over the field and above the roof of a low building I saw the un-mistakable rudders of a B-25. As I walked towards them-(like a bee to honey)- a B-17 G was sitting there also, my pace quickened. Then that noise, I look down the runway and here comes a B-24 on final, I have never seen one in operation. The driver taxied that plane right between the B-25 & B-17, did a 180 pretty as you please and shut down. It was not an orgainized event, they were on their way to some airshow and this was just a stopover, very few people there. But there was atleast one Vet there, a Navigator with the 15th AF, Dressed in his Uniform, he described to us his shootdown, the plane exploded and he was blown out. He evaded with the aid of the OSS and partisans, eventually he returned.
Since my dad flew 50 missions in both the B-24 and the B-17 with the 15th, seeing those aircraft and talking with that Vet was a stiring event for me.
Doug | 
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08-31-2006, 09:13 AM
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#2 | | Your ad here. ;)
Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Moorpark, CA
Posts: 11,885
Country: | Cool stuff, Doug. It sounds like the Collings foundation on their final leg of their summer tour. They have been touring this year with those three aircraft.
__________________  http://www.vg-photo.com Wherever their bones may lie, the courage of heroes is consecrated in the hearts and engraved in the history of the free. Lt Col Honner DSO MC, 39th Commander speaking of the dead from the battle of Kokoda. | 
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09-01-2006, 12:19 AM
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#3 | | Junior Member
Join Date: Sep 2005
Posts: 15
| About 1978-79 at Sacramento Executive airport there was an aerial photography company that had two photo version P-38's. I saw them fly a few times. Sacramento Exec also had an adjacent duster strip that operated TBF's as crop dusters.
I currently reside in southern California and I've seen some of Chino's museum aircraft operating near VCV (SBD, P-51, B-25) . | |
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09-01-2006, 04:59 AM
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#4 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Stockport
Posts: 162
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09-01-2006, 08:13 AM
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#5 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 1,848
Country:  | well, because my country is so ****in poor all i see are some old Phil. Airlines DC-3s turned into homes (for people, animals, bugs, etc)
__________________  "The German Luftwaffe always fought without any reserves. This is also the reason why we have pilots with extremely high numbers of victories."
- General der Jagdflieger Adolf Galland"  | |
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09-01-2006, 10:11 AM
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#6 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Orange County, CA
Posts: 7,579
| Occasionaly I see (and hear) the B25 and B17 based at Orange County/John Wayne airport fly over my house as it enters the approach pattern.
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"Pilot to copilot..... what are those mountain goats doing up here in the clouds?" | |
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09-01-2006, 10:31 AM
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#7 | | IP/Mech THE GREAT GAZOO
Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Colorado, USA
Posts: 12,138
Country: | I've been pretty lucky, worked at Mojave airport, a warbird mecca. Just about every flying warbird has been through there. Actually sat in a number of WW2 warbirds, flown in a PBY and C-47 and worked on a bunch of early jets.
Locally there's a Spitfire, P-51, several T-6s, a Vampire and a Mig-17.
__________________ "IF ITS RED OR DUSTY, DON'T TOUCH IT"  | |
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09-01-2006, 11:34 AM
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#8 | | Your ad here. ;)
Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Moorpark, CA
Posts: 11,885
Country: | Any chance of you posting a pic of that Vampire, Joe?
__________________ http://www.vg-photo.com Wherever their bones may lie, the courage of heroes is consecrated in the hearts and engraved in the history of the free. Lt Col Honner DSO MC, 39th Commander speaking of the dead from the battle of Kokoda. | |
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09-01-2006, 01:55 PM
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#9 | | IP/Mech THE GREAT GAZOO
Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Colorado, USA
Posts: 12,138
Country: | Quote: |
Originally Posted by evangilder Any chance of you posting a pic of that Vampire, Joe? | Actually it was a Venom (my mistake). Here's a photo...
__________________ "IF ITS RED OR DUSTY, DON'T TOUCH IT" | |
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09-01-2006, 02:40 PM
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#10 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: NIAGARA
Posts: 3,817
Country:  | I'm blessed with Russells 109' Spit, and Hurri the CWH Lanc ,and Cat,plus the Lizzie soon . Plus an abundance of every type of aircraft doing laps over the Falls so much so that I know when to look up just by the sound . Got flocks of helicopters and am about 7 miles away from Niag Falls AFRES/Ang base with 130's and 135's . Because of the traffic there are VFR routes for sightseeing with altitudes depending on weight and speed. And followed by the question what type of 130 is this?
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Last edited by pbfoot : 09-01-2006 at 02:51 PM.
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09-01-2006, 02:47 PM
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#11 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Kiwi Land
Posts: 848
Country:  | We live down the coast from Ardmore airfield in Auckland, home to the Warbirds society. Welcome to the NZ Warbirds Association.
They use our area for training and build ups for shows, so we get free airshows all year round. 
C-47
Harvards (bout 8 of them)
Spitfire
P-40
P-51
PBY
Tiger Moth
de Havilland Beaver
de Havilland Devon (used for Nav and EWO training in the past)
Aorespace Airtrainer (what we used to call the "Plastic Rat" in the RNZAF)
YAK 52
Polikarpov
BAC Strikemaster
Vampire
Hawker Hunter
A4K (still fly them every now and then these days for check outs from Blenhiem)
The trick with the old Airtrainer is it has a naturally aspirated carb, an airshow trick was to fly two across the airfield. As they came over the field at around 50 to 60 feet, one would flip over top of the other upside down.
The down side is simple. You got 29 seconds to be back upright before the fuel cuts out.
Also at Ardmore is the Mosquito build up. This is not a restoration but a full build using salvaged parts from many airframes. A guy out west Auckland spent years making the molds required for forming the shells.
And we have F-86 restorations going on to static display standard. Next time I am out there with my son i will snapp some pics for you all.
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09-01-2006, 02:58 PM
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#12 | | IP/Mech THE GREAT GAZOO
Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Colorado, USA
Posts: 12,138
Country: | Quote: |
Originally Posted by pbfoot what type of 130 is this? | I think it's a KC-130
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09-01-2006, 03:02 PM
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#13 | | IP/Mech THE GREAT GAZOO
Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Colorado, USA
Posts: 12,138
Country: | Here's my former part time employer... Mojo Jets
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09-01-2006, 03:03 PM
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#14 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: NIAGARA
Posts: 3,817
Country: | Then whats that between the outer engines and the big fuel tanks and there is a bulge on the port aft side of the fuselage I've never seen one before
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09-01-2006, 03:43 PM
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#15 | | IP/Mech THE GREAT GAZOO
Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Colorado, USA
Posts: 12,138
Country: | Quote: |
Originally Posted by pbfoot Then whats that between the outer engines and the big fuel tanks and there is a bulge on the port aft side of the fuselage I've never seen one before | Refueling pods. The buldge I think carries either another refueling drogue, staging lights or chaff dispensers. 
Navair
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