Wonderful Military Weekend - Aircraft of World War II

davparlr · 05-17-2009, 09:18 PM

This may not be the place, but I just have to post it.

Weekend Thrills

This was quite a weekend for me. On Saturday, while visiting Del Amo mall in Torrance, I toured the military display presented for build up to Memorial Day. I sat in cockpit of an F-5A, on display from the Western Museum of Flight at Torrance airport. Since it is basically a T-38 with a weapons control panel and a gun sight, it took me back to warm memories of long ago that still felt so familiar. Also, I saw a M1A1 tank for the first time. It was actually smaller than I though it would be. It seemed low and short, but very wide.

On Saturday, I went to Chino air show. Wow! Planes that only existed in books and video to me, started up in a roar and smoke, taxied, took off, and buzzed overhead like angry bees (big ones). Grumman planes were the feature, and there they were, F3F (biplane), F4F, F6F, F8F (there were FIVE of these), TBM, and a J2F Duck (also a biplane) amphibian, all flying. Then came the F7Fs with their incredibly slim fuselage and two huge engines. The Korean Air War was presented, showing off the T-6, T-33, F-86, Mig 15, and the Sea Fury. The Pacific Air War was represented by the SBD Dauntless, F4U, F6F, VAL, FM-2 (F4F), ZERO, P-40, P-38, P-51 and the F7F (Huh? More like a Korean war bird). The P-47, P-38, P-51, B-25, P-40, F6F (with British roundels and invasion stripes), and the Yak-3, represented the European Air War. The last I saw was the Airpower flight with all of these aircraft flying and buzzing the field. I never believed I would ever see many of these aircraft, much less flying.

Impressions.

While these planes were flying, it was easy to let my mind drift to different times in different places, an airfield in foggy England or on hot, humid island in South Pacific, or on the windswept wooden deck of a cruising aircraft carrier, or frigid skies high over Korea. The volunteers and owners crawling around the aircraft easily transformed into Army, Navy, Marine, RAF, and Japanese pilots and ground crews preparing their war birds for battle. Sounds were impressive. The Merlins, Allisons, Centaurus (maybe), Sakae (one ZERO did have an original engine it), and whatever is in the Yak-3, engines chattered as they started and roared wonderfully. A running pulse jet, being towed down the runway, gave a realistic experience of what Londoners heard overhead late in the war.

Of special impressions were seeing those magnificent F8Fs, with their long legged landing gears and huge, four bladed propeller, displaying great power and deadly intent. I couldn’t take my eyes off the small Mig-15 and the larger F-86, with is slight black smoke trail, chasing each other around the field. I was also struck by the massive beauty and power of the Sea Fury, which darted right by the crowds, and with the beauty of the Yak-3.

A wonderful, treasured time.

Njaco · 05-17-2009, 09:34 PM

Sounds like a great time. I think evangilder and syscom were there - you guys might have passed each other!

Thorlifter · 05-17-2009, 11:12 PM

Sounds fantastic. I wish I could go to Chino just one time.

Airframes · 05-18-2009, 12:51 PM

Sounds like you had a great time, and what a fine description. I could almost hear and smell the sights and sounds. Thanks for sharing.

ccheese · 05-18-2009, 01:01 PM

Sounds like a wonderful time and place for a warbird fan. Chino is a wonderful place, hope to get there someday,
but it's not someplace I can hop to for a week-end.

Charles

TheMustangRider · 05-19-2009, 03:54 PM

Amazing trip! One day wouldn't be enough to take a close look at all those magnificent aircrafts.

evangilder · 05-19-2009, 03:59 PM

Sorry I missed you at the show davparlr. I was to the left of the media tent. syscom was there too. It was a great show, even by Chino standards!

wheelsup_cavu · 05-21-2009, 02:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by evangilder

Sorry I missed you at the show davparlr. I was to the left of the media tent. syscom was there too. It was a great show, even by Chino standards!

I was on the right side of that tent.

Great description of the show Davparlr.

The Zero with the original engine is stored at Chino.
I saw her fly in December 2008 at one of their monthly shows.
First Saturday of every month there is a mini show.

Wheelsup

davparlr · 05-27-2009, 06:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wheelsup_cavu

I was on the right side of that tent.

Great description of the show Davparlr.

The Zero with the original engine is stored at Chino.
I saw her fly in December 2008 at one of their monthly shows.
First Saturday of every month there is a mini show.

Wheelsup

I knew some of you guys were at the show, I just got real busy and didn't get around to finding out where I could meet you.

evangilder · 05-27-2009, 06:55 AM

No worries, it was a crazy busy day for me as well.

Njaco · 05-27-2009, 08:55 AM

Charles, Toughombre and myself are gonna have to teach you guys how to make a plan of attack!

davparlr · 05-27-2009, 01:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Njaco

Charles, Toughombre and myself are gonna have to teach you guys how to make a plan of attack!

Wherebouts in NJ do you live? I spent four year at McGuire AFB at Wrightstown, from 71 to 74. We really enjoyed NJ. Great fruits and vegetables. We first lived near an abandoned peach orchard, in Beverly, near Willingboro. We had wonderful peaches on everything, just had to cut out the worms.

Njaco · 05-27-2009, 03:33 PM

Glassboro, just below Philly. Home of Rowan College. About 45 minutes from McGuire.

davparlr · 05-28-2009, 08:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Njaco

Glassboro, just below Philly. Home of Rowan College. About 45 minutes from McGuire.

Is it rural there? I know southern NJ can be very rural. We used to practice flying combat airlift mission (CAM) over southern NJ. We had a drop zone out there somewhere. Flying into NJ and seeing those dirigibles hangers at Lakehurst reminded me of seeing hotels on the board of Monopoly.

Njaco · 05-29-2009, 01:24 PM

Well, its still alittle rural but getting crowded all the time. The fastest growing community in the nation is situated here - Woolwich Twp. I can't wait to retire and get my own Pacific island with only 2 natives. Eating coconuts and fish, working on a tan and collecting pearls. aaaahhhhhhhh.

05-17-2009, 09:18 PM	#1
davparlr Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Southern California Posts: 1,562	Wonderful Military Weekend This may not be the place, but I just have to post it. Weekend Thrills This was quite a weekend for me. On Saturday, while visiting Del Amo mall in Torrance, I toured the military display presented for build up to Memorial Day. I sat in cockpit of an F-5A, on display from the Western Museum of Flight at Torrance airport. Since it is basically a T-38 with a weapons control panel and a gun sight, it took me back to warm memories of long ago that still felt so familiar. Also, I saw a M1A1 tank for the first time. It was actually smaller than I though it would be. It seemed low and short, but very wide. On Saturday, I went to Chino air show. Wow! Planes that only existed in books and video to me, started up in a roar and smoke, taxied, took off, and buzzed overhead like angry bees (big ones). Grumman planes were the feature, and there they were, F3F (biplane), F4F, F6F, F8F (there were FIVE of these), TBM, and a J2F Duck (also a biplane) amphibian, all flying. Then came the F7Fs with their incredibly slim fuselage and two huge engines. The Korean Air War was presented, showing off the T-6, T-33, F-86, Mig 15, and the Sea Fury. The Pacific Air War was represented by the SBD Dauntless, F4U, F6F, VAL, FM-2 (F4F), ZERO, P-40, P-38, P-51 and the F7F (Huh? More like a Korean war bird). The P-47, P-38, P-51, B-25, P-40, F6F (with British roundels and invasion stripes), and the Yak-3, represented the European Air War. The last I saw was the Airpower flight with all of these aircraft flying and buzzing the field. I never believed I would ever see many of these aircraft, much less flying. Impressions. While these planes were flying, it was easy to let my mind drift to different times in different places, an airfield in foggy England or on hot, humid island in South Pacific, or on the windswept wooden deck of a cruising aircraft carrier, or frigid skies high over Korea. The volunteers and owners crawling around the aircraft easily transformed into Army, Navy, Marine, RAF, and Japanese pilots and ground crews preparing their war birds for battle. Sounds were impressive. The Merlins, Allisons, Centaurus (maybe), Sakae (one ZERO did have an original engine it), and whatever is in the Yak-3, engines chattered as they started and roared wonderfully. A running pulse jet, being towed down the runway, gave a realistic experience of what Londoners heard overhead late in the war. Of special impressions were seeing those magnificent F8Fs, with their long legged landing gears and huge, four bladed propeller, displaying great power and deadly intent. I couldn’t take my eyes off the small Mig-15 and the larger F-86, with is slight black smoke trail, chasing each other around the field. I was also struck by the massive beauty and power of the Sea Fury, which darted right by the crowds, and with the beauty of the Yak-3. A wonderful, treasured time.

05-17-2009, 09:34 PM	#2
Njaco The Pop-Tart Whisperer Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: South Jersey, United States Posts: 11,829	Sounds like a great time. I think evangilder and syscom were there - you guys might have passed each other! __________________ "If you can read this, thank a teacher. If it's English, thank a soldier!" http://www.njcacoa.org/

05-17-2009, 11:12 PM	#3
Thorlifter Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Dallas, Tx Posts: 4,729	Sounds fantastic. I wish I could go to Chino just one time. __________________

05-18-2009, 12:51 PM	#4
Airframes Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 11,556	Sounds like you had a great time, and what a fine description. I could almost hear and smell the sights and sounds. Thanks for sharing. __________________

05-18-2009, 01:01 PM	#5
ccheese Older Than Dirt Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Virginia Beach, Virginia Posts: 7,988	Sounds like a wonderful time and place for a warbird fan. Chino is a wonderful place, hope to get there someday, but it's not someplace I can hop to for a week-end. Charles __________________ Good people sleep peacefully in their beds at night, only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf." George Orwell

05-19-2009, 03:54 PM	#6
TheMustangRider Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: United States Posts: 82	Amazing trip! One day wouldn't be enough to take a close look at all those magnificent aircrafts.

05-19-2009, 03:59 PM	#7
evangilder "Shooter" Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Moorpark, CA Posts: 15,421	Sorry I missed you at the show davparlr. I was to the left of the media tent. syscom was there too. It was a great show, even by Chino standards! __________________ For once you have tasted flight you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skywards, for there you have been and there you will long to return. Leonardo Da Vinci

05-27-2009, 06:55 AM	#10
evangilder "Shooter" Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Moorpark, CA Posts: 15,421	No worries, it was a crazy busy day for me as well. __________________ For once you have tasted flight you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skywards, for there you have been and there you will long to return. Leonardo Da Vinci

05-27-2009, 08:55 AM	#11
Njaco The Pop-Tart Whisperer Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: South Jersey, United States Posts: 11,829	Charles, Toughombre and myself are gonna have to teach you guys how to make a plan of attack! __________________ "If you can read this, thank a teacher. If it's English, thank a soldier!" http://www.njcacoa.org/

05-27-2009, 03:33 PM	#13
Njaco The Pop-Tart Whisperer Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: South Jersey, United States Posts: 11,829	Glassboro, just below Philly. Home of Rowan College. About 45 minutes from McGuire. __________________ "If you can read this, thank a teacher. If it's English, thank a soldier!" http://www.njcacoa.org/

05-29-2009, 01:24 PM	#15
Njaco The Pop-Tart Whisperer Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: South Jersey, United States Posts: 11,829	Well, its still alittle rural but getting crowded all the time. The fastest growing community in the nation is situated here - Woolwich Twp. I can't wait to retire and get my own Pacific island with only 2 natives. Eating coconuts and fish, working on a tan and collecting pearls. aaaahhhhhhhh. __________________ "If you can read this, thank a teacher. If it's English, thank a soldier!" http://www.njcacoa.org/

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