Memorial Day Flyovers with the Condors - Aircraft of World War II

evangilder · 05-25-2009, 10:15 PM

What a day! 10 targets and 2.5 hours of flying. Lead ship burned through 75 gallons of avgas, most everyone else was 70-75 gallons.

Anyone who has spent time in a warbird knows how long that is (if you haven't, after about an hour, your bacon starts achin' <your butt gets sore>). After 2 hours, your butt is basically asleep. After 2.5 you are looking forward to stretching your legs and standing for a bit. But it was all for a good cause, Memorial Day services and to get some new shots for the Condors.

We got shots over the Rose bowl and the Hollywood sign, the Getty Center and the Reagan library. Here are some quick edits from today. And to all my fellow vets, THANK YOU!

On with the photos

FLYBOYJ · 05-25-2009, 10:17 PM

Very cool! The Hollywood sign shot is an award winner!!!!!

evangilder · 05-25-2009, 10:18 PM

John F, it was nice to meet you.

And for the uninitiated, this is what 2.5 hours sitting on a parachute, unable to move your legs looks like...

evangilder · 05-25-2009, 10:41 PM

Thanks Joe. It was fun, a little choppy, but the guys did a great job, especially considering the length of the flight. They were pretty beat at the end. We all were.

FLYBOYJ · 05-25-2009, 10:41 PM

2.5 hours - yikes!

evangilder · 05-25-2009, 10:48 PM

Yeah, I have a much bigger appreciation for WWII vets after today than before, and that's saying a lot!

GrauGeist · 05-26-2009, 12:38 AM

Excellent photos, Eric!

Glad the "mission" went down without a hitch!

v2 · 05-26-2009, 04:34 AM

Great photos!

evangilder · 05-26-2009, 06:16 AM

Thanks guys. We did have one abort, halfway through the mission. The aircraft in front of us had an aileron trim tab come loose. It wasn't dangerous immediately, but the pilot of the photo ship let him know and since it was flyable, Chris returned to Van Nuys unescorted. The concern was that if it broke free any more, it could start a heck of a lot of vibration.

I had a couple of things that would be good for the blooper reel. I poked my head out the side of the airplane just as we hit a pocket of air. The headset popped right off my head! I thought "Ah crap, David Clark headsets aren't cheap". Then I looked down to discover they were still plugged in. I recovered them off the back deck behind me by pulling the cord!

About halfway through the flight, my seat suddenly dropped. Then it suddenly dropped again until it was as low as it could go. I got on the intercom to let Ken know. His response was "Oh thank GOD, I couldn't figure out what was going on!". Imagine about 150 lbs on man, another 30-40 of parachute dropping about 12 inches, full force. It shook the airplane.

Safe flying was the first order of the day and the Condors passed that one flying colors.

Gnomey · 05-26-2009, 08:13 AM

Great stuff Eric, certainly worth the 2.5 hours of butt pain

Geedee · 05-27-2009, 02:46 PM

Thats some great action shots you've posted. And please pass on my thanks to the guys for sorting this flight out and carrying it through. Its great to see this sort of commitment as a mark of respect. We should have more like minded guys over this side of the pond do something like that !.

Did you manage any stick time ?

Thanks for posting

evangilder · 05-27-2009, 03:10 PM

I will pass the word along, Gary. I didn't get any stick time, which is okay by me with the seat all the way down. Besides, I leave the formation flying to the pros.

Messy1 · 05-27-2009, 03:15 PM

Cool stuff Evan. Makes me think about moving to the coast. We never see anything like that in Iowa.

wheelsup_cavu · 05-27-2009, 04:21 PM

Great shots.
It sounds like the headseats need to be screwed in instead of plugged in if your going to stick your head out.

Wheelsup

ontos · 05-27-2009, 06:58 PM

Dido all the above Eric, great shots. Never been up in a War bird, sounds great thanks for sharing.

05-25-2009, 10:17 PM	#2
FLYBOYJ IP/Mech THE GREAT GAZOO Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Colorado, USA Posts: 16,051	Very cool! The Hollywood sign shot is an award winner!!!!! __________________ "IF ITS RED OR DUSTY, DON'T TOUCH IT"

05-25-2009, 10:41 PM	#4
evangilder "Shooter" Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Moorpark, CA Posts: 14,809	Thanks Joe. It was fun, a little choppy, but the guys did a great job, especially considering the length of the flight. They were pretty beat at the end. We all were. __________________ http://www.vg-photo.com 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

05-25-2009, 10:41 PM	#5
FLYBOYJ IP/Mech THE GREAT GAZOO Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Colorado, USA Posts: 16,051	2.5 hours - yikes! __________________ "IF ITS RED OR DUSTY, DON'T TOUCH IT"

05-25-2009, 10:48 PM	#6
evangilder "Shooter" Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Moorpark, CA Posts: 14,809	Yeah, I have a much bigger appreciation for WWII vets after today than before, and that's saying a lot! __________________ http://www.vg-photo.com 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

05-26-2009, 12:38 AM	#7
GrauGeist Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Redding, California Posts: 3,348	Excellent photos, Eric! Glad the "mission" went down without a hitch! __________________ "Look back over the past, with its changing empires that rose and fell, and you can foresee the future." - Marcus Aurelius, Emperor of Rome > I Support Doug Gillis <

05-26-2009, 04:34 AM	#8
v2 Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Cracow Posts: 4,207	Great photos! __________________ "A good fighter pilot, like a good boxer, should have a knockout punch..... You will find one attack you prefer to all others. Work on it till you can do it to perfection... then use it whenever possible." - Captain Reade Tilley, USAAF 7 Victories, WW-II -

05-26-2009, 06:16 AM	#9
evangilder "Shooter" Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Moorpark, CA Posts: 14,809	Thanks guys. We did have one abort, halfway through the mission. The aircraft in front of us had an aileron trim tab come loose. It wasn't dangerous immediately, but the pilot of the photo ship let him know and since it was flyable, Chris returned to Van Nuys unescorted. The concern was that if it broke free any more, it could start a heck of a lot of vibration. I had a couple of things that would be good for the blooper reel. I poked my head out the side of the airplane just as we hit a pocket of air. The headset popped right off my head! I thought "Ah crap, David Clark headsets aren't cheap". Then I looked down to discover they were still plugged in. I recovered them off the back deck behind me by pulling the cord! About halfway through the flight, my seat suddenly dropped. Then it suddenly dropped again until it was as low as it could go. I got on the intercom to let Ken know. His response was "Oh thank GOD, I couldn't figure out what was going on!". Imagine about 150 lbs on man, another 30-40 of parachute dropping about 12 inches, full force. It shook the airplane. Safe flying was the first order of the day and the Condors passed that one flying colors. __________________ http://www.vg-photo.com 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

05-26-2009, 08:13 AM	#10
Gnomey "World Traveller" Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Royal Deeside/St Andrews, Scotland, UK Posts: 15,224	Great stuff Eric, certainly worth the 2.5 hours of butt pain __________________ "Success is not Final, Failure is not Fatal, it is the Courage to Continue that Counts" Sir Winston Churchill "To him the People of the World Largely owe the Freedom and Liberties they Enjoy Today" Enscription on Hugh Dowding's (AOC Fighter Command 1936-40) statue in London WW2 Talk: A WW2 Discussion Forum My Photo Collections on Flickr

05-27-2009, 02:46 PM	#11
Geedee Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Wiltshire, UK Posts: 765	Thats some great action shots you've posted. And please pass on my thanks to the guys for sorting this flight out and carrying it through. Its great to see this sort of commitment as a mark of respect. We should have more like minded guys over this side of the pond do something like that !. Did you manage any stick time ? Thanks for posting __________________ Cheers Gary Not only am I a master of suspense, but I... http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/sta...ect-18113.html "I’ll never worry about meeting a FW 190 in a 51 since I was able to outturn, outdive and generally out-maneuver him at all altitudes, from 23,000 feet to the deck; I could follow him in anything and do a lot more besides.” Richard D Bishop, 11 Sept 1944, 55th FG

05-27-2009, 03:10 PM	#12
evangilder "Shooter" Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Moorpark, CA Posts: 14,809	I will pass the word along, Gary. I didn't get any stick time, which is okay by me with the seat all the way down. Besides, I leave the formation flying to the pros. __________________ http://www.vg-photo.com 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, 03:15 PM	#13
Messy1 Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Ankeny, Iowa Posts: 1,411	Cool stuff Evan. Makes me think about moving to the coast. We never see anything like that in Iowa. __________________ Bryon O P-61 Black Widow-Mistress of the Night! "No bastard ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country." George S. Patton "Listen, strange women lyin' in ponds distributin' swords is no basis for a system of government." "Oh but if I went 'round sayin' I was Emperor, just because some moistened bint lobbed a scimitar at me, they'd put me away."

05-27-2009, 04:21 PM	#14
wheelsup_cavu Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Corona, California Posts: 1,534	Great shots. It sounds like the headseats need to be screwed in instead of plugged in if your going to stick your head out. Wheelsup __________________ Cheers Wheelsup_cavu Wheels's Photos - Time lapse build of an F/A-18 Super Hornet - Lock N' Load

05-27-2009, 06:58 PM	#15
ontos Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Riverside, California Posts: 348	Dido all the above Eric, great shots. Never been up in a War bird, sounds great thanks for sharing. __________________

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