 | Salute to the ground crews| Warbird Displays Discuss Salute to the ground crews in the World War II - Aviation forums; I spent the day at the museum, helping the mechanics, moving airplanes, taking pictures and having fun! After a fairly ... |
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11-19-2005, 10:09 PM
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#1 | | "Shooter"
Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Moorpark, CA
Posts: 12,713
Country:  | Salute to the ground crews
I spent the day at the museum, helping the mechanics, moving airplanes, taking pictures and having fun! After a fairly active air show season, this year is no exception to the amount of work that takes place in the off season. People often see and enjoy these amazing airplanes but do not see the amazing amount of time spent by gentlemen such as these below. This is my salute to the wrench turners and support people who "keep 'em flying". These dedicated and meticulous guys put a lot of blood, sweat and tears into these machines, and all of them pictured below are volunteers. They don't do it for money, but for love of aviation and history. If you were to add up the amount of experience of all the folks in the pictures below, you would have hundreds of years! Most of these guys have 40+ years in aviation.
Gentlemen, I salute you and your efforts! 
__________________  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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11-19-2005, 10:18 PM
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#2 | | He who does not skim
Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Halifax, Nova Scotia
Posts: 8,957
Country:  | All I can say is, thanks fellas.
You're right, evan. Without the maintainers the birds don't fly, and volunteers are the best kind. They want to be there. | 
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11-19-2005, 10:40 PM
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#3 | | IP/Mech THE GREAT GAZOO
Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Colorado, USA
Posts: 13,209
Country: | Very Cool Eric
__________________ "IF ITS RED OR DUSTY, DON'T TOUCH IT"  | |
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11-19-2005, 10:57 PM
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#4 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Orange County, CA
Posts: 8,297
| Great pics!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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11-20-2005, 07:33 AM
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#5 | | Master of Ewes
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 19,959
Country:  | great work, you see, the english like their homely comforts, they even carpeted the wing of the spit 
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"Reminds me of the time I sank the Tirpitz" comments a Spitfire pilot, "One pass of course, old boy." | |
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11-20-2005, 07:34 AM
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#6 | | Minister of Whoopass
Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Long Island Native in Mississippi
Posts: 13,174
Country: | Excellent, excellent stuff eric....
U know, from WWI to WWII, to Korea and Vietnam, from Iraq to Afghanistan, ground crews have always gotten kudos for their dedicated and professional duty.... Pliots and commanding officers will at any chance expound on them and their irreplaceable service....
Hats off to all of them, and by them, there are a few guys here who share in this... Adler, Joe, Track.... It aint too hard to point a M-16 and shoot, but repairing an aircraft for flight ops is altogether a different bag....
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11-20-2005, 08:50 AM
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#7 | | "Shooter"
Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Moorpark, CA
Posts: 12,713
Country: | Well said, Les. When you spend a day looking over the shoulders and listening to what is going on, it is quite an experience. At times it is like they are speaking a foreign language with the technical jargon.
Lanc, that's not carpet, that's non-skid matting. It serves a 2 fold purpose; it keeps the mechanics from slipping on the wing if their shoes are wet or have oil on them and it protects the wing from scratching and abrasions. Any airplane that they are working on will typically have that on it near where they are working.
__________________ 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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11-20-2005, 08:50 AM
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#8 | | He who does not skim
Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Halifax, Nova Scotia
Posts: 8,957
Country: | Quote: |
Originally Posted by the lancaster kicks ass great work, you see, the english like their homely comforts, they even carpeted the wing of the spit | Still funny. | |
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11-20-2005, 08:53 AM
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#9 | | "Shooter"
Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Moorpark, CA
Posts: 12,713
Country: | Well, it is a bit cushion-y, so it serves a third purpose too, I guess. 
__________________ 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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11-20-2005, 12:57 PM
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#10 | | World Traveler
Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Royal Deeside/St Andrews, Scotland, UK
Posts: 11,548
Country: | Nice pics Eric.
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11-20-2005, 01:33 PM
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#11 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 12,057
Country: | Excellent pictures, Eric. And a good hats off to the mechanics and technicians.
__________________ "When you go home tomorrow, don't expect anyone to know what you have been through. Even if they did know, most people probably wouldn't care anyway. Some of you may get the medals you deserve, many more of you will not. But remember this, all of you are now members of the front-line club, and that is the most exclusive club in the world." - Lt. Col. Matthew Maer CO 1st Battalion, the Princess of Wale's Royal Regiment. Camp Abu Naji, Oct. 2004 To those in that club. | |
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11-20-2005, 04:37 PM
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#12 | | Der Crewchief
Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Ansbach, Germany
Posts: 29,774
Country:  | Great pics. You are 100% correct even!
__________________  US Army Blackhawk Crewchief 2000-2006 Classic ww2aircraft.net quotes: fly boy said: "isn't that the first jet bomber? becasue i have flown one in a flight sim before and i know how it handles" "wait what ok who made the b-2 crash come on people that messed up its a b-2" "ah yes the mistel those things are so annoying is games and in real life" | |
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11-20-2005, 10:40 PM
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#13 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Adelaide
Posts: 3,489
Country:  | Great pics Even!
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11-21-2005, 08:18 AM
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#14 | | "Shooter"
Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Moorpark, CA
Posts: 12,713
Country: | Thanks guys.
__________________ 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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11-21-2005, 04:53 PM
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#15 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Saffron Walden/Sheffield
Posts: 3,001
Country: | They're the guys who deserve the most praise but never get it
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