Fighter Female Firing Fifties

Dave Hadfield · **Joined:** Sun Sep 17, 2006 10:31 pm **Posts:** 1655

Liz Needham at Wanaka recently. She's part-owner of that P-40N.

fwx image

oldfokker image

Gavin Conroy image

test firing on the ground here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTYGDVrZQPI

That's quite an eye-opener -- firing one's guns during an airshow pass. Talk about realism... I know they did it before, in 2008, but it always makes me shake my head in wonder and admiration.

Their regulatory body, the NZ CAA, must have some people who are really good to work with.

Dave

Stephan Wilkinson · **Joined:** Wed Jun 01, 2011 11:23 am **Posts:** 698

I assume they're blanks. Nobody would fire slugs from a five-degree nose-up position on the ground unless they have a hella tall wall in front of them...

Dan K · **Posted:** Fri Apr 27, 2012 1:53 pm

Dave Hadfield wrote:

Gavin Conroy image

Love it...my latest screensaver.

Dave Homewood · **Posted:** Fri Apr 27, 2012 4:19 pm

How about a link to the forum thread where you lifted these photos from:

http://rnzaf.proboards.com/index.cgi?bo ... 88&page=12

There are many more Warbirds Over Wanaka 2012 photos there...

JDK · **Posted:** Fri Apr 27, 2012 10:08 pm

Yes, they're blanks.

I'd be interested in reliable references to the last live firing at an airshow; certainly no-one batted an eyelid at live rocket and gun firing by current military aircraft in the 1950s at airshows. When did that stop? Are there any places where a normal public airshow includes live firing today? (I'll exclude press military live firing demos. That's not 'an airshow'.)

The NZ CAA guys are indeed 'good to work with' - in part because some of them are poachers as well as the gamekeepers.

Liz Needham is in good company - how many other female P-40 pilots can you name?

Regards,

jmkendall · **Posted:** Fri Apr 27, 2012 11:32 pm

Sue Parrish?

Mudge · **Posted:** Sat Apr 28, 2012 10:57 am

JDK wrote:

Yes, they're blanks.

I'd be interested in reliable references to the last live firing at an airshow; certainly no-one batted an eyelid at live rocket and gun firing by current military aircraft in the 1950s at airshows. When did that stop? Are there any places where a normal public airshow includes live firing today? (I'll exclude press military live firing demos. That's not 'an airshow'.)

The NZ CAA guys are indeed 'good to work with' - in part because some of them are poachers as well as the gamekeepers.

Liz Needham is in good company - how many other female P-40 pilots can you name?

Regards,

Live firing in the U.S.? Surely you jest. (I know...don't call me "Shirley".) In the U.S., guns are bad. People are afraid of them and the noise they make. Most don't even know which end the round comes out of.

Mudge the armed :snipe:

Dave Homewood · **Posted:** Sat Apr 28, 2012 4:24 pm

Very funny stuff Mudge. I love your posts!

Chappie · **Joined:** Wed Dec 19, 2007 9:40 am **Posts:** 987

Very cool. Just read in Warbird Digest about Ron Fagen's P-51D 'Twilght Tear' being equipped with functioning .50s. I would love to see this as a new trend in the warbird community. Imagine the added realism to a Tora-Tora-Tora show!!

Chappie

ErrolC · **Posted:** Sat Apr 28, 2012 5:08 pm

How much of an issue is the FOD from the casings?

Mudge · **Posted:** Sat Apr 28, 2012 6:58 pm

ErrolC wrote:

How much of an issue is the FOD from the casings?

OOPS...hadn't thought about that. The EPA would be on them like stink on _ _ _ _. Everything fun has been legislated out of existence here. Sic Semper Politicos :toimonster:

Mudge the fun loving :drink3:

Dave Homewood · **Posted:** Sat Apr 28, 2012 7:43 pm

At Wanaka most of them probably went straight down the rabbit holes. Maybe they should poison bait them and score some actual kills!

muddyboots · **Posted:** Sat Apr 28, 2012 8:57 pm

When I was doing that dig at China Lake you could literally walk around the ranges and pick brass up by the fistful.

JDK · **Posted:** Sun Apr 29, 2012 6:45 am

Well, that was about as useful as a chocolate teapot.

Yes, Sue Parrish. Any more?

PinecastleAAF · **Joined:** Fri May 25, 2007 4:50 pm **Posts:** 1019

Quote:

Everything fun has been legislated out of existence here.

Hardly. I have 7 ww2 armored vehicles, 2 quad mounts and lots of guns and nobody has ever given me a problem about it.

So there. :lol:

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