Warbird Information Exchange

Hi everyone!
Here's some more info on the Corsair Celebration. There are only 300 tickets for this event, so the odds of winnning the Air-to-Air photo flight with the Corsair are pretty good! Hopefully, some lucky WIX'er will win it!
Hope to see some of you there!
Blue skies,
Jerry O'Neill

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PRESS RELEASE:
Health Net Corsair Celebration Day
& Symposium

Monday, May 29, 2006
Sikorsky Memorial Airport
Three Wing Flying Service
Noon to 4 PM
Doors open at 11 AM

The Corsair and its People Return Home for Corsair Day Celebration

Health Net and the Connecticut Air and Space Center are proud to announce the First Annual Corsair Celebration Day, to be held on Monday, May 29, at Three Wing Flying Services. Join in the one-day celebration with the men and women who built the Corsair, and the men who flew the Corsair into combat and an actual pre-flight and flight demonstration of a restored Corsair. The first flight of the F4U Corsair took place on May 29, 1940 and it is now the “Official Aircraft” of the State of Connecticut.

The Corsair Symposium will consist of two parts. The first presentation will be a panel of former Vought-Sikorsky Factory workers, both men and women, who will discuss what it was like building the might bent-winged bird, living on the Home Front and helping to build the “Arsenal of Democracy”. Don Richardson, of the Vought-Sikorsky Flight Test Department is scheduled to be one of the panelists.

Part two will feature pilots who rode the Corsair into the history books. This section will be a panel discussion covering training, flying and fighting in one of the greatest combat aircraft in ever produced.
One of our guest speakers is James Anderson, who flew Corsairs with VMF-451 off the USS Bunker Hill. Jim's Squadron Commander was Archie Donahue, one of guests at last year's "Corsairs Over Connecticut" event.

For attendees who would like to take flight in a real WWII aircraft, Warbird Experience will be at the event all day selling rides in their North American AT-6 Texan Trainer. If anyone would like to pre-book a ride for this May 29th date, please contact them at 860-599-1167 or on line at www.warbirdexperience.com.

Following the Pilot Symposium, there will be a pre-flight demonstration on a microphone by the pilot of the American Airpower Museum’s FG-1D Corsair “Skyboss”. This will follow a typical pre-flight and what the pilot looks for when checking out the aircraft prior to flying it. The demonstration then takes to the air as the Corsair is launched for a flight demonstration and fly-bys. Following the recovery of the Corsair, the pilot will be available for question by the aircraft.

A very unique bonus for paid ticket holders will be a door prize to be drawn after the Pilot’s Symposium. The winner of this drawing will be given the opportunity to ride in the rear seat of a Warbird Experience’s WWII, AT-6 Texan Trainer during the Corsair’s demonstration flight. The Corsair will then fly formation with the AT-6 for a five minute photo session with the lucky winner! This is a very unique chance to be one-on-one with the Corsair in its element! The winner must be present and be at least 18 years of age. The door prize flight is dependent upon weather and there will be no rain check available for any ride at later date.

This event is sponsored by Health Net and proceeds from it will go to the restoration of he Goodyear FG-1D Corsair presently on outside display at Sikorsky Memorial Airport.

Tickets are limited and can be purchased for $20.00 per person.
To order Tickets call CASC at: 203-380-1400 or send payment to: CASC, PO Box 1293, Stratford, CT 06615-1293

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