Big Biplane Flyin at San Marcos, Texas, Airport April 30!!

[Ray Clausen]

I'm told that we're expecting 40 or so planes at this time and hope for more! World War 2 pilots (and possibly any WWII vet) can get free Stearman flights! Check with Buck Willis. Plenty of ramp space and car parking, too! Come visit the Cobra Den, the CAF hangar that is the only place in the world with both a flying P-39 Airacobra and a flying P-63 King Cobra. Also home to the Yellow Rose, a B-25 Mitchell bomber.



Please come out and see us!

[Ray Clausen]

Our "Hangar Hero" Sandy Sansing will be going for a Stearman ride at the BiPlane Flyin. Sandy was a P-51 pilot escorting bombers over Germany when he was shot down. He spent months traveling across Europe to Switzerland with the French resistance on a bicycle posing as a deaf mute. He has some great stories. Come to San Marcos on the 30th and meet Sandy and see all of the plane!

[RyanShort1]

I know of at least one Bipe from Boerne headed over there. I'd like to go, but I need to find a biplane... I'm thinking of trying to convince a student to go, though.

Ryan

[Ray Clausen]

A couple of the flying notables who are coming out to the BiPlane FlyIn are Dr Tom Matthews and Col Ollie Crawford! In addition to getting flights in the Stearmans, they'll be visiting with folks and having fun with the rest of us!

Dr Tom Mathews flew 60 missions in the B-25 and in 1944 he was awarded the DFC and Purple Heart. When his plane was hit with shrapnel, one engine was out and the bombs could not be released so Dr Tom ordered all crew to bail. Then he saw that his radio gunner had a shattered leg and could not get out. Even though the one engine was out, fuel was leaking visibly, he flew to friendly territory and landed safely to save his gunner! Dr Tom called yesterday to confirm that he will be coming!

Col Ollie Crawford flew the P-40 to the U-2 before he retired and he sponsored the P-40 (Centex wing) until 2005.

Please plan to come out and fun this Saturday, April 30th!! See ya there!

[jayba]

Planning on bringing 3 biplanes from Bryan to add to the numbers, Stearman, S2C and a Model 12

[The Inspector]

DANG! I was expecting to see someones recreation of the Illya Moromets, that was a big biplane!

[RyanShort1]

Well, I didn't have a warbird or biplane to fly, but I was able to convince a student to go there for lunch! I think I counted something like 14 biplanes when arrived - which was probably a bit after the peak, although some nasty low visibility probably kept the more fair-weather types from flying in. Here are a few pictures.













More intended to follow...

Ryan

[RyanShort1]

More pictures...













More to follow.

Ryan

[RyanShort1]

And some more...













Ryan

[RyanShort1]

I kind of hate to do this - but this was the ride my student and I had...



But I'm posting it because it is the origin of the following photos...











I think that's it from me. Didn't get to stay more than about 30 minutes - which is about what it took for us to get some hamburgers. The line was pretty long, which I think was a good thing for the folks putting the event on. Saw a few friends, a ton of Stearmans, no N3N's that I recognized - which is a loss because I'm looking forward to trying to bum a ride in one someday. I'm curious where all of the biplanes came from now, because I would LOVE to several of them to come out to other events, too.

Hmmm. On second thought, I may have been the only pilot paid to go there. Not so bad...

Ryan

Last edited by RyanShort1 on Sat Apr 30, 2011 9:29 pm, edited 1 time in total.

I know it off the biplane subject of the thread, but I couldn't help noticing the THREE parked T-33's with NO tip tanks! Anybody know what the deal is with these? T-33's without tip tanks look naked to me.