WANTED: P-38 gathering

[L. Thompson]

Can anyone remember seeing more than three flying P-38s at the same show or airport since maybe the civilian photo recon days in the 50's/60s?

I think one year at the Reno Races in the mid-70's there might have been three. Some of the CAF shows around then should have had three.

Has there ever been a formation of four since the early 60's?

With the popularity of the type it seems if someone could promise even just six in the air at the same show, it would draw some tremendous interest.

Where is the best central location/established show/most dependable weather/ etc. combination that this could be pulled off?

Maybe P-38 owners could begin planning today to fly them all in to Breckenridge when Red Bull has theirs ready to fly.

Thoughts anyone?

[John-Curtiss Paul]

Hi Lowell,

I think there are only 3 P-38's currently flying. The guys down at POF are the only ones that would seem to be able to pull it off at the moment. That said, I would have to guess Chino. I think Steve's the only one that's flown all 3.
JC

[CH2Tdriver]

IIRC the last Chino POF show had 3 on display but only 1, POF's was flown. The other is airworthy so its a contender (N79123??) but Yanks Air museum's which was parked outside but is not airworthy. So that would be 2!

That leaves Glacier Girl (3).

What happened to Tillamook's that was in the Roaring Glory video?
What about LSFM's ?
There was the P-38 owned by Gen Lyons?
Red Bull ex LG under rebuild.

Any others? I would say 3 at present at most.

Peter

[Chad Veich]

Glacier Girl
Porky II
Tillamook
CAF/Museum of Flying (is this one officially with the CAF now?)
Jerry Yagan/ex Tallichet (or is this one down for resto?)

I know the Yanks bird has not flown since restoration was completed but I assumed that it was restored to airworthy. No?

I know the LSFM bird is no longer flown but is that a permanent thing or an insurance issue?

[Warbirdnerd]

Ron Fagen's P-38 (ex tallichet) should be back in the air in the next year or two as well..

[TonyA]

Ron Fagen's P-38 (ex tallichet) should be back in the air in the next year or two as well..

This is the same one quoted as with Jerry Yagen in the previous post isn't it?

[AirJimL2]

What is the status of Glacier Girl? I thought I heard something that it was grounded now.

Flying

Porky
Tillamook?

Airworthy? but not flown

Lone Star
War Eagles
Evergreen
Yanks

Restoration

Red Bull
Fagen
44-26981 - No longer with either the CAF or the MOF

What is the status of 42-104088?

Oh and I don't think Jerry Y has a P-38...at least not yet...

Jim

[Jack Cook]

At what point does a aircraft that's airworthy but not flown become non-airworthy??
Evergreen's only has the ferrytime since restoration and has not flown since and I doubt if it ever will. Tillamook's also hasn't flown in ages.
Not singling anyone one out, but what's the point of spending so much $$$ on a airworthy restoration then letting it sit and rot?

[marine air]

I can't remember ever seeing three flyable examples in one place. Don't think that's going to happen any time soon. The last glimpse of an opportunity would have been last year at Middlesboro , Ky. When Porky II and Glacier Girl flew together. Is there another one anywhere that the 'OWNER' would have been agreeable to flying across country to that event? I can't think of anyone. Since that time Mr. Shofner has passed away and the airplane surely is tied up in the estate. His estate includes vast real estate holdings, coal mines, banks, Kentucky Fried CHicken restaurants, and much more. Who would have the authority to authorize it being risked in flight?
I'm not optimistic about Porky II coming back to east Tennessee any time soon as after POF, lost a dear friend and the Hellcat which surely was like a member of the family, my guess is their aircraft and pilots will stay closer to home. evrything else is either flown close to home, not flown at all, or being restored from a previous accident.
I still dream of a Jack Roush type sponsoring a limited production run of say thirty, in Romania or CHina someday.

[Mike]

So it sounds like the only one on the planet likely to be seen flying anytime in the near future is PoF's at Chino.

Due to be flown at their monthly event on Feb 4, btw.

[T J Johansen]

At what point does a aircraft that's airworthy but not flown become non-airworthy??
Evergreen's only has the ferrytime since restoration and has not flown since and I doubt if it ever will. Tillamook's also hasn't flown in ages.

Same with LSFM and War Eagles if I'm not mistaken! And to the best of my knowledge Yanks 38 has never flown. Nor do I believe it ever will!!!

Not singling anyone one out, but what's the point of spending so much $$$ on a airworthy restoration then letting it sit and rot?

I do so agree with you. However, the short answer is very likely "a good investment"!

To Leroy, I seem to remember that Spitfire guru Peter Arnold posted a lot of photos from Don Plumb's airshow/gathering in 1974. "Airwar '74" which had three P-38s flying. Bill Edwards in N3800L, Bill Ross in N9005R, and Johnny Bolton in N3JB. Don't think it has happened since!

T J

[corsairboss]

Do not count all of your beans just yet. The P-38 coming back to the Mid-West and East Coast is a real good chance this will happen. The Heritage Flight Program has treated the P-38 and the POF Museum very well the past 3 years. Just wait to see what come's about.

As for active Flying P-38 right now on the airshow circuit, I would say POF and Glacier Girl. Hopefully Mr. fagen, and Red Bull P-38 will be in the air soon, and you may see some kind of a P-38 Re-Union. That would be "Cool".

[Warbirdnerd]

Ron Fagen's P-38 (ex tallichet) should be back in the air in the next year or two as well..

This is the same one quoted as with Jerry Yagen in the previous post isn't it?

Yep. I guess I should have referred to it as 44-27231

[Andy in West Oz]

[quote="Jack Cook"]At what point does a aircraft that's airworthy but not flown become non-airworthy??


Inspection? Missing a 100 hourly or an annual?

[Jack Cook]

Inspection? Missing a 100 hourly or an annual?

You missed the point. I can think of quite a few aircraft were restored at great expense but have never flown and most likely never will. what a waste of an airplane and the valuable airworthy parts.
Many aircraft out of annual are capable of flight and some with annuals that have no business in the air but were not talking legalalities here.