TBM Avenger Reunion

[pjpahs]

May 20-21, Friday and Saturday TBM Avenger Reunion and Airshow and salute to Veterans. Peru, Illinois regional airport. Also in attendance will be B17 Yankee Lady offering rides on Thursday and Sunday the 19th and 22nd. Have been to the show and is amazing. Seems to have surprise aircraft showing up, gotta be there. Free admission and parking leaving money to drop into donation boxes.

[kalamazookid]

I plan to attend again. Hopefully the weather will be nice for a change - I've only gotten one full day out of my three trips to the event.

[hurricane_yank]

The first year had the most amazing/perfect weather you could ever imagine...since, not so much.

Still the best gathering/show in the Midwest outside of Oshkosh.

[Warbirdnerd]

The first year had the most amazing/perfect weather you could ever imagine...since, not so much.

Still the best gathering/show in the Midwest outside of Oshkosh.

Agreed on both points!
Brad needs to put Jane in charge of the weather again...

[lucky52]

Is that TBM that ditched in the water last year able to be restored?

[hurricane_yank]

Is that TBM that ditched in the water last year able to be restored?

I think it was sold for scrap due to the corrosion.

[phil65]

Scrap...?
You would think they could clean it up and have it as a static display.

Phil

[Warbird Kid]

Someone recently put up pictures on FB of them visiting American Aero Services in Florida, and the former VAC Avenger was sitting on the tarmac. So I don't believe it is being scrapped, but probably being restored for static for someone.

[JohnH]

As far as I know the ditched TBM will be a static display . Not scrapped.

[Have Blue]

I stopped by VAC when in town the other week - our tour guide mentioned that the TBM had been sold to a buyer in Russia post-accident, but given current events, delivery seemed quite unlikely. No idea of the veracity of this tale, but he works there (well, volunteers), and I don't. Would love to see it flying again - darn shame to have it flying post-restoration only so briefly.

[hurricane_yank]

Looks like another wet one, what a bummer.

[pjpahs]

Heard a wonderful music , a flight of 4 TBM ‘s flying over my house going SW . Probably going to Peru,Illinois. Weather shows a disturbance that should pass by showtime and clear afterwards, don’t know about evening show. Keeping updated by their Facebook. Definitely going to try tomorrow, depending on weather. Been washed out 2 times.
‘

[kalamazookid]

I don't think I'm going to make it unfortunately. I can't go today and the weather tomorrow looks awful. If there's a window of a couple hours with maybe a 40 percent chance of rain or less I might chance the drive, but anything more than that and I'll probably just stay home. Long way to go to potentially just stand in the rain all day. From social media, it looks like five TBMs, two C-47s, Yankee Lady and a B-25 made it in yesterday. Hope everyone who can go today has fun and gets to see something worthwhile!

[pjpahs]

Got up Saturday, checked TBM Facebook, said it was still on. Drove 2+ hrs ran into rain, hoping it would pass,it didn’t, washout. Oh well,had breakfast there, bought sew on patch from the B17 booth for my “Patches shirt” . Took a few pictures, found that the B25 had “bomb bay” tank. I think it’s sometimes called a “Tokyo Tank”. Lots of planes were leaving except for the B17 which is doing rides Sunday. So close ,,tried 4 times to see the show, Successfull only once when it didn’t rain. I’ll keep trying,planning on Warbirds over the Beach, Virginia Beach ,October 1-2 .

[hurricane_yank]

These two just flew over my house in Westfield, IN - guessing heading home from Peru.