Warbird Information Exchange

Hello Folks,

Relatively New Member here to your forum...first time posting. Was at Thunder Over Michigan last year. Was absolutely STUNNED by the amount of FLYING Iron they had. I had heard about SIX B-17's for this year...now SEVEN ?? I would have come back for 2 or three...but how can you miss THIS once in a lifetime gathering of REALLY Heavy Iron ?

As to the post by the person who is guessing about WHO will be there....as there only 13-14 Flyable 17's in the world...with 2 in Europe...this makes for some fantastic speculation. My opinion (for what it is worth), is that the following will be there:

"Yankee Lady" (of course)

"Thunderbird" (Lone Star Air Museum)

"Sentimental Journey" (Western CAF)

"Liberty Belle" (newest Restoration)

"Aluminum OverCast" ( I would think doubtful unless the bust their tails fixing the damage from the gear collapse)

"Fuddy Duddy" (I thought she was taking Aluminum Overcast's place on the EAA tour)

"Memphis Belle" (David Tallichet) Not sure about this one..but could happen...although the airframe (I think from seeing it up close) could use alot of TLC

"909" (Collings Foundation)

"Texas Raiders" (CAF) I would think doubtful, because I thought it was undergoing the spar AD Note work

"Boeing Bee" (Boeing) Flyable and kept that way...but never flown

"Chuckie" (Doc Hospers) Doubtful...it has been forever since I had even heard she had flown

"Shady Lady" (Evergreen) Possibly...never seen it in person

"Miss Angela" (Planes of Fame/Bob Pond) If I may comment on this one. I worked with Planes of Fame East when they were in Minnesota....and I can say one thing for sure. If "Miss Angela" can't be the Number One attraction there, she won't come. Perhaps things have changed...but somehow I doubt it.

Hey...GREAT to be here and I am hoping to meet some of you at the shows..I am planning on going to quite a few this year.

Keep 'em flying

Paul

Welcome aboard Paul!

Let's definitely try to hook up at one of the shows around here. We generally try to get a WIX shot of group members at any of the shows we can get a few of us together at. We have quite a bunch of great guys from Minnesota on the board that you may or may not know.

Are you going to Oshkosh? If you're heading over to Detroit again, I'll see you there!

Come on Airshow Season!!!!!

Steve

There is also Miss Angela from the PSAM. As for airworthyness I am not sure, but she looks great.

Mike

_________________
Mike R. Henniger
Aviation Enthusiast & Photographer
http://www.AerialVisuals.ca
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Do you want to find locations of displayed, stored or active aircraft? Then start with the The Locator.
Do you want to find or contribute to the documented history of an aircraft? If so then start with the Airframes Database.

I don't know the whole stroy but Planes of Fame East / Bob Pond's collection is now the Palm Springs Air Museum.


Look at some of your pictures and the name will start jumping out from everywhere.

_________________
www.tailhookstudio.com

REALLY close. The B-17's planning to attend are as follows:

909
Yankee Lady
Senti Journey
The Belle
Thunderbird
Fuddy Duddy
Liberty Bell

Blue skies...
Kevin

I guess I really need to start working the wheels to make this airshow happen for me

I've seen 6 fly together, I can't miss 7. Wow, this is starting to turn into a great year for shows.

Now for a new camera! I hope this is the year for that also.

_________________
www.tailhookstudio.com

I don't think Evergreen's B-17 can be considered airworthy now. She hasn't flown in a number of years and needs the spar AD address before
flying again. The last time I talked with their cheif mechhanic they were thinking of doing it themselves and that was last year.

_________________
Don't touch my junk!!

Reply for Steve,

I doubt I will go to Oshkosh. Fact is I gave uip my EAA membership. It got to the point where the EAA was almost too overpriced to stay. That and they barely paid any attention to the actual restoration of the old Iron. With the exception of the odd T-, T-28, or T-34, they basically just did what Sport Aviation does...talk about the neat "toys" that pilots can put into the Avionic's packages. I've been around the old Iron for a little over 22 years doing resto work and I gotta tell you...the EAA fell flat. The final straw, if you will, was a couple of years ago I was there for the "Warbird Sunday"...I saw a ton of planes taxi out and take-off...but only a THIRD of them actually particpated in the show. The rest flew home...and that was DURING the show. I felt that my association was at an end with the EAA after that.

Besides, I LOVED the intimate atmosphere that they had at the Thunder Over Michigan show last year...everyone was so friendly and relaxed. Being in Minnesota, it wasn't hard for me to choose between Oshkosh and Michigan. Best choice I made. After speaking with some of the folks from the YAF I was hooked...that show is the one for me. Aside from having that many (12) TBM's in one spot and flying, which was the reason I went in the first place, the folks from the YAF told me that they had just kept on growing since the first one took place. And one other thing that drew me there. When I first started my career in aviation, I joined the Mid Atlantic groups when they were based in Harrisburg, Pa. Having the opportunity to see "Briefing Time" the B-25, was one of the big factors. Because it was the first Warbird I ever wrenched on. Seeing her again made me very happy after all this time.

On a side note, Planes of Fame moved out of their Eden Prairie, Mn facility for what I believe was two reasons. Mr. Pond had aspirations of a larger group of planes in one spot with the POF group from Chino. And it was alos (I think more likely), a matter of ego. Because Wally Fisk had opened up a rival Warbird Museum at Anoka County. Wally's planes weren't the "average" Warbird...they were different types and all were restored immaculately. And at one time, Mr. Pond had begun discussions about purchasing the Avro Shackleton and bringing it to Eden Prairie. That never occured, as Wally entered into an agreement with Air Atlantique (?) and he got it. Soon after Mr. Pond relocated to the new facility. Just a guess on my part...but too much coincidence I think.

Shoot me an e-mail sometime....

Roger, wilco my friend.

Steve