Wildcats

[<illegal username>]

Not spraying planes, original WW2 Wildcats. Can't say much more at this point.

Ex Lake Michigan 'cats?

[helinut]

Are these wildcats, buried at the old USN airbase at argentia? In Newfoundland

[SRS]

What does the NHC / Navy have to say about this? I'm sure it won't be 'go right ahead and help yourself'.

[Jack Cook]

I hear there's Naval Task Force headed for Lake Michigan with orders to shoot first and ask questions later.
Now we know where Rob "Frogman" Rohr has been.

I CAN SAY WITH ABSOLUTE CERTAINITY THAT THE NAVY WAS READING THE BOARD TODAY!!!!!

Last edited by Jack Cook on Wed Mar 16, 2005 4:05 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[<illegal username>]

Not in Newfoundland, but, I definitly would be interested in hearing that story! I know there is a pretty serious dumping site in Argentia close offshore that has tanks, motorcycles, heavy equipment, etc. But have heard nothing about buried aircraft down there. I actually was part of an U/W survey done at the base about 10 years or so ago, and we saw no trace of airplanes, other than the remains of the float plane base.

[Taras]

Over the years A. and T. Recovery has recovered the vast majority of Lake Michigan Warbirds to include a SB2U, Wildcats, and SBDs.

For general understanding A. and T. stands for Allan and Taras.

We have used many people over the years to help with the project. If you visit our website you will see the photos of the core crew, that has been with us for almost twenty years. Not a single member of that core crew would ever think of either claiming to be the people responsible for the recoveries or of stealing locations of airplanes, located by A. and T. Recovery, for possible sale to other parties.

At times we have used outside welders, diver assitants, over the road haulers, and heavy equipment operators. We have allowed all these individuals to pose for photographs with the clear stated agreement that such photos were to be used only on a personal level for them to show to friends and family that they did have some part, no matter how small, in preserving Naval Aviation History. Most of these people have honor and class and have respected the agreement.

I have seen an E-mail which contains an example of one of these photographs, it is clearly an airplane recovered by A. and T. Recovery. The person whom we allowed to pose with the photo was used by A. and T. Recovery for a few weeks (keep in mind we have being doing this for 15 years), for diver assitant work.

As for the locating and recovery of the airplanes: equipment to include the sonar systems, lifting gear, robots, and boats are and always were property of A. and T. Recovery. A. and T. Recovery has never hired or used outside sonar or ROV operators (Al and I are very good at it). Additionally, A. and T. Recovery has never sub-contracted any portion of the Lake Michigan recoveries to any other company.

I recommend stearing clear of anyone who makes claims of work that is not their own.

If anyone wishes to have a speaking guest at their aviation group meeting, let me know. We at A. and T. Recovery support on going aviation history preservation efforts.

Taras