Warbird Information Exchange

I must be the third or fourth to mention the Blue Angels:

For me it was the Blue Angels, flying the F-4 Phantom, at the Pt. Mugu California airshow. Dad liked to leave the show before the main act to beat the traffic, so we parked at the fence line and watched the Blue Angels. A small croud of a dozen or so would press up to the chain link at this one spot and watch the Blue Angels. A few times during the show like the bomb burst a certian pilot would pay us special attention and come right over us- seeing a smoking, fire breathing, F-4 headed straight at you left an impression.

By the way the 1970's airshows at Pt. Mugu were quite spectacular (well maybe not as specatuacular as the 1960's? shows where they actually shot down a Privateeer ) as the end of the runway is the Pacific Ocean with the live fire Pacific Missile Test Range, so many shows involved live shoots of sidewinders, 2.75 rockets, cannon, etc. The sidewidners were especially impressive with a flare release then a Phantom or F-14 coming in inverted to get a tone and then Fox-2! The A-10 cannon shoot was also memorable. The aircraft would fire at show center and the missiles or guns would head our towards the sea. Also recall the white ejection seat test rig Phantom doing an ejection seat launch from the rear cockpit (dummy).

I grew up under the flight path for Miramar in the 70's. Loved watching the F-14's. Some of my neighbors were Tomcat drivers. My next door neighbor was a Navy test pilot and went on to fly the SR-71 for NASA (Ed Schneider call sign Fast Eddie). I miss seeing the Tomcats fly.

I remember as a 5 year old watching the planes in the pattern for Miramar. My first airplane ride was at 5 or 6 years old in a 172 at Montgomery Field in San Diego. They had some kind of open house deal and were selling rides for $.05 a pound. You actually had to get on a bathroom scale. My dad took my younger brother and I.