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Classic Wings Magazine WWII Naval Aviation Research Pacific Luftwaffe Resource Center
When Hollywood Ruled The Skies - Volumes 1 through 4 by Bruce Oriss


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PostPosted: Sat Jun 17, 2006 3:15 am 
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Good posts. I should add my previous post was a bit tongue in cheek, but true enough.

The real question is where the engineers are going to come from. Warbird flying can be (and often is) a weekend job. Maintaining them is a lot less possible to do on a fraction of a week, and qualification and beer money is needed too.

What is interesting, and ties into Groundpounder's post, is that the pilots back in W.W.II were doing an utterly different job back in W.W.II to today's warbird flying. The machine may be essentially the same, but everything else is different. In military training, if you aren't killing a few pilots and you aren't breaking aircraft, you aren't training hard enough. In warbird flying, that's not a measure of success, but of failure, and if it's my aeroplane, it's certainly not good enough! (If I had one...)

There are more and more warbird pilots today who are qualified engineers as well, and that's got to be a good thing. Better understanding, and knowledge is power.

Just a few thoughts.

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 Post subject: Warbird piots
PostPosted: Sat Jun 17, 2006 11:28 pm 
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FG1D pilot learned in the mighty J-3. Hey Doug do you think maybe us L-Bird drivers just become superior pilots by shear determination. As someone said a Cub is just enough airplane to kill you a little bit. Don't think I ever learned any thing in the L Birds that wasn't useful down the line. Hear the Corsair will be ready for Oskosh.


The biggest memory I have of the early years is: At my first airshow that I took the cub to, ( I only got to fly it to the show and home, someone else flew it in the show, but it was a start), a warbird show in Houston. As I sat there and watched Reg Urshler fly by in the Mustang, I said to the guy with me "I wish that was me flying the mustang" he replied " look behind the crowd line, everyone behind it wishes they could be you". You never know what the path will lead to.
On the subjet of mechanics or "engineers". I can never find a mechanic with experiance on warbirds. What I look for is someone who really loves the planes and will do anything to learn. He must be willing to listen and play well with others. The guys who work for me, love what they are doing. Each of them have left for "greener pastures" but have come back or asked to come back. I have never had anyone leave on thier own and not wish they were back. It's not the best paying job in the industry, but it's the most rewarding.

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PostPosted: Sun Jun 18, 2006 12:40 am 
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Doug: "It's not the best paying job in the industry, but it's the most rewarding." Truer words were never spoken. For the volunteers, the pay scale isn't bad, we pay for the privilege!!

Seriously tho, Doug's right. I've had the rare chances to meet folks who MADE history. Plus, as important, my kids (15 & 17) have also gotten to meet folks like Gail Halvorsen, Paul Tibbets, Gunther Rall, and many others. I hope in years to come that they look back and value the experiences.

Plus, I've gotten to help keep these great airplanes flying. I love doing what I do...

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"I'm having a BLAST!!" 2007 CAF Wing Staff Conference

RIP Gary Austin..always in our hearts


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