Warbird Information Exchange

ok, let's cut to the chase...... a survey- i think we'd all agree that wreck chasing / warbird recovery is among the most popular topics on this site?? right?? hell yes i'd say. why not channel all that enthusiasm, interest, knowledge, etc & organize a recovery of our own. no kidding!! we all have the above prerequisites, we all have money to a certain degree, some more than others, but anything helps. i'd say focus on a wreck in canada eh?? i only mention that country as most wix members are yanks or canucks. no offense to ther countries, your all welcome to get your hands dirty, kick in $$$$$ whatever. i only suggest that area of geography as it is most practical from the $$$$$ x travel time equation. we all have our areas of expertise, connections in the warbird restoration movement etc. as a combined group our resources are unlimited!! speaking for myself, if this would become a collective effort i'm in 200 %. i will kick in $$$$, my knowledge & enthusiasm as well as other resources such as camping & survival gear as i am in that business for a living. i'm not trying to pass the buck, but i could not do a full time organization of this project, but rest assured i am committed to do my part. i just have to much going on to organize this full time as i run the family business, divorced, with 1 in college, 1 delinquent kid (no joke!!), & 2 teens with their heads still screwed on thank god & hope to keep it that way!! ideally who ever could do this needs to either be financially secure where they don't need to work full time, or retired from work with the time to devote toward organizing this endeavor. this isn't pie in the sky, this is a workable dream. we all have the walter mitty in us, let's put our noggins together & make it happen. life is to short not to chase your dreams. i make a good knute rockne don't i ?? regards, tom

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tom d. friedman - hey!!! those fokkers were messerschmitts!! * without ammunition, the usaf would be just another flying club!!! * better to have piece of mind than piece of tail!!

Ok:

I think I'm headed out to indo, but need more info first. It's really hard to get good info.

Chris

chris, i'm still buying my weekly lottery tickets for the morotai / new guinea adventure, but my proposal in this thread is more practical & realistic for me at this time, that being canada eh?? i'm sure it is more practical for the other site members as well too. if i hit the magic lottery numbers consider our trip to the pacific as my treat, as i feed on your enthusiasm!! best, tom

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tom d. friedman - hey!!! those fokkers were messerschmitts!! * without ammunition, the usaf would be just another flying club!!! * better to have piece of mind than piece of tail!!

OK Tom:

I thought I fed off of your and the Board's enthusiasm. I guess were all adding fuel to the fire! The world is ours! Let's go recover..

chris, let's stoke the fire to inferno status!! tom

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tom d. friedman - hey!!! those fokkers were messerschmitts!! * without ammunition, the usaf would be just another flying club!!! * better to have piece of mind than piece of tail!!

Ha Ha Ha!!!

should i assume nobody on this site is interested in organizing a collective wreck recovery among members?? if so i find it unbelievable!! & if so why?? harvard iv has been the only 1 to reply in the yes category. somebody explain, please!! regards, tom

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tom d. friedman - hey!!! those fokkers were messerschmitts!! * without ammunition, the usaf would be just another flying club!!! * better to have piece of mind than piece of tail!!

Tom:

We are the ones who no too little. The ones who know a lot probably know where they are, and exactly how to get them. Also, lack of funds is another limiting factor In addition, I think large partnerships seldom work. I think 2-3 may be interested at the most.

Chris

Have to agree with Chris..no one is going to go off on a wave of enthusiasm with a bunch of cyber friends and do serious wreck recovery, no matter how much they have in common.
Several people who frequent this great forum are already involved in such activities and aren't about to spread there hard gotten and often expensive knowledge to such an extent that it would see 'enthusiasts ' joining in, it would more than likely cause a lot more problems than anything positive that may or may not come out of it in the end.
Might sound a bit harsh, and no disrespect to you or anyone else, just reality as I see it. Either leave it to those who know what they are doing or start at ground zero and work your way into it...pack a lot of patience and plenty of money before you even sit down with your note pad and 'what to do list'

regards
Dave

you all make valid points, & yes via the internet organizing such a venture is a logistical nightmare. but then so is organizing a recovery with face to face participants, whether through a museum, or between buddies, what ever the scenario is. life & dreams are a roll at the crap table, i just assume take a pitch of the dice & see where i fare, than sitting on my keester watching the boob tube & talking to my house plants. as i said life is to short. i am not offended, i respect every opinion on this forum, & have learned much from all contributors & i continue to learn after a life time involved in aviation history. none of us have all the answers. oh well!! i'll just stick to the mega millions lottery & if i hit the big one i'll look for volunteers right here, & the trip will be my treat in return for good company, which i already get from all of you every time i log in. best, tom

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tom d. friedman - hey!!! those fokkers were messerschmitts!! * without ammunition, the usaf would be just another flying club!!! * better to have piece of mind than piece of tail!!

Wish that I had the time to even think about doing another recovery and rebuild project. With three rebuilds in various stages and a scratch-built planned, there is no way to take on much more. I'm on the hook for possibly one more paying project then I'm going to concentrate on my birds for at least a year or more before I even consider taking in anything more in through the shop doors.

YOU FIND IT WELL BRING IT HOME FOR YOU BUT BE SURE TO BRING THE CHECK BOOK THANKS MIKE

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IF YOU CAN FIND IT WE CAN FIX IT

I agree that these ad hoc enthusiastic ideas are usually stillborn (unfortunately, remember the WIX Whirlwind project?). One of the problems is that IF the project is succesful and an airframe is recovered, who is going to own it and if some participants leave the group the fight is on. It has happened before and will happen again.

It will only help if two or three persons living in the vicinity will start such a project, but even then there are some pitfalls.

Cheers

Cees

i kind of thought if this did pan out & happened that the recovered bird would be donated to a museum mutually agreed on by the participants. donated by wix members would have sounded pretty cool. oh well, on to other dreams, tom

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tom d. friedman - hey!!! those fokkers were messerschmitts!! * without ammunition, the usaf would be just another flying club!!! * better to have piece of mind than piece of tail!!

I suppose you could always join TIGHAR.

(Dan running for tin hat and trenches) INCOMING!!

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It was a good idea, it just didn't work.