TB-25N deck launched from the USS Carl Vinson 1995

mikoyan29 · **Joined:** Tue Jul 10, 2007 12:59 pm **Posts:** 42

It's pretty cool how that looks almost exactly like the movies of the Doolittle raid....

B-25 C · **Posted:** Thu May 08, 2008 6:28 pm

Great pic. Thanks for posting.

kwajwreckdiver · **Posted:** Fri May 09, 2008 2:14 am

Wow, guys...thanks for the jog again down Memory Lane!

I was just sitting here, remembering again what it was like to hear all those radial engines roaring.

When the Vinson's PA department made the video, they dubbed in some supposedly authentic music for the area, as the planes were starting engines, taxiing, and launching. Problem is, not only did they get the music wrong, but it covered up those beautiful radial engine sounds. :roll:

Hey, you guys are mentioning some sources of videos and pictures that I'd never heard of before! Any idea where I can get copies of some of that stuff?

Cheers all!

Dan

usaf ssgt · **Posted:** Tue May 13, 2008 8:11 pm

The B-25 shown in the video taking off looks like the one that was owned at the time by Wally Fisk.
His collection was based at the Anoka Co. Airport, MN.
I think he also had his TBM on the carrier, too.

Leon

Rajay · **Posted:** Sun Jul 04, 2010 2:56 pm

I know that this is an old thread, but I was just about to post a new one asking if anyone had any information about the warbirds that participated in the Carl Vinson cruise in 1995 - and lo and behold, I found this thread complete with photos.

Much of my focus and interest in WIX has focused on Grumman seaplanes, especially the Goose. Understandable given my involvement with Antilles Seaplanes. I was trying to identify the "other" Goose that was on the Chuckie V besides N87U (JRF-5 s/n B-126 BuNo. 87732 registered to Blue Goose Enterprises of Las Vegas - I believe it really belongs to Glen Johnson of Ft. Worth, TX and that he often keeps it in Roanoke, TX at 52F)

It appears from these photos that the other Goose is N291VW, G-21A s/n 1188 belonging to none other than legendary Hollywood stunt pilot (think Air America Turbo Porter!) and resident of Wichita Falls, TX, Tom Danaher.

Can anyone confirm that?

mustangdriver · **Posted:** Sun Jul 04, 2010 4:04 pm

Rayjay from Col Rohr
"Please Tell Rayjay that I can confirm that Tom Danaher was the owner and pilot of the Gray Goose and that Glen was the owner and pilot of the Blue Goose. If you have any other questions about the trip ask here and he can answer them as he was on the trip from start to finish."

Rajay · **Posted:** Sun Jul 04, 2010 4:21 pm

I was recently trying to find e-mail contact info for Tom Danaher, but when I sent messages to the two addresses I found online, both came back undeliverable. I suppose they were out of date (One I found on the CatalinaGoose.com guest book from 2003.)

During that same search for info about Tom, I came across the obituary for his friend Ralph Knight from this past May (2010). The obit mentioned that Ralph took "his" Goose aboard the Carl Vinson in 1995. Was he a partner with Tom in N291VW or with Glen in N87U?

When the e-mail didn't work, I finally sent a snail-mail letter to Tom c/o his airport address in Wichita Falls. Does anyone know of a current e-mail address for him. N291VW has been registered to him since 1964! I can't imagine that there are many other Gooses out there that have been in the same hands that long. I'd love to be able to correspond with him and hear more about his experiences with the Goose.

Taigh Ramey · **Posted:** Sun Jul 04, 2010 4:49 pm

Sorry I can't help with the contact information but I remember that one of the Grumman Goose's (or is it Geese...?) had recently come out of a museum or long term storage of some sort. They had been working hard to get it ready for the trip. I thought it interesting that it had light truck tires on it! :shock:

Rajay · **Posted:** Sun Jul 04, 2010 6:57 pm

Well, it kinda seem like we've hijacked this thread now, focusing on the Gooses. Is that OK since it was otherwise dead or at least inactive for more than two years?

And I've always heard that "Gooses" is the correct plural form of "Goose" when you're talking about Grumman G-21's because it is a formal name.

I don't know for sure, but as for one of the Gooses coming out of storage shortly before the cruise on the USS Carl Vinson, I'd imagine it was N87U, Glen Johnson's Goose in the faux US Navy paint scheme. He had bought it only two years earlier, whereas Tom had his Goose since 1964.

Speaking of "faux" US Navy paint schemes, does anyone know the origin or significance of the emblem on this Goose? See: http://www.abpic.co.uk/popup.php?q=1119202

It looks to me to be exactly the same as the one that was on Don Gentile's VF-T, the P-51B Mustang he flew with the 4th Fighter Group in the 8th Air Force in Europe:

The 4th Fighter Group Association Web site includes the following "original Disney art"

Is that supposed to be an eagle with boxing gloves putting up a fight?

RareBear · **Posted:** Sun Jul 04, 2010 7:36 pm

Here's a close-up of the artwork on "Shangri La"

Rajay · **Posted:** Sun Jul 04, 2010 7:59 pm

Yeah, and I've seen it on Korean war F-86's too. Presumably because they were still in the 4th FG as well.

Based upon the Disney draft art work, I'm guessing that it's a reference to service in the RAF Eagle Squadrons (hence the E. S. in the background.)

So my real question was why is it also on Glen Johnson's Grumman G-21A in a faux US Navy sea blue paint scheme?

corsair166b · **Posted:** Mon Jul 05, 2010 9:15 am

Wild that this should come up....I dunno about the one off of Hawaii, but I have a tape from Paul and Sam Koskela from (I think) 1992 when they flew off the Vinson and then went on to bomb Colonel Doolittle's house with flowers, the launched the B-25's Pacific Princess, Tootsie, and In The Mood, a Corsair and a Bearcat from the carrier just outside of San Fran....very cool vid and I'm amazed how well it has held up over the years.

Mark

TimAPNY · **Posted:** Mon Jul 05, 2010 10:04 am

August 95, That looks like much more fun than I was having on the Lincoln in the Gulf that month.

That is some great video! Looks like the B-25 doesn't even roll a few feet before the nose comes up.

Tim

rwdfresno · **Posted:** Mon Jul 05, 2010 10:31 am

corsair166b wrote:

Wild that this should come up....I dunno about the one off of Hawaii, but I have a tape from Paul and Sam Koskela from (I think) 1992 when they flew off the Vinson and then went on to bomb Colonel Doolittle's house with flowers, the launched the B-25's Pacific Princess, Tootsie, and In The Mood, a Corsair and a Bearcat from the carrier just outside of San Fran....very cool vid and I'm amazed how well it has held up over the years.

Mark

Mark,

Both of the Carl Vinson warbird launches were in 1995 as part of the 50th aniversary of the end of WWII celebration. One was done up near San Fransisco and the other was done in HI. The 1992 launch was done as the 50th anniversary of the Doolittle Raid and was done from the USS Ranger.

Ryan

corsair166b · **Posted:** Mon Jul 05, 2010 10:43 am

K, so it is possible that the Koskelas tagged some additional footage along with the Vinson flights onto my video tape and just INCLUDED the Doolittle memorial flight from a few years earlier...in fact I'm betting that's what they did.

Cool to see Wally Fisk's B-25 in the photo on this thread, as that used to be our old Colorado based B-25 'Can Do' owned by Jerry Tepper before he sold it to Fisk, got a lot of flights in that old bird...she is now with Tom Duffy as 'Take Off Time' in a silver scheme....best thing Wally did for it was to put a top turret on it....

Mark

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TB-25N deck launched from the USS Carl Vinson 1995

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