Randy Sohn's "Warbird Notes" -- more like it?

Randy Haskin · **Posted:** Thu Oct 18, 2007 2:32 am

I've recently been reading Randy Sohn's series of "Warbird Notes"...musings on many warbird flying topics from the operation of big piston engines to wheel vs 3-point landings.

All excellent stuff, especially to someone like me with plenty of plain old flying experience but very little warbird experience. It's very educational and has me thinking about topics I've never even heard of before -- 9/10ths of my time is in jets and the little time I do have in piston airplanes has been all in GA aircraft, where much of this information does not apply.

Question is...are there any other available pieces of info like this out among the warbird community? I'd love to get ahold of as much of it as possible and study up in my "free time" (not that I really have any of that!).

Aircraft Mech Paul · **Posted:** Thu Oct 18, 2007 7:49 am

Hi Randy,

I used to know Randy from both my time at Planes of Fame and the many airshows I attended, but also from Randy's time as a pilot for my former employer. I have a question though, where did you get all this reading material ? I ask because I would love to read Randy's thoughts on flying the B-29 "FiFi" as I know he was once one of her pilots.

Paul

Eric Friedebach · **Posted:** Thu Oct 18, 2007 7:50 am

Budd Davisson’s articles and PIREPS include plenty of warbirds along with some other interesting stuff.

http://www.airbum.com/pireps.html

JDK · **Posted:** Thu Oct 18, 2007 8:06 am

There was a book on airshow and display flying that was discussed and featured in aeroplane a few years ago, and written by a South African. But the solid details elude my memory!

Dave Southwood did some writing on warbird display and test flying; WW, I think. ('Airworthiness testing of Warbirds' IIRC)

Like the warbird safety discussion, there's less of a market for this stuff than there should be. Yes, people say they'll read it, and some knowledgeable folks make it available, sometimes for free, but it doesn't actually shift product, so no more commissions for future publications.

Discuss...

Warbirdnerd · **Joined:** Fri Apr 30, 2004 7:34 pm **Posts:** 2930

Aircraft Mech Paul wrote:

Hi Randy,

I used to know Randy from both my time at Planes of Fame and the many airshows I attended, but also from Randy's time as a pilot for my former employer. I have a question though, where did you get all this reading material ? I ask because I would love to read Randy's thoughts on flying the B-29 "FiFi" as I know he was once one of her pilots.

Paul

Randy's Warbird notes can be found here:
http://www.douglasdc3.com/sohn/warbird.htm
He is one heck of a guy and loves to share his knowledge with all interested parties.
BTW he was not just a pilot of FIFI, he was THE pilot the flew her out of the boneyard...

Pick · **Posted:** Thu Oct 18, 2007 10:07 am

John Deakin also has some very interesting/informative columns on flying warbirds, including FiFi. (He also has links to Randy's thoughts on recovering FiFi from China Lake.)

http://www.avweb.com/news/pelican/list.html

bipe215 · **Posted:** Thu Oct 18, 2007 3:22 pm

Frank Tallman's 'Flying the Old Planes'. Some of the best warbird pireps you'll read, from walk around to landing.

Steve G

Bill Greenwood · **Posted:** Thu Oct 18, 2007 5:00 pm

Charlie Brown, well know British test pilot and ex RAF, has written a number of magazine artricles on flying various warbirds. He has a lot of insight and writes well. They might be in Warbirds Worldwide, Flypast, and DCO ( Duty Carried Out) the Spitfire society journal. Example, "I have not flown an airplane wth better stall behavior than a Mk V Spitfire". Randy, if you want to fly any of these you must first grow a bloody great handlebar mustach like Charlie. For flavor more than instruction, Neil Williams book AIRBORNE is really well written and entertaing.

Old Shep · **Joined:** Thu Jun 09, 2005 5:49 pm **Posts:** 219

Randy:

Corky Meyer, Grumman test pilot, has a book out that describes some of his adventures in the F4, F6, F7, and F8F, as well as some jets. Good stuff and he's a nice guy. Book is called Corky Meyer's Flight Journal.

Old Shep

muddyboots · **Posted:** Thu Oct 18, 2007 11:46 pm

Randy Haskin wrote:

...someone like me with plenty of plain old flying experience but very little warbird experience.

You keep smoking all that crack and the Air Force will start looking at you funny

Randy Haskin · **Posted:** Fri Oct 19, 2007 12:10 am

Bill Greenwood wrote:

Randy, if you want to fly any of these you must first grow a bloody great handlebar mustach like Charlie.

Hehheh, I love it.

JDK · **Posted:** Fri Oct 19, 2007 2:24 am

For insights to how they were flown during the war and just after, you can't get past Eric 'Winkle' Brown's books, all of which cover handling.

Wings of the Luftwaffe,

Wings of the Navy,

Wings of the weird & wonderful Vol I and II,

Testing for Combat.

Bill Greenwood · **Posted:** Fri Oct 19, 2007 9:18 am

James, Even though I own the Eric Brown book, I forgot to mention it. Good one, though of course oriented toward flying them during the war rather in our times.

Randy Haskin · **Posted:** Fri Oct 19, 2007 12:04 pm

I was more interested in reading on topics on the nuts-and-bolts of how to operate a big piston, tailwheel warbird in the current environment.

Thanks for all the responses, guys.

warbird51 · **Joined:** Fri Jan 14, 2005 1:18 pm **Posts:** 263

[quote="Old Shep"]Randy:

Corky Meyer, Grumman test pilot, has a book out that describes some of his adventures in the F4, F6, F7, and F8F, as well as some jets. Good stuff and he's a nice guy. Book is called Corky Meyer's Flight Journal.

Old Shep[/quote

A must read!!!

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