So you want to teach Children about Warbirds huh! ...

[Mark Allen M]

Sounds simple enough doesn't it? Well IMHO not so much in this day and age. I have my thoughts on the matter but I would like to hear from some of you as well. I'm not talking 'General Aviation' or 'Basic Airplane characteristics ' but rather 'Warbirds' specifically. My thoughts on the subject are tricky as I certainly do not want to enhance or contribute to most of todays children's already over-exposed thirst for killing and destroying everyone and everything in sight via violent video games. So here's a few questions. What age of a child do you feel is appropriate to begin the discussion about what Warbirds are and where they came from and why they were created. How would you tie in the basic knowledge that Warbirds started as a tool to destroy people and things and how would you explain the difference between destruction for good and freedom of people as opposed to causing harm to people. Remember your explaining Warbirds to children and not adults. Where do you start the process? Building airplane models together? What type of models do you chose and why? If you take children to airshows what aircraft types do you generally direct them to and why? If any what types do you not direct them to and why? As for Warbirds themselves, what do you discuss with them as far as their survival and the thought of possibly owning some type of Warbird someday.

Too many questions? Many can be derived when you really think about it. I've seemed to do fine with the kids I've been with at airshows over the years but I have always walked a fine line as to where not to tread on the subject of war and war machines.

As we all know our youth are very important to this subject and the survival of what we all love and enjoy rests on what children are taught from a young age. I'm very interested in the directions some of you folks have taken with you own children. I know many of you have children. Hope I've not missed too much here. Class is in.

BTW sorry for saturating the Hangar front page, I can't help myself .... ha!, but it's not my fault as I always think my threads are boring

[Mark Allen M]

I best state for the record that this thread is by no means mean't to be political, about gun control, anti-war, anti-warbird, or any other 'anti' or 'pro' anything. Just a simple conversation.

A little 'Googling' found this Camp in August of last year. ...

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. -The Military Aviation Museum is excited to hold its second “Warbirds and Wings” Aviation Summer Day Camp. During this fun-filled learning experience, your children will spend the week at the Virginia Beach Airport amongst the largest private collection of operational vintage and reproduction aircraft in the world! They will have the thrill of being up close and personal to vintage World War I and World War II era fighters, bombers, trainers, and seaplanes and learning everything about them, as well as general aviation. Included in the curriculum, your children will learn the fundamentals of flight; how factors such as lift, drag, thrust and weight affect flight, as well as a brief history of flight from one of the Museum’s own pilots. They will put their new found knowledge to the test by building and flying their own gliders, and then further their knowledge by building a model airplane. Kids will also learn the basics of rocketry, learning how rocket motors work, then again put their new found skills to practice by building and launching their very own model rockets. Ground crew training, learning all of the important safety measures and hand signals required to handle aircraft on the ground will also be a part of this week’s agenda. Children will enjoy 2 field trips throughout the course of the week, one to NAS Oceana Navel Base, and one to the Museum’s own, Fighter Factory. In the Factory, they will get to see first-hand how these magnificent flying machines have been beautifully restored to their former glory and can observe and talk with the mechanics who make them soar again. The final day will be marked with demonstration flights of several of the museums restored aircraft, a picnic, with games and prizes. This promises to be quite the experience any young aviator won’t want to miss! The 5 day Camp will be for Children ages 9-14 years old

I like it a lot. Great approach and seems to cover plenty in a fine fashion. Bravo!!!

[ALAN.L]

If only they did something like this in the UK ! My lad would have jumped at it!

[Mark Allen M]

[ALAN.L]

Great picture Mark! I have been a volunteer with Classic Flight at Coventry ,here in the UK for 12 years or so now and my son,who is now 15, has been to various events with me since he was old enough and assisted with the aircraft when safe and practicle.
We have had some fantastic experiences in that time. His first ever flight was in a DC3 to Jersey in the channel islands, aged about 6, we now, both volunteer with Beech restorations at Bruntingthorpe in Leicestershire, where we are helping to return a T6 to flight status, so we are doing out bit to encourage youth interest in Warbirds,with the assistance of some great folks in the industry!

[51fixer]

Neat posed photo.
A/C has had US markings removed and was given to SAAF. Still had canvas covers on but moved for the photo. Wonder where it was taken?
A/C was Lost in Korea 1952.
From ASN-

ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 85812
Last updated: 5 January 2013
This information is added by users of ASN. ASN nor the Flight Safety Foundation are responsible for the completeness or correctness of this information. If you feel this information is incomplete or incorrect, you can submit corrected information.



Date: 09-JUL-1952
Time:
Type:
North American F-51D Mustang
Operator: SAAF
Registration: 44-72806
C/n / msn:
Fatalities: Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Other fatalities: 0
Airplane damage: Written off (damaged beyond repair)
Location: -
Phase:
Nature: Military
Departure airport:
Destination airport:
Narrative:
Part of right wing fell off, disintegrated, crashed during bomb run (Mustang 391).
Sources:
http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo/korea/reports/air/

[JohnTerrell]

The pilot in the photo is said to be Benjamin G. Nelson, of the Wyoming Air National Guard (for which the Mustang belonged at the time - I love the insignia below the cockpit), who would become mayor of Cheyenne, Wyoming. I believe the boy in the picture to likely be his son.

More excellent LIFE photos from this publicity event can be seen here: http://jetpilotoverseas.wordpress.com/2 ... ots-1948/#

[The Inspector]

Bless him, my late Father wasn't an 'airplane guy', he was a desk jockey in an office, but he saw early in me the desire to find out about airplanes. One Saturday or Sunday a month we'd have a 'dad and lad' ride and visit local airports (usually KBFI as it was close and very busy in the early/mid 50's). We sat one afternoon and watched a B-52B crew go through their song and dance then takeoff on a delivery flight. (also learned to drive the family '56 Ford wagon @ 14 on Saturday morning 'dump runs' on back streets in the area). You have the perfect opportunity with your dad having been a fighter pilot and you could suggest him as a subject for a school report.

I used the same 'flick water on him' approach with my son, I took him to the airport I worked at and we walked through the hanger and watched airplanes take off and land, we went to EAA meetings (hello Chapter 261) and fly-ins, I never pushed, just let him develop a natural curiosity and ask questions which got simplified but direct answers from me, as time went along, the questions got more complex and so did the answers as did his base of knowledge.

I figured that forcing would be like giving a 5 year old a copy of War and Peace and expecting a deep meaningful review, and if I did push, he'd probably rebel and find other interests. He's turned out to be a real 'hand', worked @ BADWRENCH beating 727's back into shape, worked on the 262 replica program and now works in Powerplant build up @ Boeing Everett and is a pretty fair hot rodder/customizer on his own curiosity.

His boys don't have much interest in aviation but that's OK with him and me too, let them dicover their own interests and paths in life as long as it's legal.

[SaxMan]

I had a curiosity that began with my Dad watching "The World at War" series when I was 6 or 7. Then I began to get the die-cast and small plastic airplanes (I want to call them Dyna-Flight, but not sure if that is right). On the back of the box, there was the statistics on the plane (speed, armament) that I commited to memory. I did not fully understand the concept of war (I remember asking my father which "teams" were on a particular episode of "The World At War"), nor did I truly understand mortality, but airplanes fascinated me (I'm planning on "coming full circle" as I plan to take my father to one of the Avenger work days and show him what I've learned).

I don't think it has to be exclusively warbirds that we need to get kids interested in, there is plenty of classic general aviation out there, too. I'm thinking more along the lines of our aviation heritage, period. However, Warbirds are a very significant part of that heritage and most major advances in aviation were first prompted by military demands. Flight, which was once considered wondrous, is now ho-hum when compared to offerings in the virtual world. We have to get our kids' butts out of the computers and back into the real world.

I think there is a bigger societal issue that needs to be addressed. We've seen a generation be raised where near instant gratification is the rule. Even the "reality" shows that specialize in restorations of cars, for example, the viewer sees an entire project done in the course of an hour...or a handful of episodes at worst. Trying to convince someone to spend a number of years of their life contributing to a single project, where progess is measured in very small increments, may seem beyond grasp.

The one thing I've done as an adult is almost stopped watching TV. It is amazing how much you can accomplish just by the simple act of shutting the TV off.

[Redtracer]

That's a good question Mark. My two boys, 9 and 12 have probably been luckier than most when it comes to Warbirds and haven't really known a world without them. I think on the most basic level children today are no different than children of yesterday. I think most have a natural instinct of the concept of "right" and "wrong" without even knowing where it comes from. This is how I chose to teach my boys about Warbirds and what they were used for, with a huge helping of history thrown in. I taught them in all life there is conflict and sometime in conflict there is war and some Men and Women went to war and some of them went in a Warbird.

P.S. I may be weird, but I don't let them play video games.

C-45 boy

Worlds coolest gocart!

[k5083]

With my kids I find that a relaxed approach works best.

Do not overly pressure yourself by judging either you or your kids by whether they get into it. It is not important for anybody to know about warbirds. Your kid will find his own thing. Offer warbirds as a possibility but don't sweat if he prefers flower arranging. Well maybe sweat a little bit.

When around warbirds with your kids, don't overdo it the way you usually might. Grit your teeth and cut short the airshow, airport and museum days before the kid gets bored and/or becomes too aware that you are a sick man.

If possible, it's helpful if your spouse hates warbirds. That way the kid can kiss up to one parent while rebelling against the other. Best of both worlds.

Let the kid discover what it is about warbirds that he likes. Your kid may like the history, even though you're mostly interested in the shiny metal and loud noise. Let him follow his own path. He might end up showing you an aspect of the pursuit that didn't impress you before.

August

[k5083]

P.S. I may be weird, but I don't let them play video games.

That deprives you of one way to get them interested in warbirds. My 8-year-old is flying a Wildcat on his xbox next to me as I type this. (Birds of Steel is the game.) Between xbox and wii (Blazing Angels) he has been virtually in the cockpits of Gladiators, Spitfires, Mustangs, Mosquitos and many more, and has gained quite a feel for their relative performance and appearance. Birds of Steel has a built-in encyclopedia of WWII aviation and the historical campaign missions are bracketed by a lot of informed narration and period footage.

August

[Django]

Today, my boy (who is 4) asked me when we could watch the movie with FIFI again (Last Flight of Noah's Ark). When he was almost 3, I took him to see FIFI, and again when he was almost 4. This time we got to get a private tour (Thanks Kelly and Steve!) and he loved it. I would say that FIFI is his favorite plane, and he can identify a P-51. I have alot of diecast Mustangs and a couple P-47 and P-40s around the house (much to my wife's dismay) so he is exposed to them a fair amount. My main interest in aircraft has always been Warbirds, but we don't really discuss their true purpose. Someday it will come up. I know by the time I was 10, I religiously watched the WWII movies on every Sunday morning on TV on Channel 4, and read every book I could find at the Library at school and at the public Library. It developed naturally from exposure from my Dad. So perhaps it will be a repeat with myself and my boy.

[Dan Johnson II]

Hit em early and often. Soon anything that spins is a propeller

This is my youngest son. Saw his first Mustang up close before he turned a year. He's now been in em, on em and around em and they are in his blood at four. My oldest son went through this as well back in the 90s. He liked P-38s better

[Dave Hadfield]

This year at Vintage Wings of Canada our goal is to take 550 Air Cadets flying in our WWII trainers, through the Yellow Wings initiative. This will take place all over Canada.

The best way to teach them about flying in that era is to take them up. I know it isn't always possible, but it's sure worth pursuing.

Dave