Warbird Information Exchange

If you were able to attend only one airshow this year, which one do you recommend? Oshkosh, thunder over Michigan, reading, geneseo?? I am not taking into account of driving distances closets to anyone's houses. Just for the 2014 season, which is THEE show to not miss and why?

_________________
" I am a nobody in aviation, but somebody to my family."

Wings Over Houston might be THEEE airshow this year, I am not going to get into Michigan VS Houston either both are GREAT. But Houston is going to have the F-4, A-4, F-100, atleast TWO A-26s, A-1, TWO Hueys? and a Cobra, add a MIG-17 and MIG-21 for the Viet Cong. OH and a ME-262 flying in the Airpower Demonstration! Also heard an F-86 will be flying too, and this is only MARCH. Who knows Warbird Wise will be on the schedule. We also got the MV-22 and Blue Angels.

Chino, hands down.

That's sounds amazing. Who's having the most b-17s?

_________________
" I am a nobody in aviation, but somebody to my family."

Outside of Oshkosh, I would say Chino with the Salute to the Mighty Eighth theme or Houston with all the Vietnam jets plus Rod Lewis, CAF, Lone Star Flight Museum, Texas Flying Legends, etc. There are always so many rare and unique WWII-era aircraft at Chino, I would probably lean towards that. Depends on what your tastes are though. I would say that either of these are probably the best to go to because of the unique aircraft at each. Where are you going to see an F-4, F-100, A-4, MiG-21, MiG-17, etc. at the same show, other than Houston? Where other than Chino can you see a P-26, P-40B, two Razorback Thunderbolts and an original Zero?

If I could pick only one airshow to go to this year it would be one of those two. Unfortunately it's virtually impossible for me to get time off while the school I work at is in session, so I will be settling for Hamilton and Thunder instead (both of which will still be very good). Hamilton is doing something unique this year with limiting their Skyfest event to 2,000 tickets. It's not really an airshow per se, but the chance to see all the CWH aircraft and the MAM Mossie in an intimate setting is going to pretty special. Thunder should be pretty good too. I'm particularly looking forward to the P-63, but as of now there aren't too many types booked that you can't see elsewhere.

_________________
Matt

Just booked my flight last week and cannot wait!

Still will try to make it to Oshkosh as well. For me, there is a lot that happens at Oshkosh which I'm not really interested in, but I love to see the newest/most authentic warbirds that hit the scene there. I notice that the Texas Flying Legends aircraft will be coming back again this year, and they are just about a complete air show themselves, with some absolutely superb flying displays with their variety of warbirds.

As for B-17's, the CAF's "Airsho" in Midland will likely have at least two (along with the B-29, B-24, multiple B-25's, Invaders, etc.). Now that Tillamook has "Chuckie", I'm curious if they'll be flying her down to the POF air show like they did with their P-38 last year (I know the Lyon Air Museum plans on bringing "Fuddy Duddy"). The B-17 is very prominent on this year's POF air show poster.

We're having "L.A. County Airshow" here in less than 2 weeks. Headline act is the Blue Angels followed by the usual Planes of Fame turnout. So far there has been ZERO publicity ANYWHERE about this event. People are asking if it's been cancelled. Someone put up a facebook page for the show & another for volunteers to work at the show. Last time I checked the volunteers outnumbered the spectators 54 to 52...
Apparently the people doing the publicity are in Michigan & Texas....I spoke to one of them, they were unaware of any airshow acts at VNY....

So if you want a show where you likely get 100ft of crowd line all to yourself...

_________________
Those who possess real knowledge are rare.

Those who can set that knowledge into motion in the physical world are rarer still.

The few who possess real knowledge and can set it into motion of their own hands are the rarest of all.

Not to run down any other shows, but I'll put my bid in for Reading WWII Weekend. It's so much more than just a warbird show, but it's a really fine warbird show as well. So much to see and do with the WWII camp and the hanger dance, homefront displays WWII era cars you just can't see it all. I've been to a few quality warbird shows and I always felt that there was something missing. They really cater to a different audience. But if you're hardcore into WWII Warbirds Reading WWII weekend is the place to be. I went last year and it was great.
Tom Bowers

What's readings line up this year?

_________________
" I am a nobody in aviation, but somebody to my family."

I must disqualify Kim and myself -- we already have reservations for MAAM's WWII Weekend at Reading and Thunder Over Michigan....................

_________________
Steve Turner, USAF aircraft refueler 54+ years ago.

Here you go http://www.maam.org/wwii/ww2_acft.htm looks really good. Some of the best of the East Coast Warbirds.
Tom Bowers

From what I am hearing, the North American order for me would be:

Oshkosh
Chino
Hamilton
Michigan

Houston looks great but I haven't learned enough to rank it. Vintage weekend at PAE is a rising star. Reading is also looking very solid, with a couple of worthwhile changes from last year's lineup.

Notice nobody has nominated Geneseo in this thread. Why? Well, here it is March and there is not a hint on their web site or anywhere else (i.e., this forum) of what will be appearing this year. They are flunking Event Promotion 101. Michigan is doing just as badly, except for those fortunate enough to know about this forum. Maybe the Geneseo folks are too busy with the C-47 to Normandy project to plan or promote an airshow. Too bad, because I'm inclined to go this year if it's any good at all. But unlike Chino, Geneseo is not a show that you can trust to be great if you haven't heard specifically what is going.

Yagen's Mosquito could be the wild card this year, as it was supposed to be last year. Any show it commits to, e.g. Hamilton, because worth attending for that reason alone. Nobody seems to know how active the Mossie and the rest of the MAM collection will be this year and I daresay that after last year, nobody will completely trust what they hear.

If I thought that the Collings A-36 and P-40B were attending any shows together this year, I'd try pretty hard to get to that. But there are no appearances posted for either of them.

August

I always go to TOM because it's right down the road but my can't miss aviation event is Oshkosh. My main reason is that I'm a P-51 fanatic and I know if I go to Oshkosh I will get to see 20+ P-51s.

We will be doing the ground ops for this show. POF is bringing a bunch of stuff: flying wing, F-86/Mi dogfight, etc. Also, the White Knight will be there along with some Edwards stuff. I'm looking forward to it!

_________________
"Always remember that, when you enter the ocean or the forest, you are no longer at the top of the food chain."

Missing from this year's MAAM will be "Wild Bill" Guarnere. He passed away over the weekend.

Mudge the sad

_________________
Land of the free because of the brave