Warbird Information Exchange

Been going through some photos from this past year, and thought I would share some from an event that I haven't seen coverage of anywhere.

In late-September/early-October, a group of warbird pilots gathers in Elkhart, IN and the surrounding area for a weekend of warbird flying. For a small fee, spectators are able to wander the hot ramp prior and set up chairs along a taxiway to view an afternoon of formation flying contests, flour bombing contests, and solo aerobatic displays. The local EAA chapter also usually serves breakfast and lunch. Sunday the pilots fly out to another airport for breakfast, and a few of the warbirds head over to the grass strip in Watervliet, MI for lunch. This year, the Sunday breakfast was at Dowagiac Muiciipal Airport (MI).

Below are some photos from a fun weekend of warbird watching. If anyone would like to see more photos of any of the aircraft in particular, let me know and I'll see what I can find.

P-51 "Gunfighter" was on hand for rides at Elkhart and Dowagiac. Also flew a solo aerobatic display and a formation flight with the F4U-5 and FM-2.

Gunfighter by mbvader

F4U-5 Corsair by mbvader, on Flickr

FM-2 Widlcat by mbvader, on Flickr

Wildcat by mbvader, on Flickr

T-6 Texan "Fly Girl" by mbvader, on Flickr

T-6 Texan by mbvader, on Flickr

T-28 Trojan by mbvader, on Flickr

Pair of Yellow T-6s by mbvader, on Flickr

Stearman by mbvader, on Flickr

There were a little over a dozen T-6s at Elkhart...

T-6 by mbvader, on Flickr

T-6 by mbvader, on Flickr

Staggerwing by mbvader, on Flickr

Flyover by mbvader, on Flickr

Widgeon by mbvader, on Flickr

I stopped by the Andrews University Airpark Open House on the way to the Sunday events at Dowagiac and Watervliet. The UH-1 is a former fire department aircraft.

Huey by mbvader, on Flickr

The T-33 is in rough shape.

T-33 by mbvader, on Flickr

On to Dowagiac. Stearman project pulled out of one of the hangars.

Stearman Project by mbvader, on Flickr

Cornell by mbvader, on Flickr

Cornells by mbvader, on Flickr

Gunfighter by mbvader, on Flickr

Stearmans by mbvader, on Flickr

Texan Tails by mbvader, on Flickr

F4U-5 Start-up by mbvader, on Flickr

F4U-5 Departure by mbvader, on Flickr

Wrapping up the weekend on grass.

Stearman '301' by mbvader, on Flickr

T-6 on the Grass by mbvader, on Flickr

Miss Behavin by mbvader, on Flickr

Eglin T-6 by mbvader, on Flickr

About Time by mbvader, on Flickr

L-16 by mbvader, on Flickr

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Matt

Nice L-16.
The "Eglin" T-6 looks like a new owner started with a Navy paint scheme (color, aft fuselage band, letter on the tail)....Oh well, it's his plane.

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Remember the vets, the wonderful planes they flew and their sacrifices for a future many of them did not live to see.
Note political free signature.
I figure if you wanted my opinion on items unrelated to this forum, you'd ask for it.

Looks a lot like the Indy air show without the, well... Indy. Seriously though, it looks like a great time and somehow I always find out about it after it happened. I'm going to have to be more vigilant next year.

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