Warbird Information Exchange

Freedom Flight America Glendale AZ July 31, 1995
Freedom Flight America by Bill Word, on Flickr

Beechcraft AT-11 "Kansan" ("Tantalizing Takeoff") (912) (USAAF 41-9486)(N214CR)
Beechcraft AT-11 Kansan Tantalizing Takeoff cn912 USAAF 41-9486 N214CR a by Bill Word, on Flickr
Beechcraft AT-11 Kansan Tantalizing Takeoff cn912 USAAF 41-9486 N214CR b by Bill Word, on Flickr

Looking forward to seeing your pics from this one. The McGuire AFB stop of this tour was one of the first airshows I attended. First time I ever saw an AT-11.

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Share your story: Rutgers Oral History Archive http://oralhistory.rutgers.edu/

First I've ever heard of it. But in that pre-internet era, if you didn't see something like this yourself or talk with someone who did, you often never knew it'd happened.
Also, with all the stuff associated with the 50th anniversary of WW2 still going strong, it would have been easy for this to have slipped under my radar (especially since I lived in Florida at the time and this flight passed nowhere near my part of the country).

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Life member, 91st BG Memorial Association
Owner, 1944 Willys MB #366014
Former REMF (US Army, O3)

Carl Schmieder and myself took part in Freedom Flight, we could not to the whole event due to commitment at Oshkosh, but we did the last half. We were the lead of Freedom Flight 39. The others in the flight were Rick Hosking and Bob Mitchell from Sedona, Az, Mike and Nona O Hearn and Tom and Collen Miller from Riverside, Ca.

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Matt Gunsch, A&P, IA, Warbird maint and restorations
Jack, You have Debauched my sloth !!!!!!
We tried voting with the Ballot box, When do we start voting from the Ammo box, and am I allowed only one vote ?
Check out the Ercoupe Discussion Group on facebook

I was there in '95 at Long Beach and have the T-shirt to prove it

A whole bunch of T-6's as I recall.

Freedom Flight, 95


This is on my flight helmet bag

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Matt Gunsch, A&P, IA, Warbird maint and restorations
Jack, You have Debauched my sloth !!!!!!
We tried voting with the Ballot box, When do we start voting from the Ammo box, and am I allowed only one vote ?
Check out the Ercoupe Discussion Group on facebook

Old Shep If you are reading this thread here is the photo I said I had at Freedom Flight America.
Noorduyn AT-16 "Harvard IIB" (RCAF 3324)(N3653G)(Painted as USN SNJ-3)
Noorduyn AT-16 Harvard IIB RCAF 3324 N3653G Painted as USN SNJ-3 a by Bill Word, on Flickr
Noorduyn AT-16 Harvard IIB RCAF 3324 N3653G Painted as USN SNJ-3 b by Bill Word, on Flickr
Noorduyn AT-16 Harvard IIB RCAF 3324 N3653G Painted as USN SNJ-3 c by Bill Word, on Flickr

North American SNJ-6 (AT-6F) "Texan " (121-43077)(USN 112269)(USAAF 44-82355)(N269CB)
North American SNJ-6 Texan cn121-43077 USN 112269 N269CB by Bill Word, on Flickr

Douglas DC-3D (42961)(N3006)(Painted as USCG R4D-5)(Originally Swiftlite NC3000)
Douglas DC-3D 42961 N3006 Painted as USCG R4D a by Bill Word, on Flickr
Douglas DC-3D 42961 N3006 Painted as USCG R4D b by Bill Word, on Flickr

Hi Bill:

Indeed that is my family's SNJ....my dad and my uncle (both Naval aviators, one during WWII the other in Korea) flew the plane from CA back to Texas where I was supposed to continue on. Airplane broke and we couldn't continue. Airplane was purchased in 1980 and has been in the family for 31 years (I sold it and then bought it back: too attached to it!). Airplane was refinished, but I decided to polish the fuse instead of painting it silver...all the markings are the same. Thanks for posting!

I remember when this flight came through Olathe. Mostly T-6's maybe a couple a twin beech's. I was working line service then and took well into the night to get the planes fueled. I think there might have been about 20 aircraft total.

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Kevin Orr
https://b-25history.org/index.htm

Beechcraft AT-11 "Kansan" ("In A Family Way") (6501)(USAAF 43-10427)(N500AM)
Beechcraft AT-11 Kansan In A Family Way cn6501 USAAF 43-10427 N500AM b by Bill Word, on Flickr

Beechcraft C-45H "Expediter" (AF-604)(USAF 52-10674)(N9172Z
Beechcraft C-45H Expediter cnAF-604 USAF 52-10674 N9172Z b by Bill Word, on Flickr

Beechcraft D18S "Twin Beech" (A-973)(N3500B)(Painted as C-45 USN 35002)
Beechcraft D18S Twin Beech cnA-973 N3500B Painted as C-45 USN 35002 b by Bill Word, on Flickr

My brother, father, and I were at Glendale airport when the flight came through. I don't remember too much about it other than it was hot and I was disappointed that there was no "heavy metal" in attendance. I did get interviewed for the local news though! Thanks for the pics Bill and keep 'em coming.

Beechcraft Super E18S "Twin Beech" (BA-189)(N165X)(Painted C-45 USN USS Sangamon)
Beechcraft Super E18S Twin Beech cnBA-189 N165X )(Painted C-45 USN USS Sangamon a by Bill Word, on Flickr
Beechcraft Super E18S Twin Beech cnBA-189 N165X )(Painted C-45 USN USS Sangamon c by Bill Word, on Flickr

Boeing/Stearman PT-17 (A75N1) " Kadet" ("Mt Shasta 99&qu ot;) (75-2441)(USAAF 41-8882)(N48576)
Boeing Stearman N2S-3 Kadet cn75-7254 USN 07650 N75052 by Bill Word, on Flickr

Douglas C-47 (DC-3C-S13CG) "Skytrain/Gooney Bird" (9058)(USAAF 42-32832)(N5106X)(Bygone Aviation)(Formerly NC75412, N5106)
Douglas C-47 Gooney Bird cn9058 USAAF 42-32832 N5106X Bygone Aviaton a by Bill Word, on Flickr
o by Bill Word, on Flickr

Boeing/Stearman N2S-3 (B75N1) "Kadet" (75-7254)(USN 07650)(N75052)
Boeing Stearman PT-17 Kadet Mt Shasta 99 cn75-2441 USAAF 41-8882 N48576 by Bill Word, on Flickr

Vultee BT-13A "Valiant/Vibrator" (74-5665)(USAAF 41-21826)(N57486)
Vultee BT-13A Valiant Vibrator cn74-5665 USAAF 41-21826 N57486 a by Bill Word, on Flickr
Vultee BT-13A Valiant Vibrator cn74-5665 USAAF 41-21826 N57486 b by Bill Word, on Flickr

Vultee BT-13A "Valiant/Vibrator" (74-2775)(USAAF 41-10458)(N10458)
Vultee BT-13A Valiant Vibrator cn74-2775 USAAF 41-10458 N10458 by Bill Word, on Flickr