Warbird Information Exchange

This past week, the university I work for sent me on a road trip to cover our athletic teams on their spring break trip to Florida. In my down time and on the drive there and back, I was able to sneak in some warbird-related sight-seeing, including the Georgia Veterans Memorial, TICO Warbird Show and a couple of other visits.

I'm going to break this up into a couple posts just to make this easier. My first stop was Georgia Veterans Memorial State Park. All of the aircraft are located in a fenced in area, so visitors can't really walk around them or get up close. There is also a nice display of military vehicles nearby.

The signage claims that this is the only surviving F-13. Not sure if that's true or not. This aircraft served on Guam as "City of Lansford" with the 314th Wing. Members of the aircraft's crew received the DFC after flying it through a typhoon on two engines.

IMG_3662 by Matthew Vader, on Flickr

IMG_3665 by Matthew Vader, on Flickr

IMG_3689 by Matthew Vader, on Flickr

The FJ Fury was a surprise. Don't know the story on this one. This aircraft appeared to be in the best shape out of the five on display.

IMG_3670 by Matthew Vader, on Flickr

IMG_3671 by Matthew Vader, on Flickr


There was also a F-84F, T-33 and UH-1 on display.

IMG_3684 by Matthew Vader, on Flickr

IMG_3686 by Matthew Vader, on Flickr

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Matt

I also attended TICO Warbird Show in Titusville. It was good to break up the monotony of a midwest winter with some warbird noise! Not a ton of warbirds compared to what I've seen photos of in the past, but it was a pretty good airshow.

The Jim Tobul/Scott Yoak F4U-4 and P-51 Class of '45 act is definitely worth going to an airshow to see. Also nice to see Cavanaugh's Skyraider in the air, as well as an F-18 demo.

Cavanaugh Skyraider is actually a VA-165 and 6th SOS veteran.

IMG_3720 by Matthew Vader, on Flickr

Air America C-123 under restoration.

IMG_3702 by Matthew Vader, on Flickr

This is the VAC's latest restoration, a EE Canberra. Can't be too many of these in the US.

IMG_3755 by Matthew Vader, on Flickr

IMG_3787 by Matthew Vader, on Flickr

Their A-6 Intruder display was particularly impressive.

IMG_3817 by Matthew Vader, on Flickr

IMG_3872 by Matthew Vader, on Flickr

IMG_3875 by Matthew Vader, on Flickr

The new demo F-18C scheme is awesome.

IMG_3897 by Matthew Vader, on Flickr

The VAC TBM's engine runs, but I'm not sure if it's a flyer.

IMG_3908 by Matthew Vader, on Flickr

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Matt

An unplanned visit was Kissimmee. I decided to cruise the airport, saw a Tracker across from where I pulled up, followed some signs that said "Warbird Museum" and ended up here. Lots of cool stuff to look at, especially if you're interested in engines and seeing aircraft being worked on. Highly recommend visiting if you're in the Orlando area.

Here's the Tracker:

IMG_4049 by Matthew Vader, on Flickr

The CAF FG-1D was in for some maintenance

IMG_4080 by Matthew Vader, on Flickr

Warbird Adventures T-6s and others.

IMG_4056 by Matthew Vader, on Flickr

IMG_4059 by Matthew Vader, on Flickr

IMG_4063 by Matthew Vader, on Flickr

The remains of the P-51 racer "Precious Metal" are also in the museum. I read elsewhere that there is a long-term plan to combine these bits with a stock P-51 to rebuild it.

IMG_4065 by Matthew Vader, on Flickr

IMG_4097 by Matthew Vader, on Flickr

IMG_4105 by Matthew Vader, on Flickr

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Matt

Final stops were the Aviation Heritage Park in Bowling Green, Ky. This was a really well done outdoor display in a park setting. The aircraft are obviously very well cared for. There was a temporary canvas building covering the F-4, so I was unable to see that. I presume its receiving some sort of restoration work.

This T-38 has the distinction of being flown by every astronaut to ever walk on the moon.

IMG_4118
T-38 Talon/66-8381/N901NA
by Matthew Vader, on Flickr
WRG-00077781

The T-33 used to be at Yankee Air Museum.

IMG_4124 by Matthew Vader, on Flickr

The F9F is a transplant from Winona Lake, MN.

IMG_4129 by Matthew Vader, on Flickr

The F-111 is a veteran of the 1986 raids in Libya as well as Desert Storm.

IMG_4132 by Matthew Vader, on Flickr

My last stop was to see this F-86 painted in Navy markings at Clark County Airport in Sellersburg, IN.

IMG_4139 by Matthew Vader, on Flickr

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Matt

Great photos. Thanks for sharing.

I found the first set, from your "first stop (at the) Georgia Veterans Memorial State Park" particularly curious though - not so much for the aircraft as for the fence "containing" them - as if they were likely to escape.

Correct me if I am wrong, but don't they usually cant the barbed wire at the top of a security fence toward the side that they want to prevent someone from coming? If so, they seem to think that it's more likely that the airplanes will try to get out rather than someone else trying to scale the fence from the outside in order to get in and/or close to the airplanes - the barbed wire is canted "in" but should be canted "out" if they are trying to keep people "out."

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Nice pics. Thanks for the tour.

The "Navy" Sabre is actually an ex-RAAF CAC Avon Sabre built in Australia. How it gets on a pole there I do not know!

Kalamazookid,

Thanks for starting this page and posting all the photos. Looks like you had a good trip.
You beat me to starting a post on the TICO show so thought I'd just add a few other photos from the show here.

As you mentioned the F/A-18 Demo team has a different look this year.
They are honoring VFA-15 which is to be decommissioned this month. This paint job represents the A-7E Corsair II flown by VA-15. They flew the Corsair until 1987 when they transitioned to the F/A-18 Hornet and were redesignated VFA-15.



Jim Tobul with Corsair at the the show again this year.


What I didn't see at the show but flew over TICO on Thursday... F-104

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Wow. I saw this under restoration the last time I was there, in the fall of 2014. They did a great job of it!

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Bill,
It was great seeing you and your wife down in Titusville. Nice shot of the Star Fighter. Wish it would had flown in the show on Friday or Saturday. What a great show. I'll be coming back next year for sure. I'm slow with my images...Here's two from me.






Steven

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Great pics.
Thanks for posting everyone.

Andy

wow, what an interesting and exciting bunch of photos. Love the paint on the f-18!!!

love the pole aircraft too! Nice and rare Fury!

The F-104, wow. I'd make love to it!

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Bill, et all

Did anyone see any of the 3 possible A-4s at Tico? VAC has 2, one a flyer and the others owned by Classic Fighters?

I did not see the F-86 either.

Matt

There was a Blue Angels A-4 over by the museum. I did not see any of the others, nor did I see the F-86.

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Matt

A bit surprised we did not see either the F-86 or A-4 fly in the show.
The VAC's flying A-4 was restored by Skyhawk Ventures and joined the museum in 2014.
Photo from last years show.


They also have the static Skyhawk TA-4 in Blue Angle colors.


Here is a shot taken at TICO from some distance earlier in the week of TA-4J (NX7051J)


Also a before and after shot of the Canberra.
Sitting abandon at Melbourne Airport in 2007 after hurricane damage. The VAC took ownership in 2011.

Now, 2017

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Bill


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