Neat encounters that stick in your memory...

Steve T · **Posted:** Tue Feb 27, 2007 3:43 pm

A very brief anecdote, but something I've never forgotten...

Twenty years and more ago I worked at CWH, mainly in their bookshop and also doing the odd tour. Many a weekend I'd be the guy who'd take the admission fees (about $4 in those days); probably I was the first CWHer many visitors would see on arriving. Circa 1986--around the time of the hit film "Top Gun"--a boy of 10 or so came into the shop; I think his father was with him but it's the youngster I remember vividly. He asked what aircraft were in the collection he was about to see, so I began reciting the list: Mitchell, Harvards, Avenger and so forth. Came to "Hurricane", and the kid did something entirely unexpected: he went bugeyed :shock:

and breathed "you've got a Hurricane?" in this reverential, awestruck voice. (Remember, this was around the time of "Top Gun"...the airplane, if any, that mattered to kids would have been the F-14. Mustang or Spitfire might be familiar names, sort of: but the Hurricane?)

I suppose at that point I knew how Walt Soplata felt when I went ape at the sight of his F2G Corsair racer a few years earlier. I've often thought of that kid in the years since...have even wondered whether he eventually became a WIXer!

Anyone else got "neat encounter" anecdotes to share?

S.

CorsairFreak · **Posted:** Tue Feb 27, 2007 3:48 pm

A few months back I was giving a tour to a family at MAPS. There was a little boy who was about 7 or 8. When we got to our model room he started pointing at each aircraft and telling me what is was. He got all the WWII ones, many early jets and modern jets. I was really impressed. His mom was just like, "Well he likes to read..."

mrhenniger · **Posted:** Wed Feb 28, 2007 7:56 am

We were giving a tour to Lieutenant-Commander Allen Russell Burgham, DSC MiD CD retired, about a week and a half ago at Vintage Wings. You never saw such content expressed in the face of a person as you would have seen looking at Mr. Burgham sitting in the Hurricane. He is a Kiwi, living in Ontario, who flew Hurricanes for the Royal Navy. Here is a link to one of the pics I took during the tour...

Mike

Xrayist · **Joined:** Wed Jun 08, 2005 12:51 am **Posts:** 329

20+ years ago I was doing some photography at a small airshow in Loveland Colorado. I was taking pics of Howard Pardue's Wildcat. He came up to me and asked about my interest in warbirds. We talked for a few minutes, at which time he asked if I had ever flown in one. I replied I had not.
At that point he took me over to the B-25 Silver Lady and asked the pilot if they had room for one more. Anyway, up I went for a 15 minute ride, minus headphones, while being "chased" by an A-26. A bit loud, but what a ride. Thanks again Howard.

Airlift48 · **Joined:** Sat Oct 29, 2005 7:01 pm **Posts:** 744

Neat idea for a thread. Interesting.

Airlift48 · **Joined:** Sat Oct 29, 2005 7:01 pm **Posts:** 744

Gail Halvorsen, Paul Tibbets and Kansas City Downtown Airport

In the summer of 1998, upon the return of the C-54 from our European tour, we spend a week at Kansas City Downtown Airport. Not only did we have Berlin Airlift Candy Bomber Gail S. Halvorsen as our Co-pilot, but we had the privilege of sharing the ramp with Gene and Louise Powers who had flown in their C-82. We had shared the ramp with them a week earlier at Holman Field in St. Paul.

If that isnt enough, I think it was the Saturday of the show, the fellow who flies or flew the C-45 "Beech Baby" was getting married. All of the crews from the airshow were invited, because he had rented out the entire terminal at Downtown Airport in order to hold a rather grand reception. The ticket counter was a bar...!

Now, if that wasn't enough, his best man was General Paul Tibbetts. Wow. This was to be the first time I was to have met General Tibbets. Most of us were afraid to say anything to him, so we didnt look like obsessed fans or something. Well, we look over and there's Gail Halvorsen, the man who dropped candy to children standing there talking to Paul Tibbets. ( I hope if you are reading this forum, you know what he dropped) What a contrast of missions and results from both of these men!

We finally went over and spoke to General Tibbets and had a short but meaningful conversation. When we next saw and spoke to him, he was wheelchair bound but sharp as a tack. He remembered the wedding at Kansas City and we talked about C-54's and how much he like them and had a few assigned to the 509th. That was last year at RDG.

Does anyone recall the name of the fellow whose wedding that was? I'm embarrassed to say that I dont remember. AND...is he still married?

Anyone else attend that shindig?

hahnej · **Posted:** Wed Feb 28, 2007 3:35 pm

I met him when I was about 12 or so in the early Eighties at an airshow in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. It made a big impression on me because I had ready about him in the history books as well as seen the Midway movie not too long before.

Former Member · **Joined:** Mon Aug 29, 2005 1:40 pm **Posts:** 1493

Don't mean to dampen the spirit of this thread but I do remember a not so neat encounter when I was a teenager. It was at the E.A.A. fly-in in Oshkosh in 84 or 85 (can't remember which :oops:

) and I was only about 14 or 15 years old at the time. Pappy Boyington was there selling copies of his book and signing them. Since I was a big fan of the T.V. show I was very excited to meet the legend and waited in line for quite some time to purchase his book and to get his autograph. Unfortunately I was greeted by a cantankerous, burrly old man that snatched the book out of my hand, hastily scribbled his signature and said "next"...all without so much as a hello, thank you, or even making eye contact.

Over the years I've heard of Mr. Boyington's battle with alcoholism and the personal demons he dealt with throughout his life which might explain his abrasive personality and behavior.

John

mustangdriver · **Posted:** Wed Feb 28, 2007 6:01 pm

I had the honor of interviewing Chuck Yeager for the NMUSAF magazine. The article will be in the spring issue. After the interview, through out which he was great, I asked him if it would be alright to meet him in Oshkosh. He said yes, and sure enough, I had the honor to shake hands and get my photo with Yeager. Himself and Victoria were really nice to me. I can't say enough good things.

krlang · **Posted:** Wed Feb 28, 2007 7:01 pm

I was chatting with Scott Crossfield in our hangar a couple of summers ago.
He told me that if you rig the C-210 landing gear by the Cessna manual you will "F#@k it all up"

Elroy13 · **Posted:** Wed Feb 28, 2007 7:32 pm

A few years back we were at Randolph AFB show with the B-17. I noticed that a man in line for tours through Thunderbird had a 8th AF cap on...and he was about the right age to be a WWII Vet. What I couldnt see through the crowd was that he was missing an arm. One of the other crew members went over to him and asked him if he was a B-17 Vet, turned out he was a bombadier. So we stopped the tours and I escorted him up to the nose of the 17. (Normally for regular tours we keep the nose blocked off) I helped him into his old "office chair" as he stated and then he really didnt say much,..I knew that he had all sort of memories, good and bad running through his mind. I was curious about what had happened to his arm. Did it happen during the war??? I surely wasnt going to ask or pry!!

As he sat there he started to cry,...I did everything I could to keep from crying myself! These types of Veteran contacts really hit home with me because of my Grandfather who flew in 17's.
The Ol' Vet collected himself a bit and said, " Ya know...I was in this very spot when flak exploded through the nose from below and took my arm off.".... What do you do? What do you say!?
I asked the Vet if he wanted to continue on through the rest of the airplane and he did. Once out of the airplane I brought him around to meet the rest of the crew. The guys could tell his situation, and see that he had been crying. Everyone came up to him and gave him hugs and pats on the back thanking him for his service!! We gave him a few small things like a Thunderbird hat and t-shirt to take with him...it was really all we had. We all said our good byes and as he walked away he kept glancing back at the B-17 as if he didnt want to leave.
The following year I didnt crew the Randolph show...But wished I would have! The same Vet returned to Thunderbird!! This time he had some pictures and mission rosters with him for all of our crew members!! Im told he was so excited to see some of the faces (crew) and to see Thunderbird again!

....I wonder how he's doing now?

It's experiences like that ,I wouldnt trade for the World! It has to be the most rewarding thing for me!!!

Stephanie · **Posted:** Wed Feb 28, 2007 7:34 pm

I can't wait until I have some of these stories for myself, you've all had some amazing experiences. Wow.

K5DH · **Posted:** Wed Feb 28, 2007 8:57 pm

I will have to agree with John Peters about "Pappy" Boyington's attitude. I saw him at Breckenridge one year when he was autographing his book. He was rude and cold and wouldn't shake anyone's hand, including guys who were obviously war veterans. Just an observation. . .

My favorite personal story about "meeting someone famous" involves a car guy rather than an airplane guy, so this isn't the forum in which to share it. It was pretty darned cool, though. . .

Cheers!

Obergrafeter · **Posted:** Wed Feb 28, 2007 9:07 pm

Joe Cowan has the Beech Baby.

george · **Joined:** Wed Dec 15, 2004 10:20 pm **Posts:** 435

Elroy - Your post was very emotional. To be honest, I just about teared up reading it. It leaves no doubt what these planes mean to our country and those who have defended it. Thanks for sharing your experience.

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Neat encounters that stick in your memory...

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