Warbird Information Exchange

The Warbird but hit me in 1969 at age 8. It has been a major passion since then. Only eclipsed by wife and kids.

In 1989 I had enough money to buy a T-6 so I went to talk to Butch Shroeder. He let me sit in his P-51 and an idea hit me. I decided to ask the bank if they would take the T-6 money and use it as a downpayment on a P-51 and a T-6. Still to this day I can't beleive they said yes, I was only 27 years old and had been out of school for less then 5 years. I worked out the numbers and figured that the P-51 was going up as fast or faster then the interest I would have to pay. I have never regretted this decision, especially since the Mustang is now worth 3 times what I paid for it.

I am one of the extremely rare lucky guys who has a wife who loves Warbirds as much as I do. For the last couple of years she hasn't been in the Mustang (not a great idea with a 9 and 10 year old in our opinion) and it really bugs her. Before we got married I asked her what she thought about the deposit I was going to put down on a brand new Extra 300L. She clearly didn't get why I was asking and wanted the "family" funds to be used to buy an aircraft and not something else. When asked the same question about the Alvis Saladin armored car the only answer was "can I drive it". Having spoken to a lot of pilots with AIDS (aviation induced divorce syndrome) I know how lucky I am.

Test flew my dad's T-34 after the annual to get ready for Sun N Fun today, this will be somewhere arround the 27th year for my wife and I, since she even went with my family before when we dated. First Oshkosh 1974 and have not missed one since.

All you guys who've responded so far, thanks for opening up. Some of you, I'm already acquainted with and a few are recent friendships.
I've been at Lone Star for almost two years. I wish I'd been involved with warbirds earlier in life but I don't regret being totally focused on motorcycles for two decades. Matt G. and I have swapped m/c stories before.
My dad is one of the Greatest Generation and a PBY veteran. OTU-VPB-20, Jax area. He gave me a love of warbirds at a very young age and we still talk airplanes together. the PBY has been my favorite warbird since I was old enough to say "..PBY Catalina Flying Boat." clearly.
My first wife was an Air Force kid who had a mood swing problem, hated airplanes and would wig out if I even looked at one. Moving forward, my present wife of 15 blessed years gave me membership in Lone Star Flight Museum for Valentines day. (always gets a big "awww' from the chicks). She's very tolerant and supportive of my warbird involvement because she knows its important to me and she likes the kind of friends I've made in it. Just don't try to make her go to an airshow.
My grandson just turned two and likes all little boy things that are bright shiny, loud and "Go Zoom!" In May Lone Star is flying to an airshow half an hour from the kids' home. Sounds like a good chance to do some bonding and get another warbird nut started out right!!!

Floats up!
Doug Ratchford "Canso42"

August,

I know exactly how you feel. I'm now closer to 50 than 40 and have been a bit reflective lately as well.

I've been involved with aviation my whole working life. Started working at 16 at the flight school where I was learning to fly. I did every job you could think of for the next 4 years while I was getting my private, instrument, commercial and multi engine ratings. I worked with the mechanics on the school's airplanes as well as any others that came along. One of the mechanics suggested that I get my A&P and offered to take me under his wing, so to speak. I started to keep track of my time and was well on my way when the offer came to fly turboprops with a local company. Since my ultimate goal at the time was a flying job with the airlines, this seemed like the next logical step. This was choice number 1.

I loved the flying and flew with some great people. Coming from a little flight school, this was an eye opening experience. This was a professional flight department and was in a completely different league than I was used to. I can't tell you how much I learned and was a better pilot for it. Toward the end of the first year though, the honeymoon was coming to an end. The 18 hour days and being on call almost 24/7 was starting to get old. This was 1982 and the airlines were cutting back after the controllers strike. I was 21, had no social life, never saw my friends and didn't really want to do this for another 4 years until the airlines started hiring again. I saw an ad from the FAA saying they were still hiring controllers and thought, hmmm. Choice number 2

I've been an air traffic controller now for twenty something years and am within 4 years of retirement. Maybe this is why I've been a bit reflective. When I started the job it was great. For the first 10 years, I couldn't wait to get to work, I thought it was that much fun. Then it evolved into just a job. I was now married and became a father. I'll be coming up on another important choice in a few more years.

All throughout this time, I was always interested in warbirds. Ever since the days of 12 o'clock high on tv, the B-17 has been my favorite. Up until 1995, I made it to Geneseo every year for their show. That was the high point of my summer. Since that time, I've only been there only twice. I've had to work that weekend all but twice in the last 11 years. I'll be there this year though and I can't wait!

I joined the 1941 Historic Aircraft Group about 10 years ago and have been a donor member ever since. With my work schedule and family responsibilities, I just don't have the time to help out. This past summer I fulfilled a life long dream of flying in a B-17 when the Collings Foundation stopped at Niagara Falls. I've since joined the Collings Foundation as a donor member.

At this point in my life I wish I was able to have a hands on, day to day involvement with the warbird industry. Looking back, had I chose differently and continue working towards my A&P, I sometimes wonder where I'd be now. I most likely wouldn't have the financial stability that I now enjoy, nor would have the opportunity to retire in 4 years. But then again, had I chose differently, would I want to? But there's almost always that certain, shoulda, coulda, woulda with any choice isn't there?

Thanks for letting me babble!

Scott

I just turned 53 and middle age crazy ROCKS!

Canso42

So, I grew up an Air Force kid with Dad being a career guy. He enlisted in the Class 43K and flew in the CBI theater.

So, I'm in college in 1970 and get the choice to fly rotary wing or go to OCS when my deferment kicked back in. Should I have enlisted? I'll never know.

I wound up in Indy car racing as a mechanic and fabricator and did years of "wannabe" race car driver stuff in midgets, sprint cars, road racing etc. Looking back, enjoyed every bit of what I chose.

Now at 56, I am working on my pilot license and have had some great experiences as the first airplane I actually "controlled" was Paul Keppler's T-33. I've had the chance to ride in a couple Mustangs 1974 and this year. So my current goal is to complete my training and get into a T6 either singularly or as a partner.

We'll see what unfolds but my lifelong love of Warbirds will never change.

I have at least had an opportunity to experience a small piece of what my Dad lived for and for that, am grateful!

_________________
"There are old pilots and bold pilots but few old, bold pilots."

What primary flight training base did he go to?

Beautiful downtown San Antonio. Flew PT-19's, BT-13's. T-6's, P-40's. RTU in P-47's then off in the 33rd FG, 60th FS.

John Dinnou's book, "Fading Wings, Faded Glory" covers Dad's time in training as he, John, Frank Carter, and Dick Dowiatt were chronicled in John's book. Sort of the "Animal House" of San Antonio. Some really cool stuff. I highly recommend reading it. Out of print but still available in used form on all the book sites.

Thanks for the inquiry.

_________________
"There are old pilots and bold pilots but few old, bold pilots."

Hmm - Interesting topic- I am also approaching a milestone with 40 looming just around the corner. After many years of lurking in the warbird community through magazines and then the web I jumped in big time when I, like my friend Doug, found the Lonestar Flight Museuem several years ago and at just the right time in my life. With the only goal to get a chance to see what the inside of a cockpit looked like in the P47 I soon found myself flying off to shows around the county in a vairiety of amazaing aircraft. Soon I found that more important than the cool toys were the relationships I had formed, some of which have turned out to be the best friends I have ever had. There are so many different types of people from so many different backgrounds that are brought together by this one common thread. I can't help but to think that withought my warbird choices those folks that I consider my closest friends would never even given me a second glance if I ran into them on the street. Of course the greatest thing of all has been the vetereans that have not only shared there stories with me, but also have accepted me as a friend.
Unfortuantly as the realities of everyday life and obligations have taken hold in the blink of an eye I find myself several states removed from my friends in Texas and pherhaps it is now time to take slight break from an involvment that had almost totally consumed me for several years. I do know that when the time is right I hope to jump back in.
Regrets- only that I didn't buy a better digital camera years ago so that I wouldn't have spent as much money on film as I have over the last few years. .

Steve

Thanks everybody for sharing some wonderful experiences and ruminations in this thread. I found this more helpful and enlightening than I hoped or expected when I started the topic. Good luck to all of you in pursuing your dreams, or at least keeping them alive.

August

Thank you Steve. Well said.

Doug