Wings Over Houston Airshow

[Tim Landers]

I hope everyone that attended the WOH airshow had a great time. As Coordinator for the Legends and Heroes autograph tent I would like to thank the Vets and their families for coming out. We had over 20 WWII Heroes attend, and they stayed very busy signing autographs and telling their stories to an appreciative crowd. If anyone has pictures they want to share please feel free to post them here. I will start by uploading pics as I resize them. On friday, two of the surviving Doolittle Raiders, Dick Cole and Ed Horton (gunner/ radio op. on plane no.10) as well as my friend Col. Joe McPhail (Corsair pilot wth VMF-323 in WWII and VMF-214 Blacksheep in Korea) arrived in town and the 147th FW of the TANG invited us over to the Guard Unit at Ellington for lunch, and we would like to thank them for their hospitality.

Afterwards we loaded up in my friend Rob Singer's command car and proceeded over to the LSFM B-25 for a media event, and afterwards Larry Gregory invited them to take a flight!





L-R Col. Joe McPhail, Rob Singer, Ed Horton, Dick Cole, and myself. Maybe WIXer Ryan Short, who attended on Sat. will post pics of the Doolittle Tribute during the show. Back to sorting through pics.

Tim Landers
WOH Airshow Staff

[RyanShort1]

I REALLY enjoyed the show. Here are some pics:



I'm starting off with these pictures, because I told Tim Landers I would post them. This was the official Missing Man Formation for Archie Donahue... just about EVERYONE stopped moving.

More to follow... or if you want to follow a link try here: http://picasaweb.google.com/doolittleraiders/WingsOverHouston

Ryan

[RyanShort1]

These are pics from the Legends and Autographs Tent where I spent most of the time.


Two of the Pearl Harbor Survivors present



Mr. McPhail was great and I have a nice (but not so hot quality) recording of him talking with me at the show to edit someday...


Mr. Landers brought in the "Kissing Sailor" from the famous WW2 picture. Here he is chatting with the Doolittle Raiders. It was a fun conversation...


Mr. Horton and Mr. Cole are both very nice fellows to work with. They are the real deal, and I have been blessed to know them.


Mr. Lee flew P-51s with the 79th FS, 20th FG in England. Turns out his flight leader was a guy I know from here in San Antonio, Cliff Kies...


Mr. Vince Lipovsky flew Corsairs and even flew with Charles Lindberg on a few missions!


There was a fairly good sized stream of guests throughout the day. I had several conversations and came to the conclusion that such a tent should be at every airshow. A LOT of the people I asked didn't even know what the Doolittle Raid was or when it happened.

Well, lunch break is over and I've got to wrap a few things up here at work before heading out to the flight school for the rest of the afternoon.

Ryan

[Tim Landers]

Thanks for posting the pics of Archies tribute. Mary Donahue was thrilled. The Donahue's have been our guest at the WOH autograph tent since it's conception and are very good friends of mine. He will be missed. I am honored to have been a part of the tribute, but it was FG1D pilot (Doug Jeannes) who initiated the idea, good work Doug.


Mary and Daughter Mary Jo with Dick Cole at dinner Sat. night.

Here you go Ryan, I want to THANK all the volunteers!

Stopped by the Collings gang to say Hi and took a couple of pics of the collection





Cool Paint Schemes



Tim
___________________________________________________________

"The more you learn about mankind the more you marvel at the patience of God, the fighter pilot’s last resort - hope. What we have learned in our time is history. It must be passed on so that it will not be relived." - Archie Glen Donahue, USMC

[viking73]

Nice photos Tim, thanks for posting them. I guess the Phantom with the blacked over canopies was a static display (non-flying) aircraft rolled out for the airshow?

[Taylor Stevenson]

Did Cavanaugh's Corsair make the show??? If so, any pics?

[Tim Landers]

viking73 wrote

Nice photos Tim, thanks for posting them. I guess the Phantom with the blacked over canopies was a static display (non-flying) aircraft rolled out for the airshow?

I believe so, maybe one the Collings volunteers will fill us in.

me109me109

Did Cavanaugh's Corsair make the show??? If so, any pics?

Unfortunatly it had a fuel leak from what I was told, LSFM Corsair filled in.
BTW, I ran into your dad at the Nasa Hilton Fri. night in the lobby! He is a stand up guy and does a great job for the CAF

Tim

[Taylor Stevenson]

Well I'll pass on those kind words. Thanks alot! Hope you all had fun. I had some stupid, time-wasting, uninteresting test to study for, so I couldnt make it...

[Elroy13]

RichH can fill you in more about the F-4. I spoke to him on Sat and was asking about it. It was static and was located there on Ellington. And has a new paint job.

Capt. Dan did a great job in the LSFM Corsair for Archies tribute.

I thought the show went rather well considering the occasional rain shower. Rick Sharp had his C-47 out (soon to be AC-47). Gunfighter & Red Nose were the only P-51's. Gumby did a great job with the Heritage Flight in the P-47 with the Phantom and F-15E on his wings. The CAF's SB2C was there as well as Spirit of Waco, A-26. Thunderbird and Ol'927 looked great on the ramp parked next to each other.

[RickH]

As it regards the F-4 with the blacked out canopies: The jet is an F-4D serial# 66-0280. We were asked to help repaint the F-4 that has been static in front of the 147th Ops building since about 1990. It was last repainted in 2000. Myself, Chief Master Sergeant Larry Musick, Sgt Doug Lamp, and a few other transient volunteers repainted 280 in the squadron markings she wore the day that she got her only kill. The details of the events of that day are provided below in a quote from Michael France, an F-4 historian. We've got a few minor details to add ( national insignia, kill star )

On the day they grabbed 66-0280 for that MiGCap mission she was aremed with
Three Sparrows (AIM-7E2). Two in the rear wells and one in the right front
well. AIM-4D Falcons. No idea quite how many. Possibly just two on the inner
shoulder launchers one on each inner pylon with an ECM pod under the left
wing inner pylon as well. It is possible that a third Falcon might have been
carried under the right wing innner pylon to make a pair. That was a typical
load in pre-Sidewinder days. Fuel tanks on wings and centre line.

The stroy on the kill mission is that four jets were primed for the 'Papa
alert' two were on five minute readiness and two on ten minut readiness.
There was a need for a weather recce for the big strike mission and so '
Papa one and two ' were launched for that. Later an painic call for the
other two ' Papa ' alert jets was made and when the crews rushed out to go
to their jets they found thay had been stolen for the big strike mission
toreplace two broken jets. ' Papa one's ' pilot rushed up and down the
flightline tofind a couple of suitable jets loaded for MiGCAP and found
66-0280 primed with the sfaety catch on and stole her. The same situation
applied to ' Papa two ' The eventually launched 45 minutes late and ended up
right in the middle of a pair of MiG-21's. 66-0280 launched three Sparrows
to kill one MiG and so it was an eventful mission after all.

Our jet has been repainted to represent "680" the mount flown by Robin Olds on Operation Bolo. It too has a few minor details that we have to add.

The significance of these two jets being on the line together is that they are both 147th FIG F-4s, they were flight mates when operational and were retired at approximately the same time ( 1990 )."280" hasn't been seen by the general public since 1990 as she is on static display in the Guard area which is restricted. We thought it would be cool to put them on the line together one more time. Hasn't happened in 17 years. They will actually be together for probably the last time in November at the 90th Anniversary of the 147th. They start losing their jets in January and will be switching to Predators. Our jet 65-749 will be the last 147th FIG aircraft to fly. This weekend was the last time they will open Wings Over Houston after a twenty year run.

[RyanShort1]

Will post some more appropriate pictures tomorrow morning, Lord willing.

Ryan

[viking73]

Great stories about 280 Rich, thanks. Hope it wasn't too much trouble to get her to the flightline but it sounds like it was worth it!

[RickH]

It was really neat to see them side by side. The only concession made on 280 is the EF tailcode which acknowledges the Ellington connection. Should be PN.

749,...er... 680's tailcode, however is correct, and all markings have been thoroughly researched. The real 680 was shot down later after gaining an additional kill and is at the bottom of the South China Sea. Her pilot Capt. John Martin was KIA and 1st Lt James Bradley was rescued. Lt Bradley was subsequently KIA on another mission about a month later.

Notes from The Virtual Wall
On 20 November 1967 two F-4Cs, CRAB 1 and CRAB 2, from the 480th Tactical Fighter Squadron at Danang were tasked against a suspected SAM site north of the DMZ. CRAB 2, F-4C tail number 63-7680, was flown by Captain John M. Martin and 1st Lt James L. Badley . The target was identified by a COVEY FAC, and the two F-4s began their attacks. Following his third pass at the target CRAB 2 was hit by anti-aircraft fire. With one engine out and his F-4 on fire, Martin headed for the nearby coast line. Badley ejected as the aircraft crossed the beach, but Captain Martin was not seen to leave the aircraft before water impact.
1st Lt Badley was picked up by a SAR helo, returned to flight status, and was killed in action four months later, on 27 March 1968.

The SAR forces failed to locate Captain Martin and he was classed as Missing in Action. He was promoted twice while in MIA status before the Air Force changed his status to Killed in Action/Body not Recovered.

As with most losses at sea, the wreckage of 63-7680 and Lt Col Martin's remains have not been located.

The aircraft Martin and Badley were flying, F-4C tail number 63-7680, was not on its first trip up North. Colonel Robin Olds and 1st Lt C. Clifton were flying 63-7680 when they shot down a MiG-21 on 02 January 1967, and Lt Col F. A. Haeffner and 1st Lt M. R. Bever of the 433rd TFS were in 63-7680 when they bagged a MiG-17 on 13 May 1967. Colonel Robin Olds and 1st Lt C. Clifton were flying 63-7680 when they shot down a MiG-21 on 02 January 1967, and Lt Col F. A. Haeffner and 1st Lt M. R. Bever of the 433rd TFS were in 63-7680 when they bagged a MiG-17 on 13 May 1967.

[steve dickey]

Does anybody have any shots of Howie flying with the F-18? Thanks.

[RickH]

Howie ? When I think of Howard Pardue somehow the name Howie just never crossed my mind !