Warbird Information Exchange

Anybody else going while they are here in the DFW area?

Cheers,

Lynn

About 50 minutes ago, I had quite a treat! I was in my landlords
apartment admiring their recent re-modeling efforts..when I heard
a welcome rumble in the distance. Running outside, there was Witchcraft
"burbling along x's 4" about a mile off west shore Galveston Bay looking
postively beautiful in her new livery!!! Camera was of course, NOT handy!
It would have been QUITE a photo! Witchcraft flying above the calm turquoise-green of Galv. Bay!!

At certain sunsets here on the Bay..especially when it's cool..The surface
of the Bay changes from a muddy-brown to a shimmering Turquoise! I
wonder if they get the same special-effect from their perspective in the
plane?

My landlord had thought I lost my mind when I bolted out the door...
Until they saw the object of my excitement..then, ooohhsss aahhsss..were all they could say!

Looks like she was headed-to-be-bedded down at Scholes Field. What a
great sight and sound..Thanks Guys!

_________________
He bowls overhand...He is the most interesting man in the world.
"In Peace Japan Breeds War", Eckstein, Harper and Bros., 3rd ed. 1943(1927, 1928,1942)
"Leave it to ol' Slim. I got ideas...and they're all vile, baby." South Dakota Slim
"Ahh..."The Deuce", 28,000 pounds of motherly love." quote from some Mojave Grunt
DBF

No, the B-17/B-24 are at Ellington Field/Houston until Monday afternoon. We have a full blown open house with all of the Houston based aircarft on display as well as other local owned historic ( and not so historic) aircraft. List of aircraft out are as follows:

B-17
B-24
F-4
L-39
Chipmunk
UH-1E
F-16
Stearman
S-2
T-33
Mig 21
OH-58
10 RVs

After Houston the bombers go to Frontiers of Flight, Dallas

RickH, No, What? Witchcraft wasn't headed to Galveston..or? Did I
see them on a sunset flight, or something?
Thanx...

_________________
He bowls overhand...He is the most interesting man in the world.
"In Peace Japan Breeds War", Eckstein, Harper and Bros., 3rd ed. 1943(1927, 1928,1942)
"Leave it to ol' Slim. I got ideas...and they're all vile, baby." South Dakota Slim
"Ahh..."The Deuce", 28,000 pounds of motherly love." quote from some Mojave Grunt
DBF

What you may have seen was LSFM's B-25 "Special Delivery" returning to Galveston from the Tucson air show. I know they came in late because my wife was flying right seat

Blake
www.av8rblake.com

Oops. I just realized that you guys were talking about Saturday night. I was talking about Sunday. Never mind.

Blake
www.av8rblake.com

_________________
"May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all." 2 Corinthians 13:14

No, they weren't going to Scholes. They were on an evening experience flight. Last one for the day. Flew three flights this afternoon and will fly a couple in the morning and then be in Dallas by 3:00 pm.

I guess I can cancel the "eye doctor" appointment then...again! The B-17
came directly overhead 'bout 4'ish today... of course no camera. Opened
all windows, turned down TV..listening for advance notice of later-day
"rumbles of the radials"..but no joy! Carried myself and camera to the
deck on the water and waited for a "sunset repeat". Landlord and friends
attending...son-in-law of landlord says, "You know, since you have a camera..they won't show"!...Damned if he wasn't right!

Sigh...
Thanx Jim

ps
How many "evening experience" flights do ya'll book per day?

_________________
He bowls overhand...He is the most interesting man in the world.
"In Peace Japan Breeds War", Eckstein, Harper and Bros., 3rd ed. 1943(1927, 1928,1942)
"Leave it to ol' Slim. I got ideas...and they're all vile, baby." South Dakota Slim
"Ahh..."The Deuce", 28,000 pounds of motherly love." quote from some Mojave Grunt
DBF

You could have come up the freeway and taken all the pictures you wanted.

The number of flights for either airplane is dictated by the number of folks signed up to ride. The guys were working on a couple of things on the B-24 so fewer flights were flown on it. Most of the flights were for the 17.

Yup, Rick, I coulda..but the "over water" shots are rare and hard to get.
On the Saturday missed-oppurtunity, Witchcraft was fairly low
over the water and "loping along"...had a camera been handy...I
have a good wide-angle view of the Bay, I coulda' got about 3 good shots...over the turquoise. The turquoise-effect is not "an often"
phenomena. AND, a B-24 ta' boot!! Better luck next time??

Sunday, the color wasn't the same because the atmospherics had changed
but still woulda been over water, although appearing blue this time.

Really, where I'm at on the west shore there is plenty of warbird traffic
but most times the folks grab a little more altitude. Plenty of T-6,
Stearman, the occaisional B-25..even a Sikorsky Choctaw for awhile
until the main-rotor whacked a hanger in a taxi-accident some time back.
Gawwd the Sikorsky was loud..old direct-drive Wright engine, that
beastie gave advance warning of it's arrival for miles..sounded like it was
coming apart at any moment!!

As for photoing from the freeway area, not enough telephoto in my
kit for that. The approach and take-off at Ellie are plenty accessable,
but everyone is "down and dirty" for those shots usually...unless it's
Airsho time. Thanx for your info Rick..Blue Skys
Jim

_________________
He bowls overhand...He is the most interesting man in the world.
"In Peace Japan Breeds War", Eckstein, Harper and Bros., 3rd ed. 1943(1927, 1928,1942)
"Leave it to ol' Slim. I got ideas...and they're all vile, baby." South Dakota Slim
"Ahh..."The Deuce", 28,000 pounds of motherly love." quote from some Mojave Grunt
DBF

I had a nice ride yesterday and would say its a must when it comes to your town. I think next time I'll ride in 909.

Cheers,

Lynn

How was the air up there yesterday Lynn? I know that on Monday coming up from Houston it was extremely bumpy. Everytime I got up and walked around the airplane I felt like I was drunk or something. Eventually I got up to the nose turret and just rode up there and watched the world go by.

It was very cool though.

The bombers didn't get bothered by the hail yesterday up there did they?

Ryan

Hello Ryan, there was the morning chop but in all it was a great ride. We had a strong cross wind on landing, but the crew made the landing look really easy. 909 started to use 18 after we landed. We used 13L.
Like you, I was up and running as soon as the gear was in the well. I sat in the rear turret and thought of people who rode in there for hours during a mission, then went up to the nose and did the same. We had some showers move through the area in the afternoon, but nothing like last year. Still don't understand why they were left out in the open? At KDAL there is a lot of hangar space for them. I'm looking forward to next year when they come back through.

Cheers,

Lynn

Just wanted to say thanks to JimH and crew for bringing the B-17 and B-24 to Palm Springs. I've been wanting to see a Lib close-up for a long time and I've finally gotten my wish. I did get a little choked up sitting by my late uncle Bud Seglin's "office" (ball turret) and imagining what it must have been like inside that thing on a mission... Chatted a little with JimH and really felt welcome. Then getting to see them take off and fly out for their next stop in Temecula - what a rush. Thanks for coming!

P.S. If you put some real guns in your tail turret maybe you can shoo away that pesky Bonanza

_________________

All right, Mister Dorfmann, start pullin'!
Pilot: "Flap switch works hard in down position."
Mechanic: "Flap switch checked OK. Pilot needs more P.T." - Flight report, TB-17G 42-102875 (Hobbs AAF)

I was just flipping through the pages of the most recent Air Classics and saw the article on Witchcraft

As I was looking at the pictures, there is the number "3" painted on the inboard side of the number 4 engine and the number "9" painted on the inboard side of the number 1 engine. What do these numbers signify? I had never seen markings like that before.