TORA sets Wall of Fire Record YUMA Airshow

[Nathan]

I like the Tora act. Seen it several times. Although I'll admit a B-52 flying over would have been better for that part of the pyro demo.

Stop, drop, and kiss your tushy goodbye!

[flyingsailor]

Tulio
I agree, the explosions are expensive. However I have been to enough airshows where people come to us after a show and say that the pyro add so much to the show. So for that reason, I see the need. We work as much as possible to get it as reasonable as possible between donations, volunteers etc.

There are the occasional show where we do get to do a show with the B-1 or -52 overhead.....

Chris

[Nathan]

I've said it before...I'll say it again. Just what does the TORA show contribute? Anyone can fire up two miles of diesel fuel WITHOUT an airplane flying over it.
I guess it's just me.

Mudge the mudge

ps. Steve...Mrs. Mudge and I were at Dayton 2003. Don't recall seeing you there.

Are we gonna start this again mudge? Think positive waves, man. Just sit back, catch some raze, drink some wine, and eat some cheese.

Enjoy the show!

[retroaviation]

.........What it adds is interest for kids (and some adults) so that we can convert them into the NEXT full grown Warbird huggin' generation of pilots, mechanics and supporters of tomorrow's Warbird Community.
(I seem to recall seeing pictures of the likes of Jack Cook as a little nipper sitting on a Corsair tyre at an airshow.)

Oh, do you mean this picture? (and that ain't Jack Cook )




Sorry to hijack the thread.....was just makin' a point.


Gary

[Tulio]

Tulio
I agree, the explosions are expensive. However I have been to enough airshows where people come to us after a show and say that the pyro add so much to the show. So for that reason, I see the need. We work as much as possible to get it as reasonable as possible between donations, volunteers etc.

There are the occasional show where we do get to do a show with the B-1 or -52 overhead.....

Chris

I agree with you. I like the explosions and effects, too... but... : )


Saludos,


Tulio

[SPANNERmkV]

Sorry to hijack the thread.....was just makin' a point.


Gary[/quote]

Hey GARY... my mistake... a mind is a terrible thing to waste, at least in my case! AND APOLOGIES TO JACK for mistaking you for Gary!!!

Good to hear you chiming in and glad to hear from you!!!

Also (Hi Jacking my own thread ) hope I sent you some good bidness for some warbird parts from Austin Acres.

[retroaviation]

Also (Hi Jacking my own thread ) hope I sent you some good bidness for some warbird parts from Austin Acres.

Kinda looks that way, but only time will tell. Thanks though!

Gary

[Old Shep]

Tulio, et al:

Re: the Wall of Fire and all the other pyro at airshows. First, none of that money spent on that stuff would ever find its way to the airplanes: that isn't how the CAF operates, nor any other flying museum that I'm aware of. Second, airshows are show business: get people in the seats is the name of the game, and pyro does that. Third, without people in the seats at airshows, CAF units that operate airplanes that are paid to appear at airshows would not be able to operate said airplanes. No airshows, no money, no airplanes.

Bottom line, pyro is just part of it. The Wall is spectacular and draws people.

Old Shep

And thanks Flying Sailor, Spanner and RetroAviation for chiming in

[bluethunder28]

I would say that 98% of the "non purist" (warbird experts) also known as the general public, love the pyros. And yes a B-52 is very impressive doing a wall of fire when done right and that's not all at once but one at a time, about a second between blast.

[Mudge]

But if banning it will save the life of just one polar bear...

Mudge the conservationist
(or is that conversationist?)

[Holedigger]

Now if they could just train a Polar Bear to run down the line of pyro's setting them off as he ran...THERE would be a show stopper!

[Matt Gunsch]

WOW! Sounded like the crowd liked it! How big a fine did they have to pay the state of CA for all that pollution and fuel wastage!

How far beyond the WALL OF FIRE do the AC fly? Would NOT want to be above that inferno flying that low!!!!

last time I checked, Yuma is in Arizona, even thought we don't like to admit it. It could be worse, we could have Blythe.

Maybe you haven't heard of Sid Woods, a member of the 49th FG, 7th Sq. in the early days of fighting the Japanese from the New Guinea flying P-40s, and later flying in Europe flying P-38s and shooting down five -190s on March 22, 1945 while flying the P-51 with the 4th FG in England. He later was shot down and spent some time a POW. He was also a founding member of the American Association of Fighter Pilots, was very active in the Alumni Association of the University of Arizona and an important contributor to this university.
Sid Woods chose to live in Yuma, Arizona and became a successful Yuma land owner and farmer. I talked to his widow about 9 years ago, who graciously answered my questions about her husband. She was enormously proud of her husband, and rightly so. He contributed to the community and the state in many ways, yet chose to live in Yuma. Maybe he had a good reason? If Barry Goldwater were still here, a native of Prescott, AZ, he'd tell you all about it. Please take this as a helpful admonishment, as Arizona is all about being independent and free. Sometimes Phoenix forgets that!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sydney_S._Woods
http://hawksnest.1hwy.com/Service/USAAF/49FG/9FS.html

I guess you have never been there in the summer, it is where H ELL goes for summer vacation, it is one of the hottest parts of AZ. I should know, I am a Az native.
Oh, and as far as Barry Goldwater, He lived in Paradise Valley, a suburb of Phoenix.

[John Cotter]

And what's the purpose of this?

Do any of the funds to pay for the fuel and explosives, come from members dues?

If it is an official CAF activity, then is it CAF supported?

Tradition does not cut it for me, supposedly the money should be used to restore and fly the airplanes?

Things like this one (and others) have seen a lot of people drop their membership...

Tulio

The same could be asked of Monster truck "races" or NASCAR. Or what about the NBA or NFL? Want to talk about a waste of money. Either way it is entertainment and the crowd pays for it.

[JDK]

Coo lot of people took a grumpy pill and a PC shot this morning, din't they?


I've never seen the TORA pyros, but I've seen pyros of some kind at a lot of airshows. Like indigestibleburgers, and the local national aerobatic team, they keep a lot of people happy and coming even if I couldn't care less. Not an issue, IMHO.

Now if you had to choose between fuelling your car or having a bang at a show, then there'd be a debate.

Thread's worth it for the pic of the 'WIXoid' Nice one. Small cheerful Corsair pilots they had back then.

[retroaviation]

Thread's worth it for the pic of the 'WIXoid' Nice one. Small cheerful Corsair pilots they had back then.

That was my first year at Reno (1976...six years old). Unfortunately, they wouldn't let me fly it though.....told me I had to wait a "few" years.

Gary