what is YOUR warbird incident? Part 3

[Nathan]

I have started these threads in the past but I always enjoy them: What crazy things have you done to see a warbird?

For me:

Me and my dad rushing out the door at the same time and getting jammed to see a C-130 that was flying LOW behind my old home coming straight at us!

Me and my dad following Fuddy Duddy in my dads car and we had to stop chase unless we wanted to continue driving through a hay feild.

As a kid sitting up on the top of my swing set spotting for airshow aircraft heading for the Wilker-Barre/Scranton airshow. As a stupid kid I was doing this a month prior to the airshow and of course every plane I saw fly over I assumed was an airshow aircraft!

UPDATE: Last Wednesday I ran a red light while looking at 6 Seahawks at the Elmira/Corning NY airport!!

[N3Njeff]

Drove a rental car off the road while watching the Tampa Police dept OH-6A fly over in Air Cav markings.

[Jack Cook]

Geez I thought you wanted to know if what's a groundloop like
or what's a R-1340 sound like when it blows at take-off power.

[RyanShort1]

Geez I thought you wanted to know if what's a groundloop like.

We should probably disillusion him about that... It's not as fun as it sounds.

Ryan

[N3Njeff]

I got one of those too. I still remember how hard she shuddered when the #5 cylinder came 3 inches out of the case.

[Jack Cook]

Well, it was a wild ride(s).
But, do you know what's louder tires going sideways off the runway,
a 1340 blowing or Jack shreiking like a school girl

[Lynn Allen]

Geez I thought you wanted to know if what's a groundloop like
or what's a R-1340 sound like when it blows at take-off power.

Geez I thought you wanted to know if what's a groundloop like

Well its like there are the ones who have and the ones who will......

[Jack Cook]

Geez I thought you wanted to know if what's a groundloop like

Oh I do. But departing the runway and powering through a pasture was far scarier
No, wait wandering around the valley for 2 hours after with a pilot so rattled he was
scared to land the T-6 was the worst!!!

[tom d. friedman]

what??? no mid air mile high club collision stories in this group of warbird horn dogs??

[TAdan]

Driving to the WWII weekend in Reading several years back I started following the aircraft rather than following the proper directions.

I saw the CWHA Lancaster pass over head, so rather than take the correct exit I just followed the Lancaster down the road. I then spotted an Avenger and Corsair and began to follow them... I drove all around the airport totally distracted with my wife yelling the whole time. It was alot of fun.

[ripcord]

I was skydiving in Rome, GA back in the mid 80's and was under canopy at about 1500' and thinking about how to set up for my landing when I heard a roaring noise behind me. I did a flat turn in an effort not to lose much altitude and saw two marine reserve OV-10 Bronco's passing maybe 500 or so feet below me. They were nice enough to wave, though, as they passed under me. Wish I could have taken a picture.

Another time at Rome a navy T-29 landed after having engine trouble. We made a skydive, and one of the other jumpers had a malfunction and cutaway his main and landed under his reserve. After we landed, we were passing by the T-29 which had an armed guard posted to secure the aircraft. The guy who had the malfunction stopped and pointed at his main which was still fluttering to the ground and asked the guard if he'd be kind enough to shoot it. It was funny at the time.

[kalamazookid]

I had to veer off the road real quick once to avoid rear-ending a '72 Nova when I pulled into a fly-in at Allegan airport and saw a Corsair on the ramp.

I also remember running through the screen door once as a kid to see the Tigercat fly over. It was worth the yelling I received from the parents

And Nathan, I was just like you the week Warbirds Over Kalamazoo was held here every year. I would do anything to sit outside all day and would go running desperately outside if I heard an airplane because I was afraid I'd miss something.

[DarenC1]

The BBMF Spitfire IIa once did a few flybys over a nearby war memorial - which managed to overfly my little town quite a bit.

Cue me leaping down the stairs, and nearly falling out of the open back door and onto the pavement, in order to see it!