Warbird Information Exchange

I am sad to see that there continue to be so many threads where the owner of a warbird gets blasphemed for decisions that they make regarding their aircraft. There are no less than three on the front page of the Wix Hangar alone.

Opinion is one thing, some of the comments have been getting down right nasty.

Remember, it is not your aircraft.

If you don't like it, you can always write the check........


Let's try to not disrespect the owners while exercising our opinions.

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Expert:
Ex: Former.
Spurt: A drip under pressure.

Discussion a paint job and voicing an negative opinion about it is not a personal attack upon a owner.
Most all the new paint jobs on the Lewis a/c I can't stand. Doesn't mean he's not a good person.

I can't stand that darn door or the Honey Bunny artwork on nose of Jack Croul's P-38L but on the same note
both he and Jeff Harris are 2 fine people. One has nothing to do with the other!

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Don't touch my junk!!

Like jack said, nothing against the owners. You don't see me trashing stearman paint schemes??? I don't like the whole airplane. . It's the owners wish to fly a biplane that was a cheap knock off from the era well let them write the check.

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Long Live the N3N-3 "The Last US Military Bi-Plane" 1940-1959
Badmouthing Stearmans on WIX since 2005

If this is about comments I have made, then what Jack says summed it up perfectly.

And for those keeping score at home, I have not (nor do I ever want or care to) disparage the character of an owner of a warbird, or any other posters here. In fact, I'm glad that all these people can come here and talk about that which we have in common: warbirds. That's what I came here to talk about and that's what I've done and endeavor to continue.

blaspheme? In the words of Inigo Montoya: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2y8Sx4B2Sk. <- that there is purely jest.

This word brings up an interesting point that seems to come up on this forum quite often. That is, at what point do warbird owners get elevated to the status of gods whose actions with respect to their planes are beyond opinion? At what point does the expenditure of their money mean I'm no longer entitled to opine about what they do with their airplane? I know a few warbird owners and fewer still who are "bad" folks. At the end of the day, they're just folks, same as you or me, good and bad. And we opine about folks and their actions all the time, day in, day out. The only difference is here, we limit those opinions to airplanes. But as pointed out on another thread, if you buy the Mona Lisa, does that mean you can paint a moustache on it? I'm not being facetious here, I'm asking you all for your honest opinion, beyond "he who has the bucks makes the decision", because it quite obviously goes deeper than that when we are discussing unique and historical artifacts.

At least Rod's planes are flying..... not rotting away somewhere humid...

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Those who possess real knowledge are rare.

Those who can set that knowledge into motion in the physical world are rarer still.

The few who possess real knowledge and can set it into motion of their own hands are the rarest of all.

Just for the record, personally (I can't speak for other owner/operators) fire away. I can take as well as I dish it out. Like my mother always told me "Son, if you're gonna be stupid, you better be tough."

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Eric

"I spent most of my money on alcohol, women and skyraiders....and the rest of it I just wasted."

Never met her, but I like her already!

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It was a good idea, it just didn't work.

I can still hear my father saying the same thing to me but with an added dumba s s for effect.

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Hang The Expense

I was advised by someone that my struts and landing gear should not have been painted gray. I thanked him for the info ( I already knew this ) and then said " can I see your plane now ? "

Nothing else needed to be said really. Personally it doesn't bother me at all. I am also in the classic car hobby and it is no different there.

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Flying Piper L4-J 45-55209

Negative comments....the old aircraft world has nothing on your average car show!

I'm too polite to say anything to people's faces, but I do wonder about some schemes.
My pet peaves: too much nose art, too many invasion stripes, military schemes on civil types, and not every Bell 47 (usulally a much later model than correct for Korea) needs a faux "MASH" scheme.

But until I write them a check, it's their plane. I'm happy they have one.

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Remember the vets, the wonderful planes they flew and their sacrifices for a future many of them did not live to see.
Note political free signature.
I figure if you wanted my opinion on items unrelated to this forum, you'd ask for it.

Hey I resemble that remark! minus the "tough" part that I have replaced with "no tact"

Seriously, I agree with a few here about expressing their honest opinion on a particular warbird, but as for the owner? No need to go there, good guys make bad decisions at times, take me for instance lol.

And there seems to be a good guy with a new mustang with a terrible paint scheme, but I bet he's still a good guy, just with a terribly painted P-51

http://www.mustangsmustangs.com/p-51/p5 ... 081611.php

"If you can't say something nice, say something vague"

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Those who possess real knowledge are rare.

Those who can set that knowledge into motion in the physical world are rarer still.

The few who possess real knowledge and can set it into motion of their own hands are the rarest of all.

Stealing and reposting, effective immediately.

If I were a warbird owner, and someone on some forum made an issue about my plane or about the paint I chose or whatever else, I'd be somewhat pissed. Even though it is not a direct personal attack on me, these same people who feel empowered by their anonimity on a public forum would never have the swagger to come up and voice their displeasure to me in person. THAT is the part that bothers me. I fully understand that not everyone has the same tastes and preferences. That's what the freedoms we enjoy defend. But sometimes voicing ones opinion is not always in the best interests. Before Nazy Hirani was killed in SUSU, I had many people come up to us at airshows and comment about how beautiful the plane was and how much they liked it. Never once did anyone come up to us and tell us that our paint and markings were not totally accurate, which of couse they weren't. There are aircraft and custom cars out there for that matter that I don't particularly care for but I still respect and admire those individuals for their hard work, dedication and willingness to pay the costs associated with the operation. If you don't like something, thats ok and I respect your right to do so but sometimes the verbage used seems to be almost hostile in nature almost insuating that the owner is some kind of idiot. Maybe a good rule to follow is if you wouldn't tell someone something to his face then don't say it in print. OK, there's my two cents.

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The more I learn about aircraft, the more I realize I still have to learn.

Negative Ghostrider! I can never see too many D-Day stripes!


Chappie

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Brrring. Dispersal? TWO SECTIONS SCRAMBLE!!