Warbird Information Exchange

I have tickets to go back to Washington for the first public flight of the IL-2 this weekend. I see now that it has been rescheduled for September 15th. Since I already have the tickets I was thinking I might go to the airshow in Olympia instead. It looks to be less than an hour from the Seattle airport.

Has anybody been to the Olympia airshow and is it worth going?

There will still be a lot of flying at Paine, as FHC have substituted the Fw190 for the Il-2. They are also flying the P-47 and P-51, and HFF are hosting the Collings Foundation (B-17, B-24 and TP-51C) along with flying their B-25 and F7F Tigercat.

However, I'm sure Olympia will be worth the trip too, if only to see their Kaman Husky fly.

Yeah, I'll be there too. We're having a meeting of the Brad Pilgrim Fan Club there on Sunday. Not sure if Jack Cook will make it or not...

Sentimental Journey will be there both days. HFF's B-25 "Grumpy" is scheduled to fly in for Sunday's show. Cascade Warbirds will be there, but aside from the susual CJ-6, Navion, T-6 contingent, not sure what all that will entail. In the past Bud Granley and Brian Reynolds have done a P-51/Tora Zeke routine, and I think they're going to do the Huey/Cobra demo too. Last year Brian and Brad flew the Kayman "Huskie" around the pattern too, which was kind of fun.

It's not a huge show, by any standards, but it's also laid back and fun.

_________________
Offer me solutions, offer me alternatives, and I decline......

As Mike said, there will be plenty going on at Paine on Saturday. I'm planning on Olympia Saturday and possibly Sunday since i've missed it the past couple years. Friends I don't see as often will be there as well.

_________________
-Al Sauer
http://www.flickr.com/photos/spookythecat

I live close by and have been to the show numerous times over the years. They have a good turnout, it's worth the price of admission, not real fancy, an active event with lots to look at. Considering it is Fathers Day weekend and weather should be in the mid-70's it should be fun.
BTW, the drive time from Sea-Tac to Olympia on a Friday afternoon is pretty ugly, 1.5 / 2.0 hours. On a Saturday or Sunday figure on an hour.

Yep, at LEAST 2 hours provided someone on either side of I-5 doesn't have a flat tire, which makes everyone on both sides slow way down like they'd never seen a flat tire. Then there's Tacoma where people are going in all directions, then the jam up to and past JBLM cleared just in time to get on the wrong end of the I-5/Hwy101 to the coast cluster f*ck (it's Fathers Day and lots of folks go to Ocean Shores to camp in the 50+ MPH winds and blowing sand). If you go to Oly, take the Black Lake exit & hang a left @ the end of the off ramp & follow the signs to the airport. It is an old timey type airshow. I don't believe FHC would debut their Il-2 somewhere other than @ KPAE.
Either show will be worth the trip-enjoy!

_________________
Don't make me go get my flying monkeys-

Olympia sounds like it might be worth a try. Maybe I'll do Paine Field on Saturday after all and then Olympia on Sunday. I called the ride number to see about booking a ride on the Sentimental Journey and was told that they had to pull out of the Olympia visit due to engine problems. It sounded like the airplane was stuck wherever she is right now.

How can you beat this line up? Defiantly go to see the HFF & FHC birds!

_________________
" excuse me stewardess I speak jive"

The Olympia airshow is great for Vietnam era helicopters; usually at least two Hueys, a Loach, and a Cobra fly. Plus the world's only flying HH-43 Huskie which amazes because it looks like the rotors are going too slow and it's eerily quiet. Don't forget the go-go girls flown in by a Huey to the strains of Flight of the Valkyries, and then all retire to the beer garden for a retro-'60's & '70's band (again with go-go girls! ) and drinkin' with the pilots you just saw flying. Great country atmosphere, never too crowded, and a fine contingent of local re-enactors camped out with some great military trucks and gear. Suggestion: do Paine on Saturday and Olympia on Sunday.

And welcome to the great Pacific Northwest!

--Tom

This morning's Everett HERALD (6/14/12) had one of those irritating 'sleeve' half sheets wrapped around the front section which was a flyer for FHC/HFF/Collings Foundation visit this weekend. Inside FHC now lists mid September as the debut flight for the Il-2. I know they are working to replace the original, 70 year old rusty control cables that were re-installed during the restoration.

_________________
Don't make me go get my flying monkeys-

.

_________________
Zero Surprise!!...

It was assembled from the remains of several wrecks in the Rodina by Russian talent. so....ya gets what ya gets.
Tovarich!

_________________
Don't make me go get my flying monkeys-

Oh noo! If they replace those, it will just be a replica!!

August

There has been mention that the aircraft was towed half way across the European/Asian continent, exposed to the elements, before it was finally put on a boat and shipped. Looking at the aircraft close-up, I noticed it resembles something like a tank that has been sitting on outside display for a while, with all of the various steel screws and exposed steel plate having a film of rust on it. Regarding the quality of the work that went into it, I've questioned that myself, as for instance Yagen's Mig-3, restored by the same company, hasn't flown since it arrived in the U.S., with what sounds like internal systems and wiring that have had to be redone.

There's possibly another angle to this. I was talking with one of the FHC volunteers during the recent Paine Field air show (a very knowledgable guy I've had conversations with before), and he said they (FHC) themselves are in part responsible for some of the issues facing the IL-2. He told me, and as is well known, Paul Allen wants the collection to be as authentic as possible. Back in WWII, he said, IL-2s were being shot down as fast as they could produce them. Supposedly, because the expected lifespan of those planes was something like 10 hours in combat, they were built without regard for corrosion protection, among other shortcuts. So this plane was not primed when it was restored, and many of the components were not protected by appropriate corrosion contol techniques during restoration, for the sake of authenticity, and as an experiment to see if it was possible to adhere that closely to "how it really was back then". This gent told me they all expected to see some issues, but were somewhat disappointed by the end results; as the plane is now corroding much faster than anyone expected. So they are now thinking about tearing it down to a certain point and re-doing a lot of the work to make it more in line with modern corrosion contol practices, as well as properly paint the whole plane with longer term preservation in mind. Plus (as he gave me the "wink wink, nod nod")--and as the good Inspector has already mentioned--it was done by the rooskies and that comes with its own set of wonderfulness--not.

How much of this is hangar talk and how much is truth, I do not know. But the fellow I got it from is a reliable bloke so there may be at least some kernel of truth to it. So for what it's worth, I thought I'd throw this out there for the sake of another viewpoint. I don't know, myself; I just want to see that bad boy fly!

--Tom