Warbird Information Exchange

Hi.
Im off to Mobile Alabama in January ,i know about the USS ALABAMA , is there anything else thats worth a visit ?.Also if anyone knows the 2006 Collings Foundation schedule id be greatfull, id love to get a flight in the B24
Cheers
Bob

Is the USS Alabama open? Any idea when they hope to re-open?
Here is the Collings Website:
http://www.collingsfoundation.org/menu.htm

If it not posted yet you maybe able to contact Ryan K about it.

The US Naval Museum is worth the jog over to Florida. Well worth it and I think its only a couple hour trip.

_________________
www.tailhookstudio.com

Tim's right...you will never be able to live with your bothered conscience if you don't make the run over to Pensacola. The drive shouldn't take you more than an hour.

Now have you ever been to Dayton, Ohio?

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

Battleship Park is still closed. The ship is still listing to starboard.
The planes are all damaged. It's a sad mess.

DRIVE TO NMNA IN PENSACOLA!!!!!!!!

Owen

I was at the NMNA last weekend, it takes about 45 minutes to get to Pcola from Mobile. Be sure you see the IMAX Fighter Pilot movie and be sure to take the ride out back to see the aircraft behind the restoration hangar. There are now about 15 A-4s from the school at Millinton, TN lined up. They will be parceled out to other locations, eventually.

Be sure you plan to spend the day, have lunch at the Cubi Point Bar in the museum and don't miss out on the bread pudding for dessert ! The main entrance to the base has a B/A F11F Tiger on a pole and the O Club which is still being renovated from Hurricane Ivan has a TA-4 in front. They are still flying T-2s, T-39Bs, and H-3. The H-3s are some of the last in the NAVY. Of course the B/A are there too. Never know what you will see on the T/A line.

There is a Cougar at the first Florida rest area on a stick. Blue Angels colors..of course. On I10 past Pcola is an A-4 on a stick also Blue Angel colors.

Saw the crane at BB Alabama, they're working to level her up.

That musta been some freakin' HUGE crane.

_________________
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

OK, lets not panic !

The crane was actually a dragline on a barge that was removing mud from under the up side of the ship. It looks like she floated off the bottom during the surge and when the water receded she settled in a different spot,missing the depression in the mud she had created after all those years.

Cheers for the info guys

EXPAT:

If you go to Pensacola, plan on driving a few miles East, and visit the display at Hurlburt.

Saludos,


Tulio

_________________
Why take the best part of life out of your life, when you can have life with the best part of your life in your life?

I am one of them 'futbol' people.

Will the previous owner has pics of this double cabin sample

GOOD MORNING, WELCOME TO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Press "1" for English.
Press "2" to disconnect until you have learned to speak English.

Sooooo, how am I going to know to press 1 or 2, if I do not speak English????

I'm curious about the proposed refurbishing of the USS Alabama aircraft.

Since it's a government owned & operated facility, would the restorations be tax deductible, and if so, how realistic would it be to get some of the more prominent restoration companies involved in performing some of these static restorations the right way. If the budget is there, I'd much rather see the planes go this route rather than simply be washed out and given a fresh coat of paint by the local volunteers.

More than anything, I'd love to see what a proper in-depth inspection would reveal about the condition of the B-25, Corsair, Mustang, etc that spent so much time exposed to the elements. I've basically written them off in my mind long ago because of this, but would love to know the truth about their condition. Now that they are indoors in a climate controlled building, the benefits of a proper restoration would truly be worthwhile. This is the only chance we'll ever have to see these planes properly preserved and I'd hate to see it squandered if a viable plan for proper preservation could be made otherwise.

_________________
Rob Mears
'Surviving Corsairs' Historian
robcmears@yahoo.com
http://www.robmears.com

Some of you may remember a posting I made right after
Katrina about how badly Battleship Park was hit. I asked
for some contributions to be used to repair and restore the
aircraft displays. The response was somewhat less than
enthuiastic.

The park is operated by the State of Alabama. The folks who work there are state employees. However, the ship
gets NO funds from the state. It is dependant on gate
receits which are nonexistant because the park has been
closed. There is some discussion of a bill in the Alabama
legislature to appropriate some money, but it is still in the
talking stages.

I hate to think of the damage done to the birds in the salt
air all those years, not to mention immersion during Katrina.
Sadly, there is no volunteer organization. There are two
guys who maintain the aircraft. They work miracles with
what little money they have. Lot's of things were made of
PVC tubing, woodworking, sheetmetal, and a lot of ingenuity.

Contributions are indeed tax deductable. I would urge each
of you again to please consider it. I am attaching a couple
of links befow containing more into.

Blue skies,
Owen

http://www.ussalabama.com/html/news/ind ... ary_key=50

http://www.ussalabama.com/html/photos/index.php