A great air show

[b747cf]

Here are the P-38's from this air show






Mark Fidler

[Jerry O'Neill]

Man those were the days! gas was way cheaper. I didn't see this event, but George Enhorning told me a lot about it. Though the restorations and paint schemes weren't always "original", I sometimes look at the late 70's and all of the 80's as the golden years of Warbirds. Lots of characters and a guy with a small budget could still get into something cool to own.
Thanks for the pics!
Jerry

[Neal Nurmi]

I also look back with some nostalgia at the 1970s period. It's all so serious now -- back then it was more a bunch of people having fun.

[Neal Nurmi]

Scott Smith was a flamboyant car guy -- to him a Mustang was just another cool machine to customize and go fast in. There was nothing authentic about his airplanes, but to my eye this was one of the best looking Mustangs ever.

[b747cf]

Neal did you see this guy at the air show?



Pappy Boyington was signing his book at the show.

Here is Martin Caden standing in the cockpit of his JU-52 prior to takeoff.



And here is Art Scholl .




Mark Fidler

[Neal Nurmi]

Those are fun pictures, Mark. I didn't meet Boyington til a couple of years later, at Reno. I really didn't see much of this stuff because I never saw any of the show from any of the spectator areas. I was working, and was either in the pits or out on the pylons when the action was happening. It's nice to see another perspective on the activities.

[b747cf]

Thanks Neal I just wish my pictures came out as well as yours did.

Heres the Bearcat that was their.



I still have the Original Program from the air show.

Mark Fidler

[Neal Nurmi]

I loved this airplane. Enhorning got a good race number, too.

[Jerry O'Neill]

Nice pics of George and Passion Wagon. He lived the next town over from me and I'd go up to Oxford Airport to see him fly it every now and then. I miss George and his Passion.

[Neal Nurmi]

A really great name for a Mustang...

[Neal Nurmi]

Here's another paint scheme I really loved, for some reason. Who actually flew it at Miami was discussed here:

viewtopic.php?p=338950

[Neal Nurmi]

So Sully -- You don't post a lot, though you frequent a couple of boards I follow. But every time I post on the 1979 Miami Air Race anywhere there you are. How come the interest in that event?

Sorry they're not better pictures -- I was just a beginner.

[Sully]

Neal,

Just an old Miami boy. Was involved in the '73 event and crewed the '79.
Never get enough pictures of the good ole days.

Keep em coming.

Sully

[Rob W]

It's hard to explain to people why airshows 20+ years ago were oh-so-much more incredible than they are today.

Thanks for sharing!

[k5083]

I think I recall the Air Classics write-up on the 1979 Florida race. It did seem like an extraordinary gathering. Who was the driving force there? Whittingtons?

Some of those '70s and early '80s shows were very cool, though I wouldn't trade them for the best shows of today.

August