Warbird Information Exchange

I 100% agree that an A-26 gathering would be awesome. I think that’s in the plans for somewhere in the future, as well as another “Bombertown” eventually.

Fighters is probably the plan for 2021, and a definite emphasis on SINGLE type. I would love a Cat gathering eventually, but that’s a more broad theme like the Luftwaffe that would go with a Jet Demo year.

I was thinking P-40’s could be a good one. That has a strong starting list of possible attendees like Corsair Crazy did. Maybe Sommers could bring the Tomahawk and Collings could send theirs to finally have them together?!?

A Grumman theme is still at the top of my wish list for Thunder. I would love to see the Cats in formation again and there are more than enough Grumman types to fill a ramp.

I would also love to see a salute to veterans who fought in Korea. If the scope of aircraft was too limited for TOM, it could be expanded into a theme incorporating aviation from 1946-60 and include other early jets and post-war props as well.

I also thought the Luftwaffe idea was great, even though it would have been a smaller theme numbers-wise. The theme have never precluded other interesting warbirds from attending though and lining them up with a bunch of other ETO warbirds would have made for a strong lineup.

Can't say I'd find a P-51 or B-25 gathering all that groundbreaking since they've been done recently elsewhere, but I'll be there next year no matter what. No reason not go since I'll have comped tickets from this year's advanced purchase.

_________________
Matt

Bit of a shame the Luftwaffe theme won't be revisited for 2021. The 109G at Midwest is close to completion and could be at Oshkosh next year- it would have been great to see it at TOM along with the Fw-190's and Ju-52.

As for other possible options, I like the sound of a P-40 gathering but didn't they have a small P-40 meet at TOM not too long ago? Although with the 80th anniversary of Pearl Harbor next year, that could be special!

I'm also another fan of a Grumman Cat gathering. I can't believe the last time there was a Cat gathering of sorts was at Chino back in 2011!

I think the Luftwaffe theme will be a good one once that 109G is done, Collings needs to get theirs at Gosshawk finished (tbd), Yagen’s 262 is having brake work done still, etc. I would say in a few years the attendance possibilities go up significantly! And who knows if/where FHCAM’s could end up. Maybe they could make an appearance....

I don’t believe there has been a P-40 gathering at Thunder. POF had one in 2016 or 2017, and I think Genesseo had one recently, but those were about a half dozen. Thunder would try to match if not break the Corsair gathering amount