The good old days of airshows...

Hooligan2 · **Posted:** Sat Nov 27, 2021 3:44 am

The Mustang Pilots' Club P-51D NL5747 was the first I ever saw when it flew over my school during a visit to the UK in 1977. Great excitement just before a maths class! Doug Arnold apparently had a ride in it from Blackbushe which was where it was probably headed. Certainly had a chequered subsequent career and I seem to recall it was finally destroyed in a fatal crash in France.

Lon Moer · **Posted:** Sat Nov 27, 2021 12:49 pm

Neal Nurmi wrote:

A couple from Chandler Field:

Close Mustang is Jack Flarety's "Miss Francis" and the far Mustang is the California Warbirds Club Mustang.

Neal Nurmi · **Posted:** Sat Nov 27, 2021 2:20 pm

I learned early to love P-40s.

This was the fall of 1974, at the lovely (well, formerly lovely) Hamilton Air Force Base in Marin County California. I remember a conflict with this little E-3 Air policeman -- he's screaming at me for stepping over some rope and I'm taking great offense because a year before I had been an E-5 and acting E-6 staff sergeant and telling E-3s what to do. Luckily for me a more senior (and much larger) Air Cop came around, sent the E-3 cracker out to do gate duty or something and quietly told me that if there was any more trouble involving me he would personally take me behind a hangar and kick my ass several times. I was good after that -- air shows were run differently back then...

Pogo · **Posted:** Sat Nov 27, 2021 9:32 pm

Thanks for the story, Neal ... I was in need of a good chuckle just then and I got it!

And thanks many times more for all the great photos and please keep 'em coming, I love this thread! :drink3:

Zac Yates · **Posted:** Sat Nov 27, 2021 9:57 pm

I'm really enjoying this thread, thank you all.

Neal Nurmi wrote:

I learned early to love P-40s.

I always had a feeling you were good people, Neal! I say that if someone says they don't love P-40s then 1) they've never seen one or b) they're wrong.

Neal Nurmi · **Posted:** Sat Nov 27, 2021 10:45 pm

I do indeed like P-40s, Zac. Didin't I do a big long thread on P-40s a while back?

_D3N2549 for web by Neal Nurmi, on Flickr

C VEICH · **Joined:** Sun Nov 15, 2009 12:40 pm **Posts:** 1471

This is a scan of a picture sent to me by good friend Wayne Cook who wrenched for Tom Camp for many years. Obviously at Reno but I do not know what year.

Stoney · **Posted:** Sun Nov 28, 2021 10:58 am

^^ that pix remained me that i got a back seat ride in SU E.

Neal Nurmi · **Posted:** Sun Nov 28, 2021 4:25 pm

C VEICH wrote:

This is a scan of a picture sent to me by good friend Wayne Cook who wrenched for Tom Camp for many years. Obviously at Reno but I do not know what year.

Actually it's not Reno. I don't think it's Mojave either -- those desert mountains look too close. It's some time before Tom Camp repainted his "executive version" P-40E, so around 1974 somewhere in the desert. I do wonder where. Then there's the big biplane to the right...

This picture is from Chandler Field in the summer of 1974. Downtown Fresno really was close...

Hey Wayne -- if you read this check in. I have some YAK questions and don't know if you come on WIX these days.

T J Johansen · **Posted:** Mon Nov 29, 2021 12:10 pm

Are you sure the photo of the P-40s is not shot at Mojave, Neal? The mountains sure look the same in Google Earth. And you even have a freight train in the background where the railway line would go northwest of the airport.

As for the biplane next to the P-40s, My first guess is Frank Tallman's Grumman Duck.

T J

sledge39 · **Joined:** Thu Jun 29, 2006 1:01 pm **Posts:** 262

T J Johansen wrote:

...As for the biplane next to the P-40s, My first guess is Frank Tallman's Grumman Duck.
T J

Tallman at the Cable Airshow (CCB) ... 7 Nov 1970

Sledge

Neal Nurmi · **Posted:** Mon Nov 29, 2021 4:36 pm

Yeah, I've been reconsidering -- I think it was just done with a really long lens. I'm quite sure the Hawks did not race there, so did they come for the show during the 1974 or 75 race, or for some other event?

Not quite the same scene, but here's a long lens shot from 1978 -- the older shot does look like it could be the same terrain. That taxi way Jim is on could even have been the location for that other shot.

Matt Gunsch · **Posted:** Mon Nov 29, 2021 6:38 pm

this was taken during the Airshow at Chino,taken from the Planes of Fame B-25, so far the only 25 I have flown in.

C VEICH · **Joined:** Sun Nov 15, 2009 12:40 pm **Posts:** 1471

Neal Nurmi wrote:

C VEICH wrote:

This is a scan of a picture sent to me by good friend Wayne Cook who wrenched for Tom Camp for many years. Obviously at Reno but I do not know what year.

Actually it's not Reno.

My bad, I assumed Reno because I knew Tallman had performed there with the Duck way back when.

Neal Nurmi · **Posted:** Mon Nov 29, 2021 8:32 pm

Matt Gunsch wrote:

this was taken during the Airshow at Chino,taken from the Planes of Fame B-25, so far the only 25 I have flown in.

A cool photo, Matt. I fooled with it a bit...

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The good old days of airshows...

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