One Stop Line for News & Pics from Thunder over Michigan

[Broken-Wrench]

I had problems ( CAP BRATS ) with them too! We had a airshow and they snuck into our tent and were stealing everything. I threw them out

[Don Parsons]

Eric is a good friend and great guy. John Lohmar was with him. John would give you the shirt off his back if you needed it.

If you're ever in St Louis, come over to Creve Coeur and see our Golden Age Museum. We're planning on running the Dh-4's engine for the first time since rebuild tomorrow!

I was going to stay and help Eric clean off the airplane sat, but Eric stayed up for a photo-shoot and my son was starving, so I had to leave.

don

[EDowning]

ALL,

I have great respect for Bill Greenwood and anyone who would take the time to and money to keep any warbird, or vintage airplane, for that matter, flying. I do not believe that flying the Skyraider glorifies Vietnam any more than flying formation with the ME 109 glorifies the Nazi party.

I have flown in two different conflicts, I did so because I believe in the United States, one of the only places in the world where you can say whatever you think.

There is no practical reason to fly the Skyraider with the Spitfire from an historical perspective. The only thing Bill and I flying together would prove, is that, we both love flying Warbirds.

Last edited by EDowning on Sat Aug 12, 2006 7:05 am, edited 1 time in total.

[Bill Greenwood]

Re Thunder. There were some very good things about this show. To me first of all, what really matters is that it is safe, and as far as I know there were no accidents or injuries at all assuming nobody blew themselves up with a tank or howitzer! I was impressed that they empasized ground safety and actually seemed to mean it. Lot's of shows seem to give more attention to keeping the acts moving than real safety concerns. There were lot's of planes, quite a variety, and some rare and important ones, Lanc, Hurri, 109,etc. I could do without the jet noise and I hate to see infants crying because of it, but there are different opinions and different tastes in planes. Not having an acro waiver is frustrating as a pilot, because the Spit is so nice to roll. However the positive side is that planes can take crew on their flybys. The reimbursment offered to owners was reasonable, even if it certainly doesn't cover the cross country cost. There's nothing for going to Oskosh, not even rooms. I've rarely seen so many interested public, I was tired by noon Sunday just trying to answer all the questions. The weather was good, if a bit hot. Some people want a better placing, but who do you move or exclude? Putting on a show is a lot of work, we once had a good one in Aspen before it was taken over by corporate jets, and there are always budget restraints. Bill G

[Bill Greenwood]

Eric makes a good point from an intellectual standpoint, with the comparison of flying a German 109 or an American AD. I guess I feel so strongly about the mistake of that war that my reaction is more emotional. Back then, I was lucky enough not to go to combat and I sure didn't ask for it when I graduated in '68. I spent my time at a base 6 miles from where Bush was and did nothing to be proud of. Fortunately I wasn't at My Lai or Kent State so I had nothing to be ashamed of. Wouldn't it be great if we had leaders whose morality and jugement were worth following, but LBJ and Nixon were not those. Year after year they let our young men die while the rest of the world scorned us. Truth died too, combat B-24 veteran Sen. Mcgovern was denigrated, while Nixon was the patriot.I guess this site is supposed to be about planes not politics, maybe I opened the can of worms. Bill G.

[RickH]

Mr. Greenwood, thanks for sharing your Spitfire with so many of us over the years. After the CAF Spit was lost in Canada, your Spitfire was the only one that most of us had the opportunity to see fly.

On another note, I understand that the Viet Nam War is still a sore point amomg many who served. I think that it is a mistake to brand the equipment that we happened to have used there and in other places at that time as unworthy of display. By saving and operating the F-4, TA-4, AD, the Hueys and Cobras we remember in a tangible way the men and women who live and those died for their country.

To have a Viet Nam Vet come up and thank you for preserving and flying an F-4 Phantom is extremely rewarding. That Phantom may represent an aircraft that allows him to stand and talk to you rather than be a name on the Wall. I've seen grown men reach out and stroke the F-4 with tears running down their cheeks, really no different than the many WWII Vets have done with the B-17 or B-24.

With all due respect, to not display the Cold War Weapons is to rewrite history. It happened, we can't go back and change it, and if we ignore it it won't go away. There is stiil much pain in this country that is borne by the forgotten Vets of that time. By flying the aircraft of their war we show them that we remember and we understand their sacrifice.

[TimAPNY]

I finished up pictures frmo Saturday.













More, a lot more here:
http://community.webshots.com/album/553016446HYOvQz

Tim

[Warren_C]

To the YAM staff and volunteers, aircrews, and my WIX friends, thanks for making Thunder a fun and safe event. Special thanks to Eric for the loan of a camera battery so I could continue shooting.

Cheers, Warren

[AIRIC]

Hey Warren, you are welcome. I’m glad I could help. I should have tried the “Bigma” on a few test shots when I had a chance. I may be trading my lens in soon.

Cheers! And I hope we meet again soon.

Eric

[Bill Greenwood]

Rick, thanks for your kind, measured, and sincere comments on the Vietnam planes. It is probably as valid as anything I said. The last thing I want to do was denigrate anyone who made these sacfices. When I first started flying the Spitfire to shows my ski buddy Warner Giles, went with me and he was a former F4 REO and also navigator. He could find a dot on the map airborne, but on the ground he'd get lost leaving the parking lot. That war was so bad that even the victor is covered in shame. Any objective view would credit the VC and NVA with incredible determination and bravery, but the treatment of American POWS is beyound excuse. There should have been prosecution of war criminals and payments made to many like John McCain. Bill

[Warren_C]

Another pic, only 1000 more to post-process, the down side to digital photography

Eric, you should have tried my Sigma, I find it does not hunt as much as the Nikon 80-400. However, it is heavy and you will have a sore neck and back at the end of the day. It was my first time out with this set-up, and overall I am pleased. I found the wieght of this lens to be demanding when panning and not trying to introduce motion blur, especially at low shutter speeds for capturing prop blur. If your heading out to the Reno Air Races your welcome to use it, my Crew Chief duties will be keepin me plenty busy.

Any fellow WIX'ers attending the Air Races, stop by and say Hello. I'll be in the T-6 pits crewing Race #444, a yellow Harvard MkIV, in Navy Oakland colors. Maybe will get lucky and win the Bronze this year!

Warren

[Tim Adams]

Some pics,

[AIRIC]

Tim,

Nice images, well done.

Eric

[Roger Cain]

Any fellow WIX'ers attending the Air Races, stop by and say Hello. I'll be in the T-6 pits crewing Race #444, a yellow Harvard MkIV, in Navy Oakland colors. Maybe will get lucky and win the Bronze this year!

Warren

for a picture of that plane, see: http://www.sfahistory.org/merT6N7522U.jpg

[Ontario-Warbird]

Mr. Greenwood their is some video of your Spitfire from the early 70's on both of my sites

1. http://s19.photobucket.com/albums/b165/ ... dsor74.flv

This just a mass take-off at the Don Plumb Air War 1974 which was at Windsor Airport.

2. http://www.jerrybilling.com/jerry_billing_video.htm This is video of Don, Jerry and Peter Arnold beating up a strip with some air to air video.

All this video was sent to me by Peter Arnold in his travells to Canada in the early 70's

Also their is some good pictures of your Spit. here http://www.jerrybilling.com/jerry_billi ... _te308.htm

Also a little video here of your flight at Thunder

http://s19.photobucket.com/albums/b165/ ... art3-1.flv

Look forward to seeing your Spit in the future.

Cheers Dave C