Warbird Information Exchange

It never ceases to amaze me how thoughtless people are at an airshow, especially around objects they know absolutely nothing about (most of them). Imagine the hissy fit they would throw if you went into the parking lot and sat on the hood of their Mercedes, yet they have no problem standing their child on your horizontal stabilizer for a photo.

Without ropes I think I would be inclined to stand there with a rifle. A plane guard isn't fast enough with people coming from all directions, and even security needs to use the restroom at times.

Oshkosh seems to be the best because most of the folks on the flight line are pilots or at a minimum knowledgeable about aircraft.

I ride a full size, Goldwing motorcycle, and have people occasionally climb on to my bike without permission to pose for a picture, just sit on it, or sometimes to put their kids on it. My side covers are easily scratched and I these people don't think about it before hand. The bike could be knocked off balance, and injure somebody also, let alone the damage it might cause my bike.

Bill is very correct in the statement about people wanting to be close to the aircraft. A roped off plane leaves people with a very different feeling about their experience at an air show. Having just attended the Wings Over Wine Country Air Show last weekend at Santa Rosa Airport, the Pacific Coast Air Museum had a dozen of their static military jets with open cockpits. The museum docents assisted people to sit in them, and these people left with a memory that will last longer than any of the aircraft they saw fly that day, or in the future.

As it is nice to see flying aircraft without stantions, ropes, or cards attached to the propellors. A suggestion would be to put some signs on gates, fences, stands and even out houses stating, "These are privately owned aircraft, do not touch or climb on them without the owners permission."

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Roger Cain
www.sfahistory.org
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Stearman/


We must limit politicians to two terms:
one in office and one in jail.

I've seen it both ways. One year at Andrews, a kid ran full tilt at a Harvard IV one of our members had flown in. I was "babysitting" the plane at the time, and the urchin jumped for the tip. He broke the tip light off.

I've also seen the other side, as Roger describes. At certain airshows, assuming we have enough people, we'll open the cockpit of our BT for kids to sit in and take pics, in exchange for a donation. 90% of those kids leave with an ear to ear grin like you can't believe!!

And, too, as Mr Greenwood notes, a veteran who actually flew these planes is a treat as well. I'll never forget one year at MAAM's WW2 weekend, an old gent came up and was admiring the BT-13. I greeted him, and he mentioned he'd flown the BT's in training. I invited him to sit in the cockpit again, and he was spry enough to take me up on it. Later got an email from the son, who took at least 50 pics of dad in and on the BT, saying that being back in the cockpit of a BT-13, 50 years on, had had a profound positive effect on his dad.

Never forget, we do this to honour the veterans who served, as well as to teach the kids about the sacrifices of the "greatest generation". It's damned hard to do that "roped off". Plus, folks can see "roped off" in any museum around.

Course, it only works if you have enough folks to watch and babysit the planes.

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Regards,

Jase
www.b26marauder.com
"I'm having a BLAST!!" 2007 CAF Wing Staff Conference

RIP Gary Austin..always in our hearts

cool, what's your backgroud???

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Don't touch my junk!!

Aircraft enthusiast and pilot. ratings: ASEL MEL SES SEI MEI COMM. CE500 550 S550 560.

I enjoy the Confederate Air Force... er, I mean, COMMEMORATIVE Would also like to become involved in a restoration project of some sort...

you have to get used to it. I once screwed up while posting and just left some ????????? and the thread went on for 3 pages with all kinds of goofey stuff.

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Don't touch my junk!!

As long as we can laugh at ourselves and do not take ourselves too serious...

Here's to a wonderful weekend....of flying!

The plane protector. Now thats' a term I have not heard before, but is a job that is extremeley important. Most multi crew airplanes have someone around them at all times but the fighters are seldom manned. I don't think it would be to hard to get the plane protectors. Would be one of the coolest volunteer jobs at a show that I can think of. (Not temperture wise)
PlanesmanIM3 what part of the world are you in?

I travel between Europe and North America (and Mexico) for business.

If possible, I would really enjoy an opportunity to become involved in some sort of warbird project or recovery, if anyone has a lead. Maybe something unusual(?)

Good point, Roger. To me, next to safety, we owe vets, whether pilots, crew or otherwise, the most consideration. They are sometimes reticent. I don't want to put barriers between them and the planes too often. With Aluminum Overcast in Denver many crew came out, especially gunners and were appreciated. You can usually spot these guys, older in body, but not spirit,and the EAA guys got them past the long lines to the plane. People waited 2 hours or more in warm weather to tour the plane,the rides were sold out and this went on for 4 or 5 days. The restoration is impressive, and great for public relations. I just attended the Morgan Adams event that riaises $$ for specialized childrens cancer research, and purchased a ride in DC-3 City of Detroit.

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Bill Greenwood
Spitfire N308WK

I agree with Bill; I am friends with an American chap, who is most unassuming and humble when it comes to his flying record (DFC and multiple flying crosses). It is only in our best interest to treat any veteran with respect that they not only deserve, but earned, and all on our behalf so that we would have the freedom to post our thoughts on places such as on this website.

I doff my chapeau to them all...

I once had a kid shimmy up a wing strut of my Fairchild 24 while his dad stood there and watched. I told the kid to get the f@#&
off my strut and then asked his dad where his car was parked so I could go climb up the hood.

There are very few airshows/fly-ins I go to now. It's not worth the aggravation.

don
www.fairchild24.com

Wayne,
How about the shows at Kelly AFB, 5000 strong or better wanting to tear up what ever you brought

Lynn

One other thing he noticed was that the Spitfire had to taxi too far and should have been placed closer to the exit to prevent over heating ( something Mr. Greenwood probably could comment on being a owner of one, P51, Hurricane etc can taxi around all day as a Spit needs to get out and up ASAP )

Dave, if you taxi any of them with no wind over the radiator, they will pop the cork and become a steamer asap...

Lynn