F9F panther at Madera CA.

[woofaero]

Back around 1992-1994 time frame I went to Madera airport every fall for the model airplane races & I recall seeing on the ramp north of the terminal building a blue Panther parked in that area.

Does anyone recall ever seeing it at one of the warbird flyins or know what happened to it?

Thanks
Mike

[Chad Veich]

I saw a Panther (Jack Levine/Arthur Wolk machine?) fly at Madera in 1986, the first and only time I've seen one fly.

[rwdfresno]

I don't remember a Panther at the airport in Madera, although I could be wrong. The only ones that I can personally recall in Central CA is the F9F that was down in Shafter, CA at the Minter Field Museum. I think that one was the -5P that ended up on the USS Hornet at NAS Alameda. There was also one in Dos Palos, CA at Eagle Field. My father owned it and sold it to Kermit Weeks several years ago. We had World Championship RC Air Races out there for a few years so possibly that is the one you are thinking of. There was a T-33 sitting at Madera for a long time but not sure if it is still there since I haven't been out there since the last "Gathering of Warbirds" which has been a long time.

Last edited by rwdfresno on Wed Jan 10, 2007 10:58 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[lvkeith83]

The Panther that attended Madera in 1986 was an F9F-2 N9525A When owned by a gentlman named Mark Foster of Colorado, Which was later sold to the late Harry Doan, Which is now owned by Cavanaugh Flight Museum

[Roger Cain]

The Panther that attended Madera in 1986 was an F9F-2 N9525A When owned by a gentlman named Mark Foster of Colorado, Which was later sold to the late Harry Doan, Which is now owned by Cavanaugh Flight Museum

Same as Keith said, and here is a picture of it there, August 1986. I also took one of it flying, but it's a much sadder shot than this one.

[JohnH]

Great memories. That was my first Madera and I remember that airplane well. Also there was the USA markings T-28 ( a pseudo AF One paint job) that was flown by Julie Clark, the machine CAF pilot Jack Gaulding was killed in the following year with his co-pilot. The PBY that's at Gary's house was there also. Lefty flew his P-38, Pappy Boyington, F4U Mad Max, etc...

JH

[PeterA]

As a schoolboy in the UK in the 1950's I was captivated by the 'Bridges of Toko-Ri' film and the Panther displaced the Gloster Javelin as my favourite at that time.

I had seen the odd Panther in my travels but what a delight to be at Madera in 1986 and to see one actually fly.

Wrong camera, wrong single lens. Too close or too far away...but here in overload are my shots of that day.

PeterA

ps I was surprised to see a Panther on display in Argentina in later years.

John - thanks for sharing those pictures from 1986. You were very fortunate that day. The rest of us can hope that maybe someday someone else will put an F9F Panther back in the air and give us a chance to see that great sight.


Jim C.

[DSmith]

Always liked the looks of the F9F....

[PeterA]

As shots of mobile Panthers are perhaps rarer than I had imagined, I have scanned the microscopic dot on the negatives, that is the aircraft, at 3200dpi and applied a bit of digital manipulation.

PeterA

[woofaero]

I am sure about Madera as the location. I had forgot about the T-33, the
F9F was parked to the south or next to it looking exactly as the one onboard the USS Hornet.

I wonder if by any chance it's one of the projects that Aerocrafters has for sale in Santa Rosa?
Maby it might have been a Cougar I saw & not a Panther?

Thanks
Mike

[Roger Cain]

In 1996 at Aerocrafters in Santa Rosa I photographed a project F9F-4 Panther, BuN. 125177. Another Panther I had the pleasure of seeing fly that is now a wreck project and been mentioned before on this board was at Kalamazoo, complete with rockets (NX72WP)

In Houston 1991, I photographed an F9F-8T Cougar that went missing a few days later over the Gulf Of Mexico, neither it or the pilot were ever found.

[Bill Kistler]

Speaking of the Bridges of Toko-Ri, there is this prop from the movie at the Frontiers of Flight museum in Dallas.



Bill

[woofaero]

Within the past year there was talk of the Cougar that went missing back in 1991.
I also recall seeing photos someone posted of a fairly good condition Two seat Cougar on a ranch down in Texas or some other state in the Southern US.

Mike

[Robbie Stuart]

Within the past year there was talk of the Cougar that went missing back in 1991.
I also recall seeing photos someone posted of a fairly good condition Two seat Cougar on a ranch down in Texas or some other state in the Southern US.

Mike

NTSB Identification: FTW92FAMS1 .
The docket is stored on NTSB microfiche number 45424.
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Thursday, October 31, 1991 in MISSING
Probable Cause Approval Date: 4/13/1992
Aircraft: Grumman F9F-8T, registration: N24WJ
Injuries: 2 Fatal.
THE 1960 MANUFACTURED MILITARY TRAINER WAS CLIMBING THROUGH 25,300 FEET TO ITS CRUISING ALTITUDE OF 29,000 FEET WHEN RADAR CONTACT WAS LOST. A FOUR DAY AIR AND WATER SEARCH FAILED TO LOCATE THE AIRPLANE OR OCCUPANTS. THE PILOT HAD BEEN ISSUED A LETTER OF AUTHORIZATION TO FLY THE AIRPLANE IN VFR CONDITIONS ONLY. THE AIRPLANE WAS EQUIPPED FOR IMC FLIGHT, BUT IT DID NOT HAVE WEATHER RADAR INSTALLED. CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY (VIP LEVEL ONE THUNDERSTORMS) EXISTED IN THE VICINITY OF THE LAST KNOWN POSITION AND OVERCAST SKIES PREVAILED.

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:

UNDETERMINED.

Very strange.
Robbie