G'day

[Cloud Basher]

Hi guys (and girls?)
New to the forums, I have been lurking for 18 months or so, but thought I would register and see if I can start adding to the community here.

I am in my mid 30's and hold an Aussie CPL with Aero's, ME, Form etc endorsements as well as a US PPL.

I have flown a couple of "warbirds", the AT-6, Stearman & Tigermoth as well as being lucky enough to get a flight in a couple of "current" or just retired "warbirds" such as the Macchi 326, BAe Hawk and F/A-18 Hornet. (Maybe some Hornet drivers wouldn't like me calling their jets Warbirds just yet!) I fly a Pitts S2-B for fun as often as I can afford (or if the school needs a spare pilot to take some unsuspecting passenger up for a jolly!) My goal is to rebuild a warbird of some kind (probably an AT-6 or Stearman). I take every chance I can get to go flying in these old aircraft as there is just something about being around them and flying them... I am sure most people here know what I am talking about.

I am lucky to have a wife that puts up with my "addiction". My two girls also love coming out to the airfield with dad and always ask "dad can we go for a fly?" And I just hate dissapointing them! My youngest is really starting to like older aircraft to, so I might have a warbird co-pilot there in 12 or so years time!

I did get to spend a couple of months at the RAAF museum helping out a number of years ago and got to start the Canberra with DG. I even got presented the starter carts out of the Canberra and have them sitting on my shelf at home. During the same period I go to do the Australia Day Flypast in a five ship Winjeel formation in Winjeel 34 flown by JC as no. 2.

I have been able to get some time in a couple of warbirds recently just because I have some Pitts time and AT-6 time. I guess I have been slowly trying to build my experience as I can afford it so that if opportunities such as these present themselves I am able to take advantage of them and experience flying something I wouldn't have otherwsie been able to. But with a Mortgage and a young family to raise, experience is very very slow at coming!

However I count myself lucky to have these and a number of other experiences and once I get my Warbird/s (hope is eternal on the plural there!) I hope to be able to reciprocate and draw others into the community to experience the joy and pleasure I get from being in and around these aircraft.

I do have a once removed family member who has a whole Hangar full of warbirds, none of which are yet flying. The problem is he lives a couple of states away and so I only go down there once in a blue moon. But I hope to check up on where he is at with a number of different rebuild on my return from the US in a couple of weeks time.

I guess I pretty much only post on forums when I feel I have something positive or educational to add, so I guess I won't be a prolific poster. Anyway I'll now go back to lurking, reading and learning.

Cheers
CB