Warbird Information Exchange

I will chime in here against my better judgement.

When I owned the B-25 it wore these markings for less than a year during the spring and summer of 2005. I bought the airplane in winter of 04/05. The paint scheme that was on it for all the years prior to my purchase was completely inaccurate. We put the large decals on it to raise awareness of the new magazine and also to help drive subscriptions. This was never anticipated to be a permanent fixture of the airplane. This directly led to us flying the airplane to Arizona after the 2005 airshow season where it was completely stripped and an accurate paint scheme was placed on it for the 2006 season. That cost over 30k. After the 2006 season the airplane had served its purpose, we had a lot of fun with it, and I decided the expense was no longer worth it the return.

Oh, and yes, we did hear the b!itching, but only from a select few. I explained to those that did the realities of the cost of owning and operating these aircraft, let alone repainting or stripping something the size of a B-25. The purchase price of this type of airplane is only a fraction of the resulting operating costs if you plan to fly it.. and fly it we did...over 200 hours in two years.

I love to see warbirds painted in accurate paint schemes, but given the choice of seeing it sit dormant in the hangar (like this B-25 did for years before I bought it) or our flying, I know which one I will choose....

My two cents!

My recollection is that yes, they did.

August

Here are a couple of B-25's that I have photographed down here in Florida. Wish I had the numbers for the planes but never wrote them down.

This was the B-25 at the SST Museum around 1977.

This was at Pompano air show in the mid 1980's

This one was at Ft.Lauderdale airport late 1970's

This one was at Tamiami 1970's

This was at Lakeland'


Mark F.

I guess the big difference with the CAF is that a good percentage of those complaining are the membership of the organization. These individuals have a stake in the aircraft that they help support. Additionally the American Airpower Heritage Flying Museum is a 501(c)(3) under the context of being an "educational" organization. Tax payers are helping to support this organization.

When Tim owns his own airplane and is paying his own bills he should feel free to paint it however he wants as he doesn't have a responsabilty as a private individual to "educate" or be beholden to and sort of body of members who help pay hisbills. Sure, anoracs can complain all day but in the end what leg do they have to stand on.

Ryan

Thats who these babies are

_________________
Kind Regards,
Gary Lewis
J.A.F.O.

Wasn't Ray Cunningham involved with this Mitchell back then?

_________________
Kind Regards,
Gary Lewis
J.A.F.O.

Thanks Gary for the info I have a couple more I can post later.


Mark F.

Sure was. He brought it back from being a spray aircraft. Sold it to Thomas; but, sponsored the B-25 at Lawton. It was a blast to be on that crew! It's a shame that it is ground bound now.

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Cheers!

Lance Jones

That shot of our PBJ on the ramp at Ft. Lauderdale makes me sick. It sat for years out in the weather and corroded. It has taken us years to get rid of all of it. Thanks for the pictures!

Dan

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CAF SoCal Wing http://www.cafsocal.com/

Ah yes, Carol Jean! When I was a kid in Athens, GA around 1980 it flew into the Athens airport one night, along with another B-25 that was all polished aluminum. We lived on the approach to the airport, and I will never forget the sight of the two coming in low over our house (it was a low ceiling and drizzling rain).

So the next day, my father offered to give me a ride to school. Unbeknownst to my mother, he "detoured" by the airport, and one of the pilots let me spend an hour climbing through both planes. I still have a ton of pictures, and kept the shot of the "Carol Jean" nose art on my wall until I went to college.

Fortunately, when I finally made it to school that day, my father gave me a note stating I had a doctor's appt that morning...

I have always wondered what happened to it and was surprised to see just now that it is now property of the NASM. I have no idea of the ID of the other B-25.

I’m not sure that saying taxpayers help support the CAF is correct.

Dan

_________________
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CAF SoCal Wing http://www.cafsocal.com/

DB2

These are the two you might have seen in Athens.


Mark F.

Odds are that is the other B-25! Thanks for posting those shots...brings back the memories. Perhaps the next time I'm back home I'll dig those photos up and scan them.

A 501(c)(3) is exempt from taxes on income received when performing exempt business. Since the CAF doesn't have to pay federal or state income taxes when they are performing business relating to their exemption, they are able to keep the money they would normally pay in taxes to run the organization. Tax payers absorb the addional tax burden by order of the several billions in taxes these organizations don't pay. I have no issue with this and I am glad that the tax exemption is possible and even chair a 501(c)(3) organization that I founded, but the fact remains that the taxpayes do absorb this cost, no matter how immaterial the money is in the grand scheme of the national and state budget.

Ryan

A few shots I took on the set of 'Hanover Street'.

Bovingdon, UK and from memory 1978.

PeterA