Stephan Wilkinson wrote:
For an article I'm writing on the Neptune...
The Australian group HARS either had or has a flying Neptune. Does anybody know it it is currently flying? (I have of course asked HARS directly but have yet to receive a reply.) By "flying," I don't mean "generally capable of flight, probably" but that the aircraft is licensed, annualed and at least occasionally active.
The only other recently active Neptune is the one operated by the U. S. Mid-Atlantic Air Museum. It is currently NOT flying, since no air shows can afford to pay for the fuel it burns.
youtube video shows it flying last year at airshows.
MAAM's hasn't flown since the early 90s and its been sitting ever since. It would need a full restoration before flown again.
Ericksons collection has one that flew last year.
Plus the ones being used to fight fires. They were retired but last I knew some were pulled from retirement a few days later to help on California fires?
On a side note: I do hope some Neptunes go on the airshow circuit someday. Lots of variants and paint schemes out there. Flown by the Navy since the end of ww2 to the 1980s.
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