Warbird Information Exchange

for a number of years now on my commute to & from work on a rural state route their is a chap who owns a former 1973 built detroit police dept bell 47 chopper. some times i't's wheeled out, sometimes not. i've wanted to just stop by for years & say hello & talk aviation. i did it yesterday. what a gentleman he was!! we talked for 45 minutes. his bell 47 is near cherry thus well maintained by the detroit pd. he still took it apart, & re - did everything to a 1st class restoration. he has quite the credentials!! usaf pilot who flew f- 100's, transitioned to choppers in vietnam flying gunship missions & arty spotting for the army, slicks etc. he knew of wixer oscar duece's dad who recently passed. he flew the whirly bird to breakfast last week in wakeman...... a 5 mile run by car!! & landed in a cornfield at the most popular breakfast hog trough in wakeman. he has "the balls that save your life" on the phone wires ajacent to his house & heli - pad. my buddy a guy with as much stick time says he is one hell of a chopper pilot to wangle that thing into the little valley onto that pad!!

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tom d. friedman - hey!!! those fokkers were messerschmitts!! * without ammunition, the usaf would be just another flying club!!! * better to have piece of mind than piece of tail!!

Sounds like fun.
BTW: for you Bell 47 fans, the Bell 47 Assoc. is having its first "Bell 47 Expo" at Carbondale on June 19th.

Here's the details...
http://www.bell47helicopterassociation.org/

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Remember the vets, the wonderful planes they flew and their sacrifices for a future many of them did not live to see.

That's very cool to hear about something different from a Mustang or a Texan. The helicopter side of the Warbird scene is much small I would think. Speaking of seeing, any photos?
Slightly off topic, anyone know where I can find a 47 windscreen? We have a 47 at the Connecticut Air and Space Center missing her windscreen.

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Andrew King
Air Museum Director with no Museum to Direct
Open to Suggestions

There are several Bell 47 parts dealers out there. I've never seen an ad just for the bubble, but someone does make them, though I hear they're not cheap.

You might try http://www.scottshelicopter.com asthey now have the 47 ATC so they shouold know where to find one, also try the Bell 47 association at the link in my earlier post...they should also know.
But with their big Bell 47 "expo" this weekend, it might take a while for Joey Rhodes to get to you.

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Remember the vets, the wonderful planes they flew and their sacrifices for a future many of them did not live to see.