Warbird Information Exchange

There have been many "themed" air shows, but I don't recall one being aimed at highlighting vintage airliners. What if? I can think of many worthy candidates that have done their time carrying passengers:

Early mail planes (where it all began!)
Boeing model 40
deHavilland Dragon, Rapide, etc
DC-2, DC-3
Beech 18
Lockheed 10 & 12 Electras
Lodestar
Boeing 247
Curtiss C-46
Big Dougs (DC-4/6/7)
Connie (my personal fave!)
Twin Convair
Martin 4-0-4
L-188 Electra
dH Beaver, Otter, Twin Otter
Grumman amphibians (Goose, Widgeon, Mallard, et al)
PBY Catalina/Canso
Islander and Trislander
(and many more!)

How about a few early jets, too:

DC-8
"Shorty" DC-9
Boeing 707 (John Travolta owns one!)

Lots of possibilities!

Cheers,
Dean the dreamer

Only problem is there's no 880's or 900's in flyable condition and to get one there would be too expensive. At least with the others there are airworthy examples around.

That would be a very cool airshow. But don't forget these:

Ju52
Ford Trimotor
Stinson Trimotor

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Matt

Perhaps the Hamilton metalplane...
and there was a SE Vultee airliner airworthy awhile ago. I don't know its current status.
And the Vega under rebuild in AZ...

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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.

It's an attractive idea but I doubt it will ever happen.

Airliners are just not a draw for the general public or for most enthusiasts. The recent DC-3 gathering at Rock Falls was the largest such event of its kind since Expo '86 at Abbotsford BC. The crowds at both were very sparse, not that I'm complaining about THAT !

If it doesn't have stars-and-bars on it, folks don't want to see it.

In a good year you get a fair proportion of the list (excluding the dream-only types) at Oshkosh. A regular Oshkosh goer will have seen almost all of those types over the years as well as others not mentioned, like the Fairchilds and Fokkers.

Besides lacking in mass appeal, these obviously are some of the most expensive vintage types to get to a show. We're talking heavy bomber money for L-bird popularity, not an economic proposition that is going to get a lot of takers. So Osh where folks are doing it on their own dime and the crowd is more appreciative is probably the best chance of seeing this type of thing.

The Vultee V-1, BTW, is now retired to a quite nice museum in Virginia.

August

Actually such an event was held in 2008 in connection with the "90th Anniversary of Airmail Service in the US". That was the "theme" of the 2008 AAA/APM Invitational Fly-in at Antique Airfield near Blakesburg, IA
More about that highly successful event here; http://www.antiqueairfield.com/flyins/a ... -days.html
Also check out these YouTube videos of the event at; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cly-fcFeGac and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CxI0EuemdAc

That was a nice event, but I don't think it comes close to the kind of vintage airliner gathering we would be talking about here. You need DC-3's, the C-54/DC-4, DC-6's, DC-7B (restored "EAL" one from Florida), Convair Liners/C-131's, Super Connie, L-1649A Starliner (Lufthansa restoration), C-97/Faux B-377 (i.e. Clay Lacy), 707, DC-8 variants and others maybe I have forgotten to make the kind of airliner gathering I would want to go to.

I agree that realistically EAA AirVenture/Oshkosh is probably about the closest you will get to be able to see a reasonable number of these grand old vintage propliners. My first Oshkosh show was this year and Clay Lacy's DC-2, the large DC-3 gathering, the Historical Flight Foundation's DC-7B and the Berlin Airlift Historical Foundation's C-54/R5D being there are good examples. I know that in years past the Airline History Museum's Super Connie has been there and one year it actually flew in formation with the MATS Connie (C-121A/L-749A Constellation) which sadly is now a non-flyer in South Korea. The AHM "TWA" Super Connie is slowly being restored to flying status again and hopefully we will see it at Oshkosh within the next couple of years or so.

I would suspect that Clay Lacy is planning on bringing his C-97 (planned restoration as an airline B-377 Stratocruiser with "faux" windows) to Oshkosh when ready, and I am also hopeful that perhaps Lufthansa's L-1649A Starliner undergoing restoration in Maine may make an Oshkosh visit before flying to Germany.

That sounds great!

Chris,
It doesn't have to be a fantasy. Do you think all airshows and/or fly-ins start out big? Do you think Oshskosh, Sun n' Fun, Arlington, Reno, Blakesburg, Lee Bottom, Recklaw etc. etc. had the aircraft, people and notoriety they now have in their first year, or two or ten ??
Aviation can always use new events. Especially ones that showcase specific segments and that makes your idea unique and worthwhile to pursue.
If you would like to see an airshow showcasing vintage airliners find a way to start just such an event. You might be surprised what it can grow into with the right idea, hard work and a lot of help from like minded individuals.

Brent Taylor

Blakesburg? Lee Bottom? Recklaw? Brent, What air shows are those? I have heard of the others.