Warbird Information Exchange

Well, if the two buyers and two sellers had gotten together earlier it could've saved a lot of flying, but good for me. Four months after my trip in a Jungmann from Southern California to South Carolina I got a call to ferry an almost identical airplane from North Carolina to Southern California. I started out on July 10 and finished the trip on July 14, what a fantastic way to see America. 2,323 miles in 24.3 flying hours, 96 mph, 21 legs.


Currahee, the famous hill near Toccoa, Georgia, where the airborne troops (Band of Brothers) trained during WW2



Crossing the Mississippi River at Greenville, Mississippi



The first day I really went hard, went about 820 miles, and ended up at the Mid America Flight Museum in Mt. Pleasant, Texas




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The second day was blazing hot, 105 degrees F all afternoon, as I made my way across East Texas, Oklahoma, and the Texas panhandle. Day 1 I covered six states, day two it seemed like a long day, but I started in Texas and was still in Texas when the sun went down...


Pampa, Texas, end of Day 2


Pampa, Texas, looking at some of the thunderstorms I dodged on the way in, end of day 2




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On Day 3 I picked up old Route 66 and followed it west.


Santa Rosa airport. Runway 8-26 is built on the roadbed of old Route 66, and if you look closely you can see the remains of the old Mother Road leading up to the approach end of 26. On the other end you can see where the road went off down the hill into town.



Two photos buzzing airways arrow #67 near Correo, New Mexico




For more info on the airmail arrows:
https://www.dreamsmithphotos.com/arrow/arrows.html



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Still very hot, over 100, on Day 3


Old Route 66 comes in from the far right between the wings in this shot, also showing the more modern I-40, and the train tracks, near Seama, New Mexico



Airways arrow #64 near Seama, New Mexico



Grants, New Mexico has a neat little museum, closed at the moment, with a newly poured replica concrete arrow, but with an original tower, beacon, and generator shed on it.




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I had hoped to get to Winslow, Arizona on Day 3, but there were storms on the route in the afternoon, so I ended up stopping at Gallup, New Mexico.


On Day 4 the first stop was Winslow, and I took the obligatory photo in front of the historic 1929 Transcontinental Air Transport hangar




Then it was off to fly over the famous meteor crater, which I took a good look at....






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I got to Kingman, Arizona about noon on Day 4, it was 103 degrees F, wind blowing 20 gusting 26 knots, and it was time to stop. Lots of airliners parked at Kingman



The airport car was an old, red pickup truck, and since I'd been flying along old Route 66 for so long, and it was an early day, I took the truck and drove out of town to the south on Route 66 for a few miles.




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The range on the Jungmann is pretty limited, about 2 1/2 hours of fuel, so 1 1/2 hours was as long as I wanted to fly. The longest leg I flew was 157 miles, and Barstow was about 180 from Kingman, so too far. This meant that I had to stop at Needles, only about 50 miles from Kingman. Two days earlier Needles had been the hottest place in America, with a high of 120 F. That day it was only supposed to reach 115. I got up at 4:30, got airborne at sunrise, 5:30, and landed at Needles at 6:00, when it was only 90 F.


Take off from Kingman at 0530 on Day 5



Needles, California, 0600



I was told that this giant row of hangars at Barstow, California was built just before World War 2, and that originally there were three more rows just like this. It must have been quite a place to be in 1941.






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Then it was down the home stretch to Whiteman Airport near Los Angeles. The last time I flew through this area was the first week in March, the mountains to the south around Big Bear were snow covered, and I flew through a few snow flurries. I always jokingly complain about how often people call me to move a biplane between November and February, but this trip almost made up for that, very hot most of the time. It was nice to get over the hill, into the LA area where it was much cooler.

Over the Mojave Desert, looking south at the mountains around Big Bear. Los Angeles is on the other side.



Same spot, looking north. The light spot is Rogers Dry Lake and Edwards Air Force Base



All it all it worked out to be a good trip, a lot of hard work, but also some amazing sights. And the new owner seems to be very happy with his acquisition.



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Good for you indeed B.E.
I can't think of a better way to physical distance from others.
Great shots. Thanks for sharing your trip with us!

Andy

Some video:
https://youtu.be/zUmymZfGG90




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Fantastic trip, thank you for sharing.

August

What a way to see the country. Thank you for sharing - some spectacular views and places!

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Zac in NZ
#avgeek, modelbuilder, photographer, writer. Callsign: "HANDBAG".
https://linktr.ee/zacyates

"It's his plane, he spent the money to restore it, he can do with it what he wants. I will never understand what's hard to comprehend about this." - kalamazookid, 20/08/2013
"The more time you spend around warbirds the sooner you learn nothing, is simple." - JohnB, 24/02/22

Great photos, looks like a great trip.

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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.
Note political free signature.
I figure if you wanted my opinion on items unrelated to this forum, you'd ask for it.

Wonderful!