Pilot Legends, Warbirds, More - Central FL - Feb. 16, 2008

[Merlin_FAC]

Just a heads-up for the Valkaria Air Fest at the Valkaria Airport (X59) on the Space Coast... we're hosting quite a few aviation legends, from fighter legend Boots Blesse to 10 Tuskegee Airmen to 6 WAFs, WACs and WAVES, SR-71 driver Bob Bolin, Air America pilot Marius Burke (last civilian pilot out of Saigon in 1975), B-29 commander and former US representative Bruce Alger, and many, many more. Also, we'll have Jeff Michael's P-51, Gene McNeely and his T-6, and John Black and his Super Decathlon performing in TWO airshows... one mid-day, one at twilight. The (in)famous Spruce Creek Gaggle Flight's coming, lots of fly-ins, we don't know who will show but it'll be interesting for sure. Last year we decided to hold a little aviation day, we expected 250 people... and got 5,000. This year... ????? (We're a lot more prepared this time around!)

Lots of kids stuff, every kind of aviation imaginable from Ultralights to Warbirds, Rides (3-seat PT-17, Warbird Adventures T-6, and a helicopter), food, and it's only $2 to get in! Lots of fun, if you're in Central Florida fly, drive, or crawl in with the whole family. We'll even have a balloon glow and a star party after dark, it's a whole day of fun and then some.

There's way too much info to list here (esp. at 3AM) but here's the website:

http://www.ValkariaAirFest.org/

Hope you Florida folks (heck, southern GA too if you have something that's any faster than a Pietenpol) can make it!

-Mike

[Chuck Gardner]

I will be there all day flying the 6. The weather should be great too.
Stop by and say hi.

[LadyO2Pilot]

Hope you Florida folks (heck, southern GA too if you have something that's any faster than a Pietenpol) can make it!

-Mike

Hope your event is quite successful; sounds like fun. Wish I were closer; I'd come and play. Will you make it to FTW in May, Mike????

[Merlin_FAC]

Hi Chuck, will definitely say hi at some point... saw you flying at Vero but you were pretty busy so didn't get the chance

Hi Karen, not sure if I'll make it, but I sure hope to. Gotta find a new job first!

[K5DH]

fighter legend Boots Blesse

I'd love to meet him in person. I have an autographed hardback first edition copy of his autobiography, "Check Six: A Fighter Pilot Looks Back"

Dean the bookworm

[GIJOE290]

AAARRRGGGGHHHH! I've got to work and can't go.

[sagebrush]

Look for this also.

[wls3]

Think I might have to check it out.
Can't think of a better way to spend $2 tomorrow.

[Chuck Gardner]

Great to see you again, Bill. Lots of interesting planes and old trainers there today. I didnt get around to taking pictures so maybe wls3 will put some up. Jeff Michael and Gene McNeely put on a great airshow in the P-51 and T-6. I really enjoy small airshows where you can be close to the flying.

[wls3]

Thinking of my WIX friends up north today while at
Valkaria Air Fest.
Chuck hope your lunch was better than mine
Here are a few pics, maybe more later.

Chuck in WA's SNJ.

[Merlin_FAC]

Just a quick note of thanks for the great photos and a big thank you to the WIXers who attended, including Chuck and the Warbird Adventures crew as well as Tom (Sagebrush) who brought his PT-23. Hope I didn't miss anyone in this forum who also came, which is quite possible. We volunteers/planners were really busy so unfortunately I couldn't just soak up the show and make sure I met everyone I wanted to, though I did meet Chuck towards the end of the day. All in all I think it was a really good day, most folks seemed to be enjoying it and for a 2nd effort, we are pretty happy... no incidents or accidents (OK, I do know of one really bad papercut and my wife literally got ants in her pants, somehow... I oughta get some mileage outta that one!)

For those of you who attended, whether as a participant or visitor, we would greatly appreciate knowing your thoughts on it, good bad or other. If you prefer, you can send them privately to us here:

http://www.valkariaairfest.org/contact_us.cfm

We won't be offended by criticisms, the only way we can learn is if folks tell us how they feel. Like I said, we're still kind of new at this and our ideas of what worked well and what didn't may not be the same as what the rest of the folks there thought. Personally, I think we really had a great variety of aircraft... not a lot of shows have such a mix of planes, helicopters, ultralights, etc. all together. I can't think of a single type that wasn't represented, except perhaps hang gliders but they tried to come and had something crop up. No bombers either, come to think of it... but hey, having at least one Merlin covers a multitude of other sins

Thanks again.

Oh, here's a little tidbit I'm sure a lot of you will appreciate...


(Airport staff phone rings during the T-6 performance)

Hello, Valkaria Airport.

Hey! [It's one of the local chronic noise whiners, who calls all the time whenever the head of the local anti-airport crazies tells her to.] The darn airplanes are too loud and the smoke is horrible and they're buzzing my house! I'm reporting you to the FAA, this is illegal and unsafe, and we're gonna have the FAA come and shut you down!

I'm sorry ma'am, but right now I have no control of the flying during the airshow, the FAA is in control of it all right now.

WHAT? Give me the FAA guy, is it (name omitted)?

Yes ma'am, but you'll have to go find him, he's out on the ramp right now and we're busy with other things right now. I'm sorry.

What the hell is he doing? Go get him right now! I want to tell him about this horrible airshow and all this unsafe flying! He'll be *real* interested to know what you are doing over there, I'm turning you in and you need to stop those darn planes right now, they're scaring my cows!

Ma'am, Mr. **** is very busy at the moment and can't talk to you.

What's so important he can't come to the phone?

Maam, he's in charge of the airshow right now. He's directing the airshow flying and making sure it's legal and safe. I'll be happy to let him know you called.

He's WHAT?

[Very politely] Mr. **** is out monitoring the airshow to make sure it's all according to FAA guidelines. If there's a problem, then you'll have to alert the FAA that the FAA wasn't following the FAA procedures, and they need to send the FAA out to bust themselves.

Um... ummmm.. oh. Hrmph! *click*


OK, I *did* embellish that... just a tiny wee bit... but that's probably not actually all *that* far off from how it went.

[sagebrush]

I don't know how anybody [except the grouchy neighbor] could have anything negative to say about the Air Fest yesterday. I arrived at a very busy time in the PT23, as in late, due the fog delaying my departure from Eustis. The ground people had it altogether and there was no delay getting parked. I really enjoyed talking to so many nice people. The air show was impressive to say the least. There was no shortage of volunteers to help push the old warbird in the gas line. [Thank you Air Fest. It was much appreciated.] I tried to seek out the kids to help. We need them to remember these old airplanes. When I was ready to leave I started walking the prop through when a kid of about 12 asked if I was trying to start it. I explained what it was about and asked him if he would like to do it. His eyes lit up and he was on the prop in a heart beat. He said "how many times?" I could see he was having fun, so I said "till you get tired." Great job Valkaria.

[wls3]

Couple more below.
More pics can be seen HERE

[AIRIC]

Nice shooting Bill, sure wish I was there instead of working

Eric