Warbird Information Exchange

It's been a week since Scott and I arrived at Chino and I must say, I am still drinking it all in. It was fantastic meeting everyone for the first time and was even better doing it at a venue that is so FULL of warbird culture. Needless to say, I was thrilled!

It was also very special to see the two main airplanes I grew up with in one place... the B-17 Fuddy Duddy and the P-40 AK940. Though both are with new owners and the P-40 looks completely different than what I remember, it was still quite nice as the last time I saw them together was around 1993 before the big NWM/HAG split happened in Geneseo.

I was very impressed with how the County and the City of Chino have really started to embrace the airport and it's history and capitalize on it. Everywhere I looked, there were banners highlighting the history and the aircraft of Cal-Aero field and much of the new development was working with the history of the field and not against it like many airports are doing these days. I loved the new "country club" hangars!

It makes me somewhat sad because I know that Falcon Field here in Mesa could have been a lot like it in many ways. We still have our share of warbird and sport aircraft here, but the city seems more concerned with hiding that heritage with huge t-hangars and offices to make it much more like Scottsdale Airport. Granted, there isn't a lot of growth potential with warbirds, but at least in the case with Chino, it seems like they are treating the past, present, and future with care and making sure to not kill any of those segments.

I hope to get out there sometime this Fall to see the museum in a more "normal" state and meet everyone in Camarillo as well... perhaps a quick trip to French Valley would be in order too.

Thanks everyone! It was a blast!

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Ryan Keough
Stow, MA

I visited Falcon a number of years ago, back when the Champlin Museum was there. What a shame that moved out. There are some gems at Falcon, it's a shame that some of them are tucked away.

Hi Ryan,

It was nice getting to finally meet you, see Scott again, and meet some of the other Wix members, especially the guys up from my area. Got a chance for a brief visit with Marilyn (Dasher) also Saturday morning at the airport.

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Roger Cain
www.sfahistory.org
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Stearman/


We must limit politicians to two terms:
one in office and one in jail.

Here is something a little different from me. Normally I try my best to get photos without people in them!


Steve Hinton:







Mark Foster:





Jim Thomas:





Tom Camp:





John Maloney:



Jason Somes:



Ken Gottschall:



John Hinton:







Jim Beasley Jr.:



Ed Shipley::



Kevin Eldridge (left) and Robbie Patterson:



Steve Hinton Jr:



Chris Fahey:



Mark Watt flying Dreadnought:



Hartley Folstad (flying) & Margie Stivers:



Matt Nightingale:



Robbie Patterson:



Friedkin F4U-4 framed by Chino L-19:



Eddie Kurdziel:



Chuck Wentworth:



Mark Moodie:



ABK & Mom (Jets are NOT for kids, we have sensitive ears, they are for old deaf people!):

[quote="bdk"]Here is something a little different from me. Normally I try my best to get photos without people in them!

Please help with the ????????....



Steve Barber: I don' believe that is Steve Barber in the Hellcat. That was the new F6F pilot Ken Gottscall or at least on Saturday it was.





Mark Watt flying Dreadnought:

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Roger Cain
www.sfahistory.org
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Stearman/


We must limit politicians to two terms:
one in office and one in jail.

Yeah, Roger got it right... Mark Watt, aka The Green Hornet.

The dude in the blue tinted shades driving the Mustang in none other than World Famous Jim Beasley Jr.

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Scotty G
www.LightAndLift.com
www.WarbirdAeroPress.com

Just curious why John wears that scarf around his mouth when flying the Zero? On the POF airshow DVD, it shows the same thing. Does he wear that only with the Zero or all airplanes? Is there a reason he does that? It certainly can't be to keep warm with the extreme heat.

Try this one: Ken or Steve?

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All right, Mister Dorfmann, start pullin'!
Pilot: "Flap switch works hard in down position."
Mechanic: "Flap switch checked OK. Pilot needs more P.T." - Flight report, TB-17G 42-102875 (Hobbs AAF)

Nomex hoodie??? Maybe there for safety during extreme heat?

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He bowls overhand...He is the most interesting man in the world.
"In Peace Japan Breeds War", Eckstein, Harper and Bros., 3rd ed. 1943(1927, 1928,1942)
"Leave it to ol' Slim. I got ideas...and they're all vile, baby." South Dakota Slim
"Ahh..."The Deuce", 28,000 pounds of motherly love." quote from some Mojave Grunt
DBF

Brandon the guy taxiing past in Wee Willy is Shipley not Tom

That's definitely Ken Gottschall.

Brandon,
With those cool shades it's Jim Beasley.
Rich

Thanks everyone! I have the performers list, but didn't get to assign faces to names for everyone. And I only met Jim once and he wasn't wearing his shades.

Another interesting point is that some aircraft were flown by three diffeent pilots during the day!

Maybe you guys can tell I'm not much of a people person...

BS...

You did a great job all weekend - dealing with the peoples!

Nice to meet you, Brandon!

Dasher

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What is that mountain goat doing way up here in the clouds?