Reading WWII Weekend!

[LARGEFLYER]

Greg...I would have sworn that I heard some background chatter to the effect of "Don't pi$$ 'em off" and "Can I have my airport back, now?" Maybe out of context I'm reading more into those than they deserve.

Mudge the eavesdropper

Mudge,

I did not here that and I can assure you that it did not come from me. The RDG Tower folks and I have worked very well together over the years. As a matter of fact they were joking with me on Sunday afternoon after the show was over and I was launching out the display aircraft. They wanted to know if I wanted a job over at the tower. They enjoyed watching me launching out aircraft on both runways after the show.

Greg the multi-tasker

[Robbie Roberts]

I need to give supreme recognition to our fantastic tug crew for a job well done. We started the weekend with two tugs and by Friday evening we were down to 1 with the other tug inoperable due to a blown seal. (No Steve Carter, not the kind of Seal that swims either). They hussled their butts off to be able to give me the aircraft that I needed when I needed them to keep the show running smoothly and without too much dead time and gaps. With the unique way our event is created we have to move most of the larger and heavier aircraft with tugs and can't push them out by hand to fly. this makes having a great tug crew imperative and we had just that this year at our event.

I also need to thank our marshalling crew and safety crews as well for a job well done.

Thanks again and we will see you next year for our 20th Annual WWII Weekend!!

Greg

Greg- All my comments on mud aside, You guys DID do a swell job of moving a lot of aircraft through a lot of people in an extraordinarily efficient manner! I am starting to cool down about my experiences, and beginning to consider the possibilities for next year- 20 years sounds like a grand show- We'll see how the year goes...

And a BIG to you and your crew!

Robbie

[MattP38]

Is this Stuka 1:1? I always pictured the a/c as being larger than this one.

Mudge the curious

Naw mate, they ran it in a drier for a month.

[k5083]

Late to the party with photos, as usual. Comes from being a film guy.









Describing life as a POW.














The CAF's Helldiver slightly re-imagined with Photoshop: No logo, corrected national insignia, and lower landing gear covers.




















August

[ktst97]

Last year Kim and I attended Victory Days in Terre Haute, IN. We enjoyed that format enough that shortly after the event, we decided that the 800 mile trip, one way, to Reading for MAAM's World War II Weekend would be a great trip. This spring Indy changed their customary dates so they could have the Blues, so we had to alter our original plan a bit, as we wanted to see Neal Melton with his Hun Hunter XVI on the last day of Indy. Then we learned that Yankee Air Museum would have their B-17 at Sevierville, TN on their way to MAAM. Another minor change in plans, as we must use any possible excuse to spend at least 3 nights in one of those delightful cabins which are "hung on the sides of the hills everywhere" around Pigeon Forge. OK, central Illinois to Reading, one way, will now be 1200 miles and will take 4 days and 3 nights.
We included a ride in the YAM's B-17 while in TN. We drove to Reading Thursday, and went to the event (in the rain) Friday. Kim had a medical issue which prompted an ER visit of 5 hours late that night. She is a real trooper, though, and we spent all day Saturday at the WWII Weekend event and had a great time. We definitely plan to attend again, and will spend Friday, Saturday, and Sunday there next time. However, this year we drove from Reading to Greenfield, IN after the Saturday event's flying was finished. We arrived at our motel early Sunday and got a few hours sleep before heading for the Mount Comfort airport for the last day of the Indianapolis Air Show. As we were getting out of our car in the parking lot there, we were greeted by two familiar voices: by a strange coincidence we had parked right beside World War II fighter pilot, Frank Luckman, and his passenger, Neal Melton. It was a nice surprise to be greeted by those 2 friends early Sunday morning. I should have recognized Frank's Camaro with his personalized license plate, but our hasty trip from Pennsylvania to Indiana had left me a bit short of the mental prowess to notice such familiar things.
I wish to thank everyone connected with the MAAM's WWII Weekend. We had a wonderful time and are already thinking about our next visit there (but without the two "side trips" next time).

[bdk]

The CAF's Helldiver slightly re-imagined with Photoshop: No logo, corrected national insignia, and lower landing gear covers.

I'm no lawyer, but that must be against the law on some level! Infringement due to removal of trademark? Malicious correction of bogus markings? Virtual replacement of missing parts?

[Waltz41]

Nice seeing Jeff and Bill again! I gotta start coming back on here more!

[Mudge]

Waltz41...
You must have been about 30' to our left. We were front row and even with Panchito's left wing.

Mudge the observant