Heads-up Airventure 2012

[Speedy]

Don't get me wrong - I love the sound of the T-6 and would love to see one land/take off at Orlando Executive Airport while I am working there but will there be less than 50 at OSH? I don't need 50+ texts every time a T-6 lands/takes off. Is there any WWII era plane more common still flying?

Maybe I should have said L-39 or Nanchang CJ-6 in my example of what a noob would text for everytime one of those landed

Didn't realize that T-6's were that well represented at OSH. Although I'd watch each one taking off or landing, I have to agree, that would be a mass of text for each individual T-6 movement.

I think I need to start planning my first trip.

I know at one time you could get 50 there, not sure now with economy, gas prices etc. The T-6 (inc SNJ/Harvards) will definitely be the most common WWII era warbird there as it is at all warbird airshows. We usually get no less than 12 at Sun N Fun (4 of those being Aeroshell), and usually 6-8 at Titusville. I would rather see 12 Mustangs at Sun N Fun and 6-8 B-17s at Titusville. It wouldn't kill me if a lot of the T-6s didnt show up at one of those shows because I've got several pictures of each and it is usually the same ones that go, there were a couple new ones at Sun N Fun this year and the Spanish Airforce paintjob one changed its registration number. The most common warbirds at Sun N Fun are the Yak-52/CJ-6s, T-6s, T-34s and T-28s. Of course I rather have more T-6s than T-34s, to me a T-34 is just a straight tail Bonanza with a canopy. At least the T-28 and the T-6 sound cool. I am sure at OSH you will have probably 50 T-34s, 30 T-28s, 30-40 T-6s and 70 Yaks/CJ-6s.

Just an observation...not making a statement one way or another.

There was a time where people would be embarassed to show up at an airshow with an L-bird, or a Navion, or a light trainer and call it a 'Warbird'. Bob Love would have called anyone who did a bunch of 'weenies' because 'Warbirds' were Mustangs, P-40's, Sea Furies, and B-25's. Even the guys who showed up with T-6's would kind of slink in and half-associate with the 'Warbirds', but they didn't wear that moniker on their puffed-out chest. Back then, L-birds, PT's, BT's, and the like would hang out in the Vintage/Classic category...and everybody was happy with it.

I really don't care because I like all of them...but I was at an airshow recently where the local 'Warbird group' was hired to put on a show and what the public got was one gaggle of CJ-6's, another gaggle of NAVIONS....not L-17's mind you...but Navions painted up in not-even-close paint jobs flying around 'playing' Warbird. There was one T-6 and one T-28...which was only there on the first day. It was a good thing that the airshow 'host' organization had a couple of fighters to put in the air, because that was NOT a Warbird show.

Times have changed, I guess. In my area we have four or five organizations who all fly fighters and bombers on the weekends for their 'open houses', but none of them support local airshows on much of a level. I'd much rather go to maybe two or three REAL airshows over the summer and see a ramp and sky full of "old school" Warbirds than getting it dished out piece-meal. Obviously the days of great Warbird shows at Madera, Breckenridge, Harlingen, stuff like that, is over....and I guess I just don't like the alternative nearly as much.

Just my .02 cents worth.

[Boeing666]

Question for you guys. I'm here in Minneapolis for Saab 340 training. I have the oral on the 23rd and my first sim session isn't until the 28th with my checkride on the 5 august. I'd like to go to oshkosh with the down time for a day or two. I'm either wanting to rent a car and make the drive, or jumpseat out to the closest airport with commercial airline service and then rent a car. Has anyone done the drive there from MSP, and what's the closest airport with airline service? i'd like to really go this year since I'm in the area.

Saab 340 training at MSP? I thought Delta got rid of them.

I don't think OSH has commercial service anymore and it would be booked up if they did. The closest airport would probably be Green Bay probably 45 min drive to OSH. You might just be better renting a car and finding a hotel in Green Bay (which will be the closest you can find a hotel that week) - maybe leave that night for the hotel to Green Bay - 2-3 hour drive? Spend the night and get up bright and early and drive to OSH from Green Bay, make the drive back to Green Bay and then repeat for day 2 if necessary. I do something like that for 3 days - I think it is a longer drive from where I live in Orlando to Sun N Fun in Lakeland and I do that for 3 days straight.

[Boeing666]

[quote="Speedy]

Just an observation...not making a statement one way or another.

There was a time where people would be embarassed to show up at an airshow with an L-bird, or a Navion, or a light trainer and call it a 'Warbird'. Bob Love would have called anyone who did a bunch of 'weenies' because 'Warbirds' were Mustangs, P-40's, Sea Furies, and B-25's. Even the guys who showed up with T-6's would kind of slink in and half-associate with the 'Warbirds', but they didn't wear that moniker on their puffed-out chest. Back then, L-birds, PT's, BT's, and the like would hang out in the Vintage/Classic category...and everybody was happy with it.

I really don't care because I like all of them...but I was at an airshow recently where the local 'Warbird group' was hired to put on a show and what the public got was one gaggle of CJ-6's, another gaggle of NAVIONS....not L-17's mind you...but Navions painted up in not-even-close paint jobs flying around 'playing' Warbird. There was one T-6 and one T-28...which was only there on the first day. It was a good thing that the airshow 'host' organization had a couple of fighters to put in the air, because that was NOT a Warbird show.

Times have changed, I guess. In my area we have four or five organizations who all fly fighters and bombers on the weekends for their 'open houses', but none of them support local airshows on much of a level. I'd much rather go to maybe two or three REAL airshows over the summer and see a ramp and sky full of "old school" Warbirds than getting it dished out piece-meal. Obviously the days of great Warbird shows at Madera, Breckenridge, Harlingen, stuff like that, is over....and I guess I just don't like the alternative nearly as much.

Just my .02 cents worth.

I totally agree with you. I love it all - like I said at Sun N Fun I take pictures of everything from Cessna 172s to the B-29 to L-39s to F-18s to Vans RVs to P-51s.

A couple planes besides the CJ-6/Yak group that outnumber the T-6 is the Navion and also the L-19 at times - while I like taking a picture of all those planes I would even rather see a gaggle of T-6s than a gaggle of Yak-52/CJ-6 or Navions and FW149s. As for warbird paint - the ones that crack me up are the L-39s painted like U.S. military planes. I wish they would at least be authenic and be painted in Eastern bloc colors

[Tim Savage]

.[/quote]

I totally agree with you. I love it all - like I said at Sun N Fun I take pictures of everything from Cessna 172s to the B-29 to L-39s to F-18s to Vans RVs to P-51s.

A couple planes besides the CJ-6/Yak group that outnumber the T-6 is the Navion and also the L-19 at times - while I like taking a picture of all those planes I would even rather see a gaggle of T-6s than a gaggle of Yak-52/CJ-6 or Navions and FW149s. As for warbird paint - the ones that crack me up are the L-39s painted like U.S. military planes. I wish they would at least be authenic and be painted in Eastern bloc colors[/quote]


Hmm...Not so sure about that. I have been to OSH 27 years straight and I don't think I have ever seen the CJ-6/Yaks, T-34s, L-39s, L-19, or for that matter anything, eclipse the T-6/SNJ group unless it was a special anniversary year or something..and even then I don't think it has happened. There have been numerous years when over a hundred T-6s have been on display throughout the week (recognizing that they come and go and that is a cumulative total). I would say 50-60 is the lowest I have seen. I think there is a Wixer on here (Garbs) who works in registration who might be able to give us the exact numbers....

[JDK]

And I like the camera's programmed sweep: Navy birds, T-28s, T-6s, classic jets, and the heavies; whereas almost all of Mustang Ranch is cut off...pity.

Heh, heh, heh... My remote-control dark plot begins.

[Dan K]

And I like the camera's programmed sweep: Navy birds, T-28s, T-6s, classic jets, and the heavies; whereas almost all of Mustang Ranch is cut off...pity.

Heh, heh, heh... My remote-control dark plot begins.

[garbs]

Tim Savage wrote:

Hmm...Not so sure about that. I have been to OSH 27 years straight and I don't think I have ever seen the CJ-6/Yaks, T-34s, L-39s, L-19, or for that matter anything, eclipse the T-6/SNJ group unless it was a special anniversary year or something..and even then I don't think it has happened. There have been numerous years when over a hundred T-6s have been on display throughout the week (recognizing that they come and go and that is a cumulative total). I would say 50-60 is the lowest I have seen. I think there is a Wixer on here (Garbs) who works in registration who might be able to give us the exact numbers....[/quote]


Well I could if I had a copy of last year's Access file. I'll see if I can scare one up before the show - if not, I'll try to post from there. Reporting for duty at 1200 Hrs Saturday.

Haven't been on lately - have you guys seen the webcam posted on a tower by Scott's Warbird Alley?

http://www.haydenworld.com/jwplayer/jwplayertest.htm

Sorry if it's old news

[Mark Allen M]

.

Last edited by Mark Allen M on Sat Sep 08, 2012 12:48 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[Speedy]

I need to purchase a fancy warbird flight suit at Airventure, any ideas of where to look? I'm a simple private pilot who never had the need for one ... until now. Also what patches should I have sewn/velcro'ed on? Dad's old squadrons?, T. Cruise's Top Gun group? Harley Davidson patches? Confederate Flag? Big WIX patch? ... all of em? ... I want to look as prima donna as possible to fit it. And no I won't be signing any autographs at all or bothering to talk to anyone that's not wearing the same outfit as me, I want to really fit it.

Oops!!! forgot to mention, I'm eating as much as possible so my gut will protrude as far out as possible, you know, to fit in ,or to barely fit in ... haha

Just spoofing a bit, hope I didn't ruffle any warbird pilots feathers and if I did you must fit the above desription ... lol Joking!!!

I actually do need a fight suit though for Thursday.

Obviously you're just kidding...but you know, you'll never get me to go flying in a high-performance aircraft (aside from as an airline passenger) without wearing a zoom bag. I can't tell you how many times I've gotten raised-eyebrow looks when I pull on my old flightsuit and have my nomex gloves in my leg pocket...even to just go along for a ride as a passenger. I don't wear it to 'look cool' or try to be something/someone I'm not. If you'd rather go fly in your shirt and jeans, have at it. But I guess it's just the mentality that was pounded into your head time and again in the military...if it buys you an extra 30 seconds....minute, two minutes of protection in a fire or something, then who is laughing now?

If your primary reason for wearing a bag is to hang patches on it for everyone elses benefit, then I probably don't want to go flying with you anyhow.

[Mark Allen M]

.

Last edited by Mark Allen M on Sat Sep 08, 2012 12:48 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[PbyCat-Guy]

.

Saab 340 training at MSP? I thought Delta got rid of them.

I don't think OSH has commercial service anymore and it would be booked up if they did. The closest airport would probably be Green Bay probably 45 min drive to OSH. You might just be better renting a car and finding a hotel in Green Bay (which will be the closest you can find a hotel that week) - maybe leave that night for the hotel to Green Bay - 2-3 hour drive? Spend the night and get up bright and early and drive to OSH from Green Bay, make the drive back to Green Bay and then repeat for day 2 if necessary. I do something like that for 3 days - I think it is a longer drive from where I live in Orlando to Sun N Fun in Lakeland and I do that for 3 days straight.[/quote]

Thanks for the help, I'll look into what the car rental and hotel situation is like and go that route from Green Bay. Delta (Mesaba Airlines) did get rid of their Saabs, which my airline is buying and putting into service. Many of the registration numbers are still the same for a while. My airline is using the Mesaba/Pan Am training center for the systems and sim training.

[Zachary]

Closest airport with commercial service is Outagamie County Regional in Appleton. More info here:
http://www.atwairport.com/

Zack

[fotobass]

I'll be shooting everything I can and am excited to use my new toy this year.

I have one, and I'm not such a fan. Focusing aquisition isn't what I'd like to see out of it. Give yourself a bit more aperture than you normally would to get around the lens' tendency to backfocus a bit. Also, if you're shooting aircraft in flight, lock the zoom so that it doesn't slip back/forward once you've focused, which will throw your subject out as well.

I'd like this lens a LOT more if it had been a twist zoom rather than a push-pull. Unfortunately, Canon's R&D folk seem to have lost my number.

[Boeing666]

.

Saab 340 training at MSP? I thought Delta got rid of them.

I don't think OSH has commercial service anymore and it would be booked up if they did. The closest airport would probably be Green Bay probably 45 min drive to OSH. You might just be better renting a car and finding a hotel in Green Bay (which will be the closest you can find a hotel that week) - maybe leave that night for the hotel to Green Bay - 2-3 hour drive? Spend the night and get up bright and early and drive to OSH from Green Bay, make the drive back to Green Bay and then repeat for day 2 if necessary. I do something like that for 3 days - I think it is a longer drive from where I live in Orlando to Sun N Fun in Lakeland and I do that for 3 days straight.

Thanks for the help, I'll look into what the car rental and hotel situation is like and go that route from Green Bay. Delta (Mesaba Airlines) did get rid of their Saabs, which my airline is buying and putting into service. Many of the registration numbers are still the same for a while. My airline is using the Mesaba/Pan Am training center for the systems and sim training.[/quote]


Who is your airline? Colgan? They got a lot of the Mesaba Saabs for USAirways Express but I thought they were East Coast. The only other carrier I am aware that bought some Mesaba Saabs is Silver (former Gulfstream) but I thought they were doing most of their flying out of Florida

[cwmc]

Obviously you're just kidding

You are spot on correct, I was/am kidding around (And please no one try to start a flame war, it was my poor attempt at humor ) I've seen both cases at airshows where you have the guys walking around in flight suits with no reason other than to look the part and then you see guys like Steve Hinton with the look of a Warbird pilot who knows the real reason to wear them. I don't have one and I have no reason to have one ... other than Thursday I need one for about an hour or so, then it either goes back to the original owner or I keep the one I purchased. Either way I concur with you that I wouldn't want it any other way when jumping into one of those high-performance aircraft.

But can't I just have just one patch?

Don't worry Mark,
Speedy has a good sense of humour and was applauding your whimsy (factual as it might be) as well as your good sense in wearing a flight suit, but get some gloves too. Not too expensive and saves your hands as you fight your way out of the wreck. I had a pair when flying freight and then lost them somewhere and my hangar partner would give me hell for two years for not having a pair when flying acro planes. He was right.
Chris...