Warbird Information Exchange

The first time I drove by there I didn't know it was there and all of a sudden....bam!....there it is. Had to star at it for a bit to digest what I was seeing.

All of the pictures are great but seeing all the Randolph ones are wonderful. My Dad did his flight training there early WWII and I've done many a show and reunion there. It was wonderful to pick out stuff that is still there so many years later. Thanks, Mark.

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Mark,Those pics are fabulous.I really enjoyed looking at them.Thanks for all the work to put them up.WELL DONE.

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Hang The Expense

Mark, you have outdone yourself again! Love those '30s trainers, especially the BT-2. Too bad there aren't any surviving (above water ).

Verville YPT-10 - four built, 31-519 through 31-522.

So, are you going to do Lackland next? Here's a photo of my dad there in 1947; I'm sure you can spot him :

In a close-up of the dot in the star, you can see they used all black men... The image was used in the August 11, 1947 issue of LIFE (my dad's 19th birthday):

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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)

Your all quite welcome. Fascinating history these airfields have generated over the years. I enjoy the research as well. More to come.

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“Knowing what’s right, doesn’t mean much unless you do what’s right.”

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Daviemax
Researcher of Post-War B-17 History
Maintains database of B-17s used from 46- on.

Hear hear! Great job Mark.

IIRC ,whereas all previous military flying fields started out as "fields", Randolph was the first purpose-built air base, designed and built at a location not previously used for flying. For AF types, it is certainly something special ... special to see, special to feel a part of. The "Taj", the "Auger Inn" bar at the O Club, & "Hangover Tower" which controls the east side runway, I believe. I well remember early cross countries there in 1991 and later spending a month at Randolph to attend the USAF Advanced Instrument School (formerly IPIS). The fact that so many of these structures remain is a real testament to their construction and the shoes of history subsequent generations fill in the course of the history of our AF. I later spent many years at Maxwell AFB; not as famous, but nearly identical in vintage and architecture.

Great thread!

Ken

PS: Mark, any Lubbock, TX or Reese AFB by chance?

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"Take care of the little things and the big things will take care of themselves."

Again your all very welcome and again my part is easy, you people filling in the commentary is what's priceless and much appreciated. The accolades all go to you folks and never to me.

Ken I'll be happy to see what there is out there.

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“Knowing what’s right, doesn’t mean much unless you do what’s right.”

Mark, wonderful photos, I look forward to seeing your postings.

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More from Blythe























Below a few of the Tuskegee Army Air Field located in Alabama, 1942









Below a few more of Biggs field

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“Knowing what’s right, doesn’t mean much unless you do what’s right.”

March Field c 1941











Davis-Monthan and Tucson 1942


Davis-Monthan and Tucson 2007

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“Knowing what’s right, doesn’t mean much unless you do what’s right.”

Hey Mark... I really enjoyed the pics of Colorado Springs. I flew in there a lot during my airline days and when my daughter attended the Air Force Academy. Can't wait to show her the shots of her old airfield. I have a request though since you are the whiz at finding pictures. I learned to fly at the airport in Childress, TX, many moons ago. At that time, there were a few buildings and hangars left of the Childress Army Airfield. Childress Field trained many of the bombardiers headed to Europe and later to Japan. I have found a few old yearbooks from some of the classes there, but nothing really of the field itself. They used mainly Beech AT-11's for this training and often used Childress Lake or the Red River riverbed as targets. They held bombing and navigation competitions with the other schools at Lubbock, Hobbs, Carsbad, NM, Midland and several others. Hope you can open up the safe and find some good shots of some of these things. Thanks much!! Regards, JR

Thanks very much, Mark. These pictures are terrific! Please continue to upload them, you've provided much to discuss.

I wonder what became of James Diamond McIlyar? A quick google shows that he lived until 1988, and I hope he had a long and fulfilled life. Some of these pics appear to have come from the May 11, 1942 edition of Life, although I don't know whether the pics of the lone aviation cadet pictured is Jim McIlyar.

Any way of finding out details of his time in the USAAF?

Cheers,
Matt

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Matt Austin - playing with warbirds since the early 80s.

See my Lee-Enfield videos at - http://www.youtube.com/user/Jollygreenslugg

Mark, I love going through your pictures, even if it means I spend waaayyyyy too much time on this computer!
I was wondering if you had any of Douglas airport in South Georgia? It was a primary training base during the war and a number of the original buildings still exist. It is also where Don Brooks is rebuilding the Dyke Lake B-17 and where Tom Reilly is rebuilding the XP-82.
Thanks!

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Rod Schneider
Ball Ground, Ga

JR, Matt, Rod My pleasure to post what I can and I'll diligently look out for more. I have a lot more stateside photos to sort out yet. Once I return from a meeting I have this morning, I'll post a batch more. These Stateside AAF's are interesting to me as well.

One request though .... Knock it off with the accolades!!! Haha! It's getting real embarrassing

I'm just here to have some fun with my hobby and learn a few new things. You guys have been way above the curve as teachers. Much to your credit and to my advantage.

M

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“Knowing what’s right, doesn’t mean much unless you do what’s right.”