Warbird Information Exchange

This past weekend a new organization hosted an open house to get people interested in membership and make the public aware of the group. Genesee Warbirds is a recently formed group that is seeking to bring an aviation museum and airshow to Batavia, NY (former Wings of Eagles airshow site 94-96). While close in location to 1941 HAG, the group is focusing much more on classic jet aircraft so as not to directly compete with Geneseo. While I enjoy vintage prop planes more, I couldn't resist going out to the airport and photographing some of the jets there. Besides, I was able to go to both this and the Niagara show so I got the best of both worlds.

The organization currently has 6 jet aircraft, all owned by the founding/board members. These aircraft are the three CASA jets, the Fouga Magister, the L-29, and the Vampire. The L-39 flew in for the open house. There was supposed to be a FAST clinic for the jets that weekend but the instructor's flight was cancelled, which I believe also resulted in a couple more jet aircraft cancelling. Anyways, here are the photos from Saturday's open house.

Holy moley! Batavia is alive again! That is fantastic news and looks like some fantastic planes! What a group of Saetta's!... must have been loud

That Vampire... for those of you from New England... it looks like Ed Stead's old plane... is it? Did you get an N-number from it or the Fouga Ken?

You didn't happen to see an old guy there by the name of Reo Rood did you? He was rebuilding an L-39 in Warsaw, NY at his 5000' grass strip... well, was up until a freak tornado demolished the hangar and a lot of his other planes... the L-39 wasn't damaged too much though. Reo was in his late 80's when I last saw him, but looked a heck of a lot younger and flew like he was 30. He used to be a lead pilot on the B-17 at Geneseo, but the rift there took him away from that.

I always wondered about his L-39 and if he was still kicking about.

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Ryan Keough
Stow, MA

Very cool! Never knew anything about that going on there. It would be cool if they did some fly bys for the Geneseo Airshow. Something a bit different! Those noisy bird blenders do draw folks in to the show.

Tim

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www.tailhookstudio.com

The Fouga is N907DM, I completely forgot to get the N-number on the Vampire. If I recall though, it's the oldest one around and was possibly owned by John Travolta. The Fouga is usually kept at Akron and I know the owner, Pete Treichler. The plane was actually one of the Belgian aerobatic team aircraft.

The group was kind of started by word of mouth. They started circulating membership applications around late last year to people they knew. I went to the first meeting and they seem to have some good plans together for leasing a part of Genesee County airport for a hangar to keep all of the planes under one roof.

Can't say I saw a guy named Reo, I do remember hearing about that tornado but I haven't heard anything about the L-39.

And I was smart enough to remember to bring ear plugs when I went out there, I'm very glad I took them since I can't cover my ears and take photos at the same time.

Ken

The Vamp is Al Rubin's N6878D ex-RCAF and ex-Travolta. Stead's Vamp was a two seater. I wonder what happened to it?

I haven't seen that many Saetta's in one place since Wayne Cozad had a bunch in Southern Ohio back in the late 80s.

Jim

Now that is cool...and a complete surprise. Great to see something start at Batavia: those three NWM shows there were--pavement notwithstanding--the best three Warbird events, all round, I've ever attended, and over the past 32 years I've attended a good few. Neat, too, that they've deliberately focused on a different segment of vintage flying from what HAG does; they complement each other. Enthusiasts like me would see BOTH shows (assuming an annual show were to start at Batavia) as "musts"--just as London (modern jets) and Hamilton (warbirds) both used to be "musts" despite being geographically close and usually just two weeks apart.

S.

Wow, wish I had have heard about that! I love the Vampire, I missed out on seeing that one when it came to Hamilton for fuel once last year I think it was. I thought it was being based out of somewhere in Ontario, but I guess that's changed? Very nice indeed, hope it works out.

Do they have a website?

Mike

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Mike R. Henniger
Aviation Enthusiast & Photographer
http://www.AerialVisuals.ca
http://www.facebook.com/AerialVisuals

Do you want to find locations of displayed, stored or active aircraft? Then start with the The Locator.
Do you want to find or contribute to the documented history of an aircraft? If so then start with the Airframes Database.

Yes they do, although it is a little basic right now.

http://www.geneseewarbirds.org

Basic is OK. I'll upload the entry into the Locator databse tonight.

Looking at the GE image (43 01 54.24 N 78 10 05.97 W) of the airport it looks like the local road to the west has been redirected to allow for a runway expansion. Has this been done? What is the total length?

Which hangar does this group occupy?

Mike

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Mike R. Henniger
Aviation Enthusiast & Photographer
http://www.AerialVisuals.ca
http://www.facebook.com/AerialVisuals

Do you want to find locations of displayed, stored or active aircraft? Then start with the The Locator.
Do you want to find or contribute to the documented history of an aircraft? If so then start with the Airframes Database.

Mike, the runway was expanded over the last two years with completion sometime last year. It's now 5500 feet long. Some of the public wanted the road left opened so they made that bizare and pointless jog around runway 10. The group is currently spread out across 3-4 hangars at the airport, all privately controlled or rented. The Fouga is usually kept at 9G3. I'll let everyone know if and when they are able to construct a large hangar to house more of the aircraft under one roof.

Please let us know if you hear anything about another open house in the future!

Genesee Warbirds will plan to host another public open house during the summer of 2008. Date has yet to be determined. The museum has added a second flying Fouga jet in Danish AF colors and a Mig 15 uti project. In the works are two other jets that cannot yet be announced (soon I hope). Webpage is www.geneseewarbirds.org

Anyone can call and get an appointment to see the jets. November through March is down time for maintenance, etc., but one or two fly all year. If your intersted in classic jet warbirds (1943 - 1975) please join in the fun.

Great to hear! Has G.W. made any more progress towards building a building of it's own for display at GVQ?

Additionally, has anyone sought to contact Reo Rood in Warsaw, NY about relocation / possible donation of his L-39? I am not sure he has come any closer to flying the plane and was significantly set back when the tornado blew through his hangar nearly 10 years ago.

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Ryan Keough
Stow, MA

That Fouga IS ex-Belgian AF It's not one of the oldest though it looks great:d Do you have more pictures of it? Would love to see the cockpit. The CASA jets look very nice too. I really like the looks of them. I was amazed they have 3 of them! I thought there were only a handfull left in existence. We need a mass formation picture of that collection!

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Magister Aviation
It's all in my book