Warbird Information Exchange

Hi Everyone!

My friend Dan Dugan invited me to go to the Salinas airshow this weekend. It was a blast! There was a good Warbird turnout. I got to meet a lot of old friends. I got to see the A-10 Demo team for the first time, very freakin cool! The Blue Angels were there too. Two different Heritage flights.

I got more great T28B training from Dan. Talked to Evan Wolfe about T28's for two days, and got to talk to Chuck Wentworth and Terry Tarditi again, that was cool. Met Sophie and Dave from the CAF, the other CAF, Canadian Air Force. They let me crawl all over their Texan2, very cool airplane, I want one! The Budweiser Clydesdales were there, wierd......I guess all of the wind, jet A, hot dog vendors, and everything kinda wiped out the hay and cowsh1t smell outta Salinas airport for the weekend, so they brought in a bunch of horses to stink the place up, kinda makes everyone there feel at home

I got my first real close up look at a working Skyraider. I'm getting all choked up just thinking about it. Round engine beauty at it's GREATEST! There was oil everywhere! On it, and under it. Protective, Helping, God given, Oil. Freakin beautiful dude!

Another old friend showed up on the last day, Dave Kerhoenen. He flew T28's in the Navy back in the olden days. He brought a tape that his squadron buds made of them doing carrier quals. He let me borrow it so that I can make a DVD master of it. As soon as I got home I popped it in. AWESOME!!!!! I have never actually seen footage of T28's landing on the carrier before. Another cool thing about it is Mark Drew's 744 is on the tape landing too. His plane is pictured here also. It looks a lot different on the tape.

Thanks again Dan! Great efffin Weekend!

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DEEP THOUGHTS BY KIDS:
"If we could just get everyone to close their eyes and visualize world peace for an hour, imagine how serene and quiet it would be until the looting started. Age 15 "


Deep Thoughts,
Jack Handy

Thanks for posting these, OP

It looks like you had a great Warbird turnout for the show, along with the Blues and Snowbirds. I'd have liked to have gone, but was otherwise engaged in Ohio.

Did 'Fat Albert' do the JATO take-off as part of the Blues demo?

That's a very nice Skyraider, it used to be based in Belgium until last year and made the occasional visit to shows in the UK. Did it fly in the Heritage Flight with the A-10?

Quite a European reunion going on there, Terry Tarditi's P-51 used to belong to Dave Gilmour (of 'Pink Floyd' fame) and be based at North Weald, and the Bearcat was in France for several years. It's quite possible that the Skyraider, Bearcat and P-51 all attended the same Duxford 'Flying Legends' show at some point!

Hi Mike!

Thanks!

I totally forgot to mention the Snowbirds. Fantastic show. About a zillion planes all flying in very close formation. They were very good.

The Skyraider didn't fly. We thought it was going to because it was on the flightline, but it didn't. Maybe they put it there so it wouldn't super oil the ramp.

Fat Albert didn't do the JATO takeoff this time, but they still did some good flying.

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DEEP THOUGHTS BY KIDS:
"If we could just get everyone to close their eyes and visualize world peace for an hour, imagine how serene and quiet it would be until the looting started. Age 15 "


Deep Thoughts,
Jack Handy

HOLY CRAP.....

sooo... I totally skipped out on reading your comment and went straight to the pictures....

Then... got totally freaked out when I saw my friend Sophie's picture.

She's a really old friend of mine from when we did our glider licenses together at CFB Comox here in BC in 1998. We had the same instructor at the camp and still keep in really loose touch.

I'm glad to know she's doing really well in the CF. It also looks like she's having some fun. It's just so weird that you met her and got a picture of her in a T-28 none-the-less.

that's all.... I'm still feelin' a little hibbaly-jibbaly.

Cheers,

David

Hi David!

Thats cool! If you can, forward the link to her. It would be cool to get somemore active duty posters here. She and Dave were pretty cool and it was fun showing them the T28.

_________________
DEEP THOUGHTS BY KIDS:
"If we could just get everyone to close their eyes and visualize world peace for an hour, imagine how serene and quiet it would be until the looting started. Age 15 "


Deep Thoughts,
Jack Handy

Looks like I might have to check that one out next year. Thanks for sharing the pics!

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The more I learn about aircraft, the more I realize I still have to learn.

Ah Salinas. My first air show. I remember sitting up late the night before trying to imagine what it would be like. I didn't sleep much.

I went every year after that until I moved to WA. Many memories.

I saw my first Mustang, and heard the Merlin.

I saw the Mig 29s fly there. '89 I think. My dad was on the news. I was right there. Didn't get in the shot though. I was too short, the frame was over my head.

I vividly remember watching Wayne Handley pile his Turbo Raven.
I can remember thinking, "he just died."
I saw Mr. Handley a couple of years ago when he retired his old Raven in McMinnville. I told him about the last time I had seen him. When the Turbo Raven crashed. You know what he said to me?
"Sorry about that."
A true performer.

Thanks for letting me reminisce. I'm glad to see you are keeping the show warm for me until I can get back.

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Curtis Block

I've seen too many airplanes destroyed by the term "Static Restoration."

Cool thread.

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James K

"Switch on the underwater landing lights"
Emilio Largo, Thunderball.

www.VintageAeroWriter.com

Awsome pics, thanks for posting.

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FLORIDA DIECAST AVIATION FORUMS
www.forumsvibe.com/cfldiecastmodel

Great pics! Thanks.
What year was the first Salinas Airshow? Wasn't it '81 or '82? I think I went to the first one, IIRC.
Looks like it was a good one. I can't say I miss the Salinas area, though, even if they do have a good airshow. That's about the only good thing they've got.
I went to high school with Wayne Handley's daughter, and I think I still have his Raven crash on tape somewhere. You look at that tape, and there's no question in your mind that the man died; it was a miracle he survived.

Dave

O.P., thats just about a dam eye full of nice looking aeromachines. Thanks for letting us see em. Glad everything turned out good for ya. Sounds like you had a great time.
Robbie

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Fly Fast Make Noise!

Great shot thanks for posting. I missed it this year due to a family function phooey

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Some people are like slinkys, good for nothing but bring a smile to your face when pushed down stairs.