Hi all,
I have posted my pics from my road trip to and from GML. You can find them via my Travelogue page at...
http://www.aerialvisuals.ca/Travelogue.php
The latest is at the top (i.e. they are in reverse chronological order), so to go to the start of the trip scroll down to American Legion Post 1757.
I will of course include a few teasers here...
American Legion Post 1757
Sackets Harbor, New York, USA
27 September 2007
I left my home in Ottawa at 4 AM to start my road trip. My first stop was the Legion in Sackets Harbor, New York. Unfortunately due to bad planning and a heavily overcast sky I arrived at the Legion before the sun had risen. I wasn’t willing to wait for the sun to come up (a decision I was happy I made later in the day), so I just pointed the car at the AH-1 and turned on the high beams and took this rather poor picture. Unfortunately it is the only shot in the photo album.
Alexander Corners Veterans Memorial
Henderson, New York, USA
27 September 2007
After leaving the Legion in Sackets Harbor, I turned south to Henderson to look for the AH-1 at a memorial there. Unfortunately Henderson isn’t far from Sackets Harbor, and I arrived at the memorial before the sun rose there as well. Using a park bench to steady the camera I was able to get a slightly better picture, but the result was still poor. I only got one shot there as well.
American Legion Post 880
Eden, New York, USA
27 September 2007
I left Sackets harbor and found my way to I-80. I then went south on I-80 to Syracuse. From there I travelled west on I-90 to Buffalo where I continued on I-90 but in a south-west direction towards Eden. In Eden I located the park maintained by the local Legion post with the AH-1 displayed. It was much later in the morning by this point, but due to the heavy overcast it was still a small challenge taking pictures. I did manage to take a series of walk-around photos.
Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1419
Hamburg, New York, USA
27 September 2007
Hamburg was the next stop on my trip. I had actually intended to visit Hamburg first, but missed an exit off I-90 and Eden became the first stop. After leaving Eden I traveled north along route 62 and I found the A-4 and AH-1 outside of Hamburg on the north west side at the local VFW. The two are prominently displayed out front along with a tank so the display can’t be missed. It is interesting how a number of stickers have been applied to the A-4. I don’t know what that is about.
Erie County Memorial Gardens Inc.
Erie, Pennsylvania, USA
27 September 2007
After leaving Hamburg it was back to I-90 to continue my journey south-west. When I got to Erie I got off at the exit east of where the F-94 was. I did not have a confirmed location, so it took at bit of time to find the entrance to the cemetery in which it is displayed. I did find it, and was careful to be respectful of the graves while taking some photos of the displayed Starfire. After leaving Hamburg I traveled to Corry to look for a F-86. Two locals confirmed there was no F-86 in Corry, but the F-94 in Erie had been displayed in Corry previously.
Air Heritage
Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, USA
27 September 2007
After striking out in Corry, I traveled secondary roads south west to I-79, south on I-79 for a while, then as I was approaching Pittsburgh I got off the highway and traveled west into Beaver Falls. I was actually looking for an AH-1 at a VFW in New Galilee, but I didn’t have good maps and almost got lost. I found myself in Beaver Falls first, so I gave up on the AH-1 and went looking for the F-86 at the Beaver Falls airport. Before I saw the Sabre I came across Air Heritage and was pleasantly surprised to see they were still open. My schedule didn’t have me getting there until after closing (I am glad I didn’t wait around in Sackets Harbor for the sun to come up), so I took advantage of the few minutes I had to take some pictures. They were in the process of closing the hangar doors so the results are not great.
Beaver County Airport
Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, USA
27 September 2007
The next leg of my trip was a short one. I left Air Heritage and continued along the airport access road to the terminal. I was looking for the F-86 and found it. There was also a bonus of three Fouga Magisters parked on the ramp behind it! I snapped a few pictures of course.
Pennsylvania ANG
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
27 September 2007
From Beaver Falls it was then south along route 60 to the Pittsburgh Airport and the ANG base. I found the base on the south side of the airport with the F-102 displayed outside of the gate. I parked my car close to road along side of the driveway into the base. When I got out of the car with my camera I motioned to the guards at the nearby gate that I wanted to take pictures of the F-102. A guard came out to meet me and told me in no uncertain terms that I was not to take pictures that included the gate or check point. Note to all, when taking pictures near a military facility, even from public vantage points, it is wise to communicate your intentions to the military personnel that may be nearby. I was also able to get a shot of a C-135 vertical fin on the other side of the driveway. When I was done I waved to the guards, they waved back and I was on my way.
Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 7714
Imperial, Pennsylvania, USA
27 September 2007
The next leg of my trip was also a short one. I only had to travel a few miles south on some streets to Imperial. I found the local VFW with a F-86 displayed outside quite easily and snapped a few shots. This one could use a new coat of paint, but other than that it looked to be in good condition.
Friendship Park
Smithfield, Ohio, USA
27 September 2007
After leaving the VFW in Imperial, I only had to go a short distance to get onto route 22. I then traveled west, eventually leaving Pennsylvania and crossing a narrow section of West Virginia to get to Ohio. Once in Ohio I turned south along route 7 to the road west that takes one into Smithfield. I was quickly loosing the light with a very nice sunset in progress. I had to stop for gas, but after filling up I quickly made my way to the local airport with a race track nearby. There is a war memorial on the grounds of the track which includes an F-89 and O-2. I managed to get a few pictures even though the light was quickly disappearing. I didn’t figure on being able to make it to this site in time, so it was a bonus and another good reason for not sticking around Sackets Harbor earlier in the morning for the sun to rise. Even though the light was lost I headed over to Cadiz to try and find a T-33 at the local airport. The gate was closed so I would need to visit on the return trip. At that point I was tired and didn’t want to scout out any more sites so I just continued my trip west along I-70 to get to my hotel near Newark.
Vietnam Veterans Association Post 55
Newark, Ohio, USA
28 September 2007
On the Friday morning I left my hotel early. I found a decent place to eat breakfast, then I was off to find a F-4 and UH-1 in two different locations in Newark. I choose to look for the UH-1 first since the sun had not quite risen yet, and it would take me a few minutes to get there as it is on the north side of town and I was approaching from the south. I found the UH-1 at the VVA and managed to get a few shows with one decent picture even though the sun had not yet risen.
Newark Heath Airport
Newark, Ohio, USA
28 September 2007
After leaving the VVA, I retraced by steps back to the south side of to Newark to look for the F-4 at the airport. I did find it, and it was displayed between two hangars. It was only visible from outside a fence. The sun had started to rise, so I managed to get a decent shot of it by holding my camera up over the fence. From that point I headed off to Columbus to attend the air show, the Gathering of Mustangs and Legends.
Photos from GML not yet available.
MOTTS Military Museum
Columbus, Ohio, USA
29 September 2007
After the show on Saturday I only had to travel a short distance north from Rickenbacker field to find the MOTTS Military Museum. It was after their open hours of course, but I was able to get a few pictures of the helos and the A-7 over the fence.
94th Aero Squadron Restaurant
Columbus, Ohio, USA
29 September 2007
Even though the sunset was getting to be quite advanced, I decided to try and find the P-51 displayed at the airport in the north half of Columbus. I found it on the east side of the airport at a 94th Aero Squadron restaurant. It turned out to be a fiberglass replica (no surprise), and is likely one of the many replicas that David Tallichet had made for his restaurants. Even thought it was really too dark at this point, I tried to get a few pictures anyway by using fence posts and the ground to steady the camera. The shots turned out better than I expected.
American Veterans Post 2256
Circleville, Ohio, USA
30 September 2007
After the show was over on Sunday I left and instead of heading north back to my hotel, I turned south to go to Circleville. I was looking for the local AMVETS. I found it east of the town with an F-105 display. The late afternoon sun was lighting up the F-105 well so I was able to get a number of pictures.
Historical Aircraft Squadron
Lancaster, Ohio, USA
30 September 2007
From the VVA traveled west along the secondary roads to Lancaster. Just north-west of Lancaster is a small airport which is home to the Historical Aircraft Squadron. I arrived as the sun was setting (that has been happening often lately). The museum of course was closed, but a number of the aircraft are outside so I took my pictures as quickly as I could. By the time I left and was back on the road to my hotel the sun had set.
Zanesville Municipal Airport
Zanesville, Ohio, USA
1 October 2007
After staying in Columbus one more night, I left early Monday morning for home, but with a few stops planned along the way. I was leaving early of course, well before the sunrise and my first stop was at the truck stop near Newark where I ate breakfast the Friday morning, and then continued east with a stop in Zanesville. My goal was to find an AH-1 at a VVA. I found the VVA, and another veteran’s facility, but I did not find the AH-1 at either location. I continued on to the airport and easily found the F-105 displayed in front in the terminal. Fortunately the sun was beginning to rise and I was able to take a number of walk-around shots.
Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 92
New Kensington, Pennsylvania, USA
1 October 2007
I left Zanesville and returned to the airport at Cadiz. I was not able to find a T-33 that was supposed to be displayed there, so I continued onto New Kensington on the north east side of Pittsburgh. I was looking for a T-33 that was supposed to be displayed at a Legion there, but I could not find it in the town. I then continued onto the VFW outside of town and then noticed the T-33 in a park along the way. When I got to the VFW I photographed the UH-1 they have displayed there.
Memorial Park
New Kensington, Pennsylvania, USA
1 October 2007
After getting my pictures at the VFW I returned to the park that I passed while on my way there. I managed to find the entrance to the park and my way through the park to the displayed T-33. The lighting was excellent so I was able to take a number of walk around pictures. You will see in the pictures this is one T-33 that needs some TLC. Unfortunately it will take more than a new coat of paint.
Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 781
Irwin, Pennsylvania, USA
1 October 2007
I then left New Kensington in the north east side of Pittsburgh to Irwin in the south east side. When I was there I found the local VFW with their displayed T-33. I took a few pictures of the T-33 and the other memorials displayed there.
Muir AAF
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, USA
1 October 2007
After leaving Irwin I made the long haul to the Capital City Airport in Harrisburg. I found the Defense Supply Center there but the aircraft are not accessible to the public. From there is was on to the ANG at the Harrisburg International Airport. I saw there P-51 there, but it too is not accessible to the public. I then moved on to Muir AAF north of Harrisburg and struck gold. I found the F-102 displayed there, along with a newly displayed C-130, UH-1, AH-1 and H-6. I took a number of pictures. It was then back on the road homeward bound. I arrived back in Ottawa around 10:30 PM.
Mike
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