Warbird Information Exchange

Since the rain dampened my plan to mow the lawns (darn!), I decided to do a little experimentation with scanning some 35mm slides. I'm still working out the bugs but, thought everyone might enjoy a few images of Fertile Myrtle at Chino in the summer of 1978.

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Craig

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Nice pictures! Was that taken at the POF annual airshow?

Too bad, she will probably never fly again, unless a Paul Allen type puts up a substantial amount of money to purchase/restore.

You were right! Thanks for posting them.

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Who owned Fertile Myrtle at that time in 1978?

http://www.warbirdregistry.org/b29regis ... 21787.html

Yes, it was.

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Cheers,

Craig

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I would LOVE to see some other pictures from that airshow. I haven't seen too many pictures of the early Chino airshow years.

*hint, hint*

Planes of Fame didn't start their own shows until several years later. IIRC the show was called Gathering of Eagles or something of that sort. It happened to be held at Chino. I can remember arguing with many people who thought that paying to enter the airport would get them into the Museum as well. It was a fun show though. One time the Mustangs had flown and landed. A couple ran up the engines to scavange the oil and put up a cloud of dust right when the B-29 flew by IIRC. Most were unable to see for several minutes as dirt in Chino seems to be the right consistency for floating in air and traveling great distances. This is proven by the acres of dirt swept out of hangars over the years. But it was a great excuse to have a party and many of the POF workers/friends slept in the Convair T-29 including some who spent the night on the horizontals.
Good memories of the B-29 flying.
Rich

The American Air Museum owned this during that time but I'm confused because it says it was open stored from 1977-1989. Was it taken out storage during that time for various airshows? Kermit Weeks bought it from that organization in 1984 but he wasn't able to complete the transfer flight.

Would love to see that plane back in one piece...even if it was just as a static display.

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I'm no expert on F.M., but from what I remember from memory is when they say "open storage", they really mean it was just parked out on the tarmac at Oakland, not in a hangar. I think it's a misnomer. I believe it was flown for a limited amount of airshows during that time. IIRC, because it was kept outside, it's condition deteriorated and it got some corrosion. I believe this was one of the main reasons that it was not ferried to Kermit's place, because he deemed it too unsafe. Hopefully, someone more can verify/fill in the details here.

BTW, for those that want to see F.M. in flight, on film, buy or rent the Disney flick entitled, "The Last Flight of Noah's Ark". Although, it's a typical corny, fantasy Disney flick, it does have some good flying scenes in it, particularly in the beginning. For those of you with access to old Air Classics magazines, there is a good article about the making of the movie from about 1979 or so. It talks about the B-29's they destroyed during the filming and the one sunk to the bottom of the Pacific.

Here is the DVD:

http://www.amazon.com/Last-Flight-Noahs ... 708&sr=8-2

I remember that article..a freind had the magazine. As I recall, it said that several B-29 carcrasses were pulled off the range at China Lake for use in the film, but the Navy stipulated they be returned after production was finished. Even as 14-year-olds, my friends an I found that policy baffling. We knew the history of Fifi's recsue from China Lake, and couldn't figure out why the Navy wouldn't allow the other Superforts there to be saved.

SN

It did sit in Oakland for a long while, and before that if I recall correctly it was up in Santa Rosa for a while. I got a nice tour of the inside at one point while it was in Oakland -- the only time I've ever been inside a B-29.

That Gathering of Eagles show was great -- many good memories of that one...

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Neal Nurmi

---Wingman Photo---

I got to look it over real good at Oakland in 1979 and almost got to fly in it a show in SoCal, but it didn't have anything but a comm radio and we got WX out. That's one I would have really liked to have flown in.

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