Warbird Information Exchange

Warbird 1, you suggested I donate my Spitfire to a flying museum, for them to do the repairs and I retain flying rights. First, I want to leave the plane to my sons. It's something unique that I can give them other than my good looks and brilliant mind. They pretty well think I'm outdated, I don't even own a cell phone,(hey maybe its a passing fad?) and I sure can"t ski like they do anymore. But the plane is special and doesn't have a mortgage on it. They have asked me not to sell it.

Another factor is I don't know of the RIGHT"flying museum". I have looked into this and not found much positive, even ones I have long been a member of.
EAA has an intact, almost flyable Spitfire in their museum, but I haven't seen any move to get it flying. To some extent they have got their eyes on rocket planes and "space " ships. Old Spitfires aren't the new thing to draw sponsors.
I spoke to Lone Star about a donation to get their Spitfire flying again. I asked what were the chances of flying their Spitfire and maybe their Hurricane. They were very honest about it, they had their own pilots, and I was not one of them, and I got no encouragement or checkout process to become one.
I have been a CAF life member for over 20 years. Several times I have inquired about a flying sponsorship of various planes. I really have never gotten much encouragement or a positive response, other than "send money". They had a display at Sun N Fun, probably a good marketing idea. I was asked about 5 times to "become a member". I was also hassled about 5 times for using one of the vacant chairs behind the tent to rest a sore knee. For the most part there's still an us vs them, insider vs public, attitude that has been there for years. I phoned them about a month ago, and was given the name of the new "safety" person. He's not familiar to me, in 25 years of warbird flying I have never met him at an airshow, or seen or even heard of him in warbird flying. He may have an airline or military background. Anyway, the folks in Midland are very nice, but I never got him on the phone. I did just receive a letter that very politely let me know they weren't paying for any fuel for my plane to come to their airshow. In effect I was uninvited. Who needs a Spitfire at a warbird show anyway? As I wrote last year, the CAF focus is turning away from the traditional warbirds and toward the Vietnam stuff more familiar to new members and sponsors now. This doesn't seem the place to donate my plane.
I have had another small group contact me, and offer me to fly their airplanes with no strings attached. That left a pretty positive feeling.

So your suggestion is one I have considered, but it has never led anywhere.

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Bill Greenwood
Spitfire N308WK

Good on your boys! That's the right kind of attitude!
Any chance you have someone that you trust who'd be willing to set up a Paypal or some other form of online donation method?

Ryan

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Aerial Photographer with Red Wing Aerial Photography currently based at KRBD and tailwheel CFI.
Websites: Texas Tailwheel Flight Training, DoolittleRaid.com and Lbirds.com.

The horse is prepared against the day of battle: but safety is of the LORD. - Prov. 21:31 - Train, Practice, Trust.

Mr Greenwood

I don't know about anyone else but our Museum would never uninvite a Spitfire...I apologize for those in Heritage that don't seem to get it.

We are not a flying museum, but that said if we can help find information, contacts or bits to get you back in the air please contact me direct.

eahs.execdir@interbaun.com

We may never see your bird up here, but any contacts etc we can help you with to get another Spit back in the air is a darn good heritage investment as far as I am concerned.

Tom

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Alberta Aviation Museum
Edmonton Aviation Heritage Society

P.M. sent Bill.

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Chris Henry
EAA Aviation Museum Director

FYI...nobody was uninvited. We just don't have the funds to pay for the fuel for everyone. The letter was intended to let you know that you were indeed still invited, but we would unfortunately be able to pay you for the gas this time. A sign of the times, I guess, but don't take it personal.

Frankly, I'm kind of frustrated that Ray's spending all of his time in the States working on your airplane while he's still not finished with the Swordfish here, that's been incomplete far longer than your project. But, that's just the way it goes. Ray's a great guy and I know we'll get our project done eventually, but you're certainly getting the majority of Ray's valuable time. Just thought I'd throw that out as food for thought.

Gary

Gary, besides if I donated my plane to the CAF, I 'd probably come out one day and find a 2800 or 3350 on the front of it.

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Bill Greenwood
Spitfire N308WK

Yeah? So what's your point?

Gary

Wha hoo! Hangin a corncob on that plane would certainly ugly it up a smite!

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tracers work both ways

One day, when I'm running the show at the AirVenture Museum (just a lowly curator's assistant and oral historian now), I'd like to have a Spitfire in the permanent collection (the Spit Mk.IV now on display belongs to the Museum of Flight and will probably be going away by the end of the year or early 2009). A two-holer would sure be nice to escort a certain B-17 around giving rides....

Being a sentimentalist, I think leaving the Spit two your sons is a fantastic idea Bill. What a family treasure!

Zack

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Volunteer Coordinator/Curator - Military Aviation Museum - Virginia Beach, VA
"America's Flying Museum"
http://www.militaryaviationmuseum.org

Hey Bill, We had an offer to hangar SUSU (P-51) at the CAF Az Wing for a while. I politely turned them down after seeing how they treated other non-CAF aircraft by moving them around and such. I was a member there for twenty years and you're right. As long as you keep sending your checks in you're fine just as long as you don't ask to fly or work on anything. The Az Wing is now a Monday, Wednesday Friday fraternity and if you're a weekend warrior like me, they hand you a broom or a mop even though I've been a licenced A&P for 10 years. So I'm sorry guys but if I can't play, you can't have my money or my planes!!!

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

From my experience the last thing the CAF needs are finicky A&P's who actually do a good job. They wouldn't have any aircraft to fly...

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Those who possess real knowledge are rare.

Those who can set that knowledge into motion in the physical world are rarer still.

The few who possess real knowledge and can set it into motion of their own hands are the rarest of all.

There was a guy trying to work a deal with them for a static 51 in trade for the Spit

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Don't touch my junk!!

I haven't seen a museum yet that hasn't got its privileged cliques.

There's no doubt there was some of that going on in the old days, and perhaps there's still some going on now. However, I can assure you that THIS finicky A&P is trying to make a difference around here and is trying to encourage all CAF Units to do the same. I'm not trying to persuade your opinions, I'm only saying that there's a new sheriff in town and I'm tryin' to clean this town up.

Sorry to hijack your thread, Bill. So, in that light, even though it's not a Spitfire, here's an artists conception of how a Mustang would look with a "real" engine in it. I gotta say....I kinda like it!





Gary

Obviously not a "dirty three filthy". Not enough rows. Funny stuff Gary. I know you're trying to do the best you can Gary with the individual wings and such but you ARE just one man even though you do the work of twenty. I stick by my statement the Arizona Wing has eliminated any aircraft maintenance chores for those of us who can only come out on weekends. It is now a Mon, Wed, Fri club. Don't believe me, show up on a Tuesday, Thursday or weekend. The place is a morgue because nobody wants to come out anymore. Sitting around withcing Cessnas and Pipers take off and land gets old fast although at Falcon, we are privledged to have Barbie III and a TBM that fly regularly on the weekends.

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