Warbird Information Exchange

I'm 19 and have taken a few lessons, but not consistently enough to really get a good start on a license. Right now, college is sucking up all of my financial resources, so I plan on waiting until I'm done with school before pursuing a pilot's license.

I hope to one day be able to afford to own a nice taildragger of some sort. I've done a lot of research and my goal is either a PT-19/23/26 series or an L-Bird of some sort. I doubt I'll ever be able to afford a fighter type of any kind, but I can always work toward that. To me, it's all about building the experience to know how to safely operate the type that interests me, and then taking the time to find the right example that best fits my needs from an affordability and quality standpoint.

I have some friends who are in the aviation here who are interested in warbirds, so maybe one of them will someday be able to get into fighters. It's great to see some peers who have the same interest as me, and I'm sure this can only be a good thing for the future of the warbird movement.

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Matt

That is why I asked the question Randy. I am wondering if we have any younger pilots trying to get into the bombers. If you look at who is flying them now you will see a fairly high average age. We know it can't be done without mentoring from existing pilots.

You are also correct about the building time factor. When I started flying in 1979, everybody was geared towards building time to fly for the airlines. My flight school had 30 Cessnas with no taildraggers. We did our spin training in the 152's. I hung out at Fullerton Airport taking any flight I could get whether it was a ride or ferrying new and used aircraft around the country.
In retrospect, I should have learned to fly taildraggers earlier and hung out at Chino Airport instead.

Les

I've got a Globe Swift in a hanger in Northern Michigan just sitting there collecting dust. It's painted to look like a Spitfire and I have zero interest in shipping (or flying) it out to California. I've flown it several times with pops, but now it just sits there in the hanger. It's not a warbird but it is a taildragger. Since it was dropped in my lap last year, I'm not sure what I want to do with it. I would love to see someone take it and completely restore it to it's original condition. Maybe this is an outside way to learn several valuable lessons to restoration, taildragger time, possible warbird flying, etc.

I've been told several times over the years that a Swift is a great trainer for possibly flying warbirds someday. I'm thinking about donating the Swift to someone who would be willing to completely restore her back to original condition. I don't need any money, but I think someone who would spend the time and money to restore her would be very happy in the end. just a thought ... Anyone interested PM me. Warning!!! ... I would assume it would need to be shipped, not flown since it hasn't been flown in 4 or so years. I have all the logbooks on her as well. Dad did his best in his final years to take care of her.

The longer it sits in that hanger, the worse it gets.

Mark

The Swift is one of my favorite airplanes and I've been looking for a way to get started in restorations. I have some EAA guys around here that I'm sure would love to help me out.

My goal is to transition to warbirds like so many others on this thread. I'm 25 and still working on my license and most of it so far has been in an Aeronca Champ. I'm joining the CAF soon and was asked to volunteer for a very prominent airshow out here.

Like so many others have said, it's all about WHAT you know and WHO you know. Networking, having a positive attitude, building the proper taildragger time and being in the right place at the right time seems to be the key.

That being said, anyone in Colorado have a hangar they'd like to donate to a Swift project?

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Scott Greenfield

Mark,

Can you tell us (maybe on another thread) what all you know might need attention on the Swift to get it flying for starters? I work with some A&Ps at the FBO who might could give me an idea of just what it'd take to get the bird up and flying.

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.

Ryan, there are some photos from this year somewhere on this crazy site.

Will look when I'm off work.

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.

I think people tend to overlook some young pilots that have been checked out in the mustang for quite sometime now. Magazines and other forms of information often overlook Casey Odegaard, Scott Yoak, and Chris Baranaskas. All of these checked out in their low or exactly at 20 and fly these planes on a regular basis. I know for a fact that Scott and Chris both do acro airshows in the mustang and flying formation on a regular basis. Im just making this known because they deserve some sort of recognition. Plus all of them are very nice guys, hope to see more of them in 2009

Even the twenty's X2 like me are looking forward to flying warbirds. I'm typed in several jets but they are nothing like a warbird. My next A/C will be a SNJ....

Lynn

Great thread, guys. I'm at the opposite end of the spectrum, unfortunately. 58 and just starting my aviation "career". I too am a warbird freak and have come to the conclusion that I have a nitch that I can fill to keep a portion of warbird history alive.

I am doing all my training in the Citabria and really have no desire to fly anything with a "steering wheel". My finances are okay but not in the realm of the P-47 I'd really like to have but I am absolutely happy to one day get a PT-19 trainer or partner in a T-6.

As such an owner, I would find it a great honor to help as many young pilots as I could follow the steps of "our fathers" in learning how to fly the aircraft that taught them to fly the P-40's, P-47's, P-38's, and P-51's.

My first ride in a Mustang came at Palomar with a young punk who turns out to be one of Steve Hinton's partners. He told me then (I was 23 he about the same) that they volunteered at Chino to work on the planes and in return were taught to fly the warbirds. Yeah, it cost me $30 for about a 45 minute ride, but these kids were living the last of a dream of many.

Now insurance, costs, etc. could never allow that to happen, for sure. So we need to help protect and foster in whatever way we can, the continued growth of the next generation of owners and pilots. We can only hope that they have the where-with-all to keep them in the air.

We are a selfish breed who want our interests to remain and propagate. The owness is on us to make sure these aircraft never die and there is always a supply of pilots. Our Dad's did this for us, now it is our turn. My great thanks to my good friends who have shared their warbirds with me. I am a very lucky guy. Now I have to figure a payback.

Rant ends...

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"There are old pilots and bold pilots but few old, bold pilots."

My kid in Joe Clarks T28...


and Clay Lacys DC3:


& Man O War:

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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.

I'm 28 and typed in the B-17 and B-25.

That's one happy little girl

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"I knew the jig was up when I saw the P-51D-20-NA Mustang blue-nosed bastards from Bodney, and by the way the blue was more of a royal blue than an indigo and the inner landing gear interiors were NOT green, over Berlin."

Let me add Kevin Rauile to the list of success stories. He is with the Cavanaugh museum. When I met him 15+ years ago, he was just soloing one of their taildraggers..a Champ maybe. A few days ago, he led the missing man flight for Lefty's memorial services. 3 Mustangs and a P-38. At his side, in #3 position, was White Lightinin' that did the pull to the west for Lefty.
Great to hear of young friends doing well and accomplishing their dreams.
VL

That little girl picked her parents very well!