Warbird Information Exchange

On the B25 at the cemetery in PA.

Don Riggs a long time TV newscaster and local well know in the Pittsburgh area who worked for WQED, KDKA and WPXI form 1960 to 1990. He did over the years weather, news, sports, and a number of children shows and a Saturday morning Tarzan show which if I remember was called Wana Jim which I watched while growing up. He would do these little outtakes that he shot in the Pittsburgh area, during a break in the movie one that I remember for some reason he and his film crew went to this rifle range where they were having M1 rifle display and they showed this one guy who fired off a whole clip of M1 in about 4 seconds. Then he took the video clip and timed how long it took all during the program.

But anyway Don was always a big aviation fan. He did allot of work on bringing Mrs. Pittsburgh (the first airplane to fly mail) back to Pittsburgh. Then raised money to have it restored and then hung in the main terminal at Pittsburgh International Airport.

He also did air show announcing in his later years, I got to know him working the Beaver County Air shows and all the other air shows we did in the tri state area. At one Friday night air show party/dinner after most of the people left Don who liked a cocktail or two brought out this video.

Well this video was about that B25, Somehow he tool a film crew down to Little Washington County airport where the 25 landed to be moved to the cemetery. He interviewed the crew who ferried the airplane and then covered the move to the cemetery. If I remember right the pilot was the same guy who flew the CAP JU 52 out of the Chicago area.

Then a number of years later he also covered the 25 being taken off the pole at the cemetery which was done with a CH 54 sky crane and even rented an airplane and got shots of the whole thing flying away where I can’t remember. They did this lift with the whole airplane they did not remove anything. Don again interviewed the crew of the 54 after flight and I remember the pilot said as they first picked the airplane and got some airspeed the 25 started to fly a little from what his instruments told him.

Don died in Feb 2009

Have no idea where the video is today.

Thought I'd share this one. This is F-80C 49-710 in Alamogordo, NM. I took these shots back in 1987 when I was living in El Paso, TX.

According to Joe Baugher's site this bird is now in Kansas? I'd love to see any current pictures of her if someone has them to post here...

-Derek

Derek, here is a shot of 710 at the Mid America Air Museum taken a couple of years ago:



For some reason it appears that sometime after 710 went North 49-853 showed up at Holloman. It seems like it would have been easier to just move 710 the few miles to Holloman and transport 853 from where ever to Kansas.

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Had God intended for man to fly behind inline engines, Pratt & Whitney would have made them.

CB

http://www.angelfire.com/dc/jinxx1/Desrt_Wings.html

RE: The camo Huey at Lackland in the first post.

As stated by others, it looks like a B model.
My trouble with that is that the short fuselage Hueys the USAF flew were F and P models...a big change with a completely different cowl and side (not back) exhaust.

You would thing the NMUSAF could do a bit better than that.

The last time I was at Lackland...about 5 years ago, they had a T-38 camo painted (over the back seat canopy) and had it signed as an F-5.

Finally, they had a rare two-seat side-by-side B-57 painted in Vietnam era camo. Wrong again.

Now, I'm willing to bet some local commander thaought it would be a great idea to have a Vietnam-themed airpark, so out came the paint guns.
BUT, I'd really expect the NMUSAF to put an end to such diishonest nonsense...especially when real F-5s, UH-1F/Ps and later B-57s are out there.

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Remember the vets, the wonderful planes they flew and their sacrifices for a future many of them did not live to see.

That's this one:

http://www.warbirdregistry.org/b25regis ... 29812.html

Looks like it's in CA, not FL. When you saw it last, how was it corrosion-wise after all those Minnesota winters?

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All right, Mister Dorfmann, start pullin'!
Pilot: "Flap switch works hard in down position."
Mechanic: "Flap switch checked OK. Pilot needs more P.T." - Flight report, TB-17G 42-102875 (Hobbs AAF)

Well, and additionally the "F-4C" on display at Lackland is actually an F-4B, Bu. No. 149421

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Had God intended for man to fly behind inline engines, Pratt & Whitney would have made them.

CB

http://www.angelfire.com/dc/jinxx1/Desrt_Wings.html

Maybe they will change it as soon as that G model 17 stops pretending to be an F model

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Chris Henry
EAA Aviation Museum Manager

Cool F-4, bad display

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Chris Henry
EAA Aviation Museum Manager

There are plans to get some of the rarer static birds at Lackland inside at some point, I hope? It's a bit odd, as rare as P-51H's, P-47N's, P-63's, and F-82's are.

For years, my family would take us to this park and the B-25 was always the highlight for me, but it was never painted in all the years I saw it, as it was bare metal.

Iteresting feature was the stairs and walkway to get up on the wing and look into the cockpit.

I think these were taken around 1978 and that last one is of me, with my dad taking the pictures.

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Phormer Phantom Painter

Don't know if you got this last time I posted, but here's a cleaned up version of your photo:

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All right, Mister Dorfmann, start pullin'!
Pilot: "Flap switch works hard in down position."
Mechanic: "Flap switch checked OK. Pilot needs more P.T." - Flight report, TB-17G 42-102875 (Hobbs AAF)

Blue Angel 1, on a stick, I-10, Pensacola FL, nice bird perch!

A Curtiss 19R that flies now at Schellville Airport Ca came off a pole in Bolivia, SA.

and for Chris Brame, excellent restoration job on that picture, I've got a few hundred I'll mail you that need that touch

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Roger Cain
www.sfahistory.org
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Stearman/


We must limit politicians to two terms:
one in office and one in jail.

Thanks Chris. I have a pic. just like it but I can"t find It. My uncle lived down the road from the park and knew the owners. I was able to go inside a few times to check it out. I know it was mostly complete but never thought much about the corrosion. When I heard it was sold and the park was closing I could not get there to see them dismantle it. I did here it was taken apart professionally and not a hack job. Air classics way back said it was going to fla. I hope it gets restored some day and they should put Paul Bunyon on it. Steve [/quote]

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PAPPY ch-46 phrog,endangerd species 40 years and still flying

Almost forgot ,I also know it had a top turret at one time but was sold for a B-25 restoration someware,

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PAPPY ch-46 phrog,endangerd species 40 years and still flying