Trip to the Olympia Airshow (pics)
Wed Jun 24, 2009 1:00 am
Rather than continue the other thread here:
http://warbirdinformationexchange.org/p ... sc&start=0
I'm starting a new one.
It wasn't the biggest airshow we ever had and the weather didn't always make stuff easy. But, it was the best time I've had back in Olympia in many years. Kristine got to be involved with the airshow and see some of the reasons I keep going back and we both were able to take some really cool rides. Best of all, she was able to meet many of the friends that I've made over the last decade or so. Fortunately, she had a good time and will let me go back! Bud picked us up at the airport and Brian took us back. During the six days in between the following happened.
Stopped by FHC for a few minutes
Ran by the MOF restoration facility for about five minutes.
Got a few of Bud's airplanes ready and Kristine flew down to Olympia in the Fouga. I followed in the Navion.
On Friday it rained off and on but they still got a four-ship up for the Missing Man formation. It was in honor of the Wounded Warriors that were at the airport. The boys from BLI put on quite a spread for a very good cause. Kristine went in the T-6 with Bud. I strapped her in and stood in the rain.
From the B-25. I don't remember which of us took these but I think it was me.
We flew in Ray Roussy's Navion in formation with Dave Desmon.
Two of the Helicopters. Kristine went for a ride in the OH-6 but I had the camera in the B-25.
I ran up the Zero prior to the flyby. Kristine got to stand fire guard.
My friend Steve Swift got his first ride in a P-51. He took my camera so I'm posting his picture!
Out of the Fouga, T-6, B-25, C-182, Navion and OH-6, Kristine's favorite ride was the Allison powered Animal.
Here's a video of Brian, Bud and me riding the Animal. It's the 3,000hp Allison powered tractor. Brian is driving, I'm on the only other seat and Bud is squatted down between us holding on to me.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hu-SEZW7 ... re=channel
Here's the Husky starting up.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2kEHCww ... annel_page
Here's the Cobra taking off.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2OspberogrA
And finally the T-6 accident.
They were very lucky they didn't land upside down. It was even luckier that the two occupants weren't seriously hurt. It hit so hard that grass was wedged between the tire and wheel. The struts weren't bent at all, they were snapped clean off. It's munched pretty bad but not beyond repair.
http://warbirdinformationexchange.org/p ... sc&start=0
I'm starting a new one.
It wasn't the biggest airshow we ever had and the weather didn't always make stuff easy. But, it was the best time I've had back in Olympia in many years. Kristine got to be involved with the airshow and see some of the reasons I keep going back and we both were able to take some really cool rides. Best of all, she was able to meet many of the friends that I've made over the last decade or so. Fortunately, she had a good time and will let me go back! Bud picked us up at the airport and Brian took us back. During the six days in between the following happened.
Stopped by FHC for a few minutes
Ran by the MOF restoration facility for about five minutes.
Got a few of Bud's airplanes ready and Kristine flew down to Olympia in the Fouga. I followed in the Navion.
On Friday it rained off and on but they still got a four-ship up for the Missing Man formation. It was in honor of the Wounded Warriors that were at the airport. The boys from BLI put on quite a spread for a very good cause. Kristine went in the T-6 with Bud. I strapped her in and stood in the rain.
From the B-25. I don't remember which of us took these but I think it was me.
We flew in Ray Roussy's Navion in formation with Dave Desmon.
Two of the Helicopters. Kristine went for a ride in the OH-6 but I had the camera in the B-25.
I ran up the Zero prior to the flyby. Kristine got to stand fire guard.
My friend Steve Swift got his first ride in a P-51. He took my camera so I'm posting his picture!
Out of the Fouga, T-6, B-25, C-182, Navion and OH-6, Kristine's favorite ride was the Allison powered Animal.
Here's a video of Brian, Bud and me riding the Animal. It's the 3,000hp Allison powered tractor. Brian is driving, I'm on the only other seat and Bud is squatted down between us holding on to me.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hu-SEZW7 ... re=channel
Here's the Husky starting up.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2kEHCww ... annel_page
Here's the Cobra taking off.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2OspberogrA
And finally the T-6 accident.
They were very lucky they didn't land upside down. It was even luckier that the two occupants weren't seriously hurt. It hit so hard that grass was wedged between the tire and wheel. The struts weren't bent at all, they were snapped clean off. It's munched pretty bad but not beyond repair.
Wed Jun 24, 2009 1:07 am
Great pictures, but it was painful to see the ones of the Harvard. That is one mangled hunk of airplane. Very sad. I'm glad to hear the occupants were alright, but I worry what kind of linger "minor" pains they'll be feeling for a while.
Ony a lighter note, you're very lucky to be able to work with Bud Granley. Just having met him a few times at airshows I've learned he's quite the nice guy.
Cheers,
David
Ony a lighter note, you're very lucky to be able to work with Bud Granley. Just having met him a few times at airshows I've learned he's quite the nice guy.
Cheers,
David
Wed Jun 24, 2009 11:01 am
Great pics Brad. Glad that Harvard deal was not any worse.
Robbie
Robbie
Wed Jun 24, 2009 11:55 am
On that Zero replica, what was done to the landing gear?
Wed Jun 24, 2009 12:38 pm
Those Harvard pics are heartbreaking. Glad to hear nobody got seriously hurt. Here it is in Oly last year.
Tue Sep 08, 2009 11:28 pm
Well, I needed more T-6 parts like I needed a hole in my head, but I just
bought this thing (N9793Z, Harvard II / AT-6A 75-3048, RCAF 3134) from
the insurance company. I'll post pics of the dissassembly / recovery
when I get back home.
Bela P. Havasreti
bought this thing (N9793Z, Harvard II / AT-6A 75-3048, RCAF 3134) from
the insurance company. I'll post pics of the dissassembly / recovery
when I get back home.
Bela P. Havasreti
Tue Sep 08, 2009 11:30 pm
snj-5 wrote:Well, I needed more T-6 parts like I needed a hole in my head, but I just
bought this thing (N9793Z, Harvard II / AT-6A 75-3048, RCAF 3134) from
the insurance company. I'll post pics of the dissassembly / recovery
when I get back home.
Bela P. Havasreti
I'm glad you got it Bela. You saved us from another project!!
Wed Sep 09, 2009 1:17 pm
snj-5 wrote:Well, I needed more T-6 parts like I needed a hole in my head, but I just
bought this thing (N9793Z, Harvard II / AT-6A 75-3048, RCAF 3134) from
the insurance company. I'll post pics of the dissassembly / recovery
when I get back home.
Bela P. Havasreti
HEY! I know that aircraft!! That is the ex Brian Vooght ex John Koelbel aircraft that used to be based back east in PA and then MD. We had that aircraft at a few of the very early WWII Weekend events in Reading, PA. Do you plan to restore it or just use it for parts? I would hate to see it broken up for just parts.
Greg Witmer
Wed Sep 09, 2009 2:38 pm
Who owns the blue T6 with the CF and the 54 markings now? CF stands for Dale Clarke & Dennis Firestone. The plane spent many years based at Chino and was later obtained by Daryl Bond (TF-51 Lady Jo). Daryl sold it and it went away I'm guessing in the early 1990s.
??
Wed Sep 09, 2009 5:32 pm
That's Craig Nelson who flew with us in Texan Flight. He's out of the Seattle area and has owned the a/c for quite a few years.
Wed Sep 09, 2009 8:48 pm
Brad, you live a boring life. Oh, and thanks for introducing me to Bob Hoover at the Monterey Airshow when we took the Thunderbirds in there.
Kelly
Kelly
Re: ??
Wed Sep 09, 2009 10:40 pm
Jack Cook wrote:That's Craig Nelson who flew with us in Texan Flight. He's out of the Seattle area and has owned the a/c for quite a few years.
San Juan islands to be accurate
Nice old bird thats well cared for... the airplane, not the owner
Thu Sep 10, 2009 10:45 am
Thanks! Got my first T-6 ride with Dennis Firestone in that plane.
Mon Sep 14, 2009 2:06 pm
LARGEFLYER wrote:HEY! I know that aircraft!! That is the ex Brian Vooght ex John Koelbel aircraft that used to be based back east in PA and then MD. We had that aircraft at a few of the very early WWII Weekend events in Reading, PA. Do you plan to restore it or just use it for parts? I would hate to see it broken up for just parts.
Greg Witmer
Don't know yet. Based upon an early survey of what's there + the
extent of damage, it could be rebuilt to fly. I have most of the required
replacement airframe parts on-hand to make it fly again, and I suppose a
guy could start bolting the big good/replacement parts on, sling some
paint on her and go flying, but it really needs a complete rebuild /
restoration (from what we saw upon disassembling the aircraft, I don't
think it's ever been apart since it was built at the North American
Inglewood plant in 1941....).
Bela P. Havasreti
Mon Sep 14, 2009 2:09 pm
Brad wrote:I'm glad you got it Bela. You saved us from another project!!
Glad I could help out....
(The last thing *I* needed right now was another project!)
Bela P. Havasreti