Warbird Information Exchange

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.

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Brad

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

Great pics Brad. Glad that Harvard deal was not any worse.
Robbie

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Fly Fast Make Noise!

On that Zero replica, what was done to the landing gear?

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“Words are never enough . . . words do not exist to make us see, or know, or feel what it is like, what actually happens."

Those Harvard pics are heartbreaking. Glad to hear nobody got seriously hurt. Here it is in Oly last year.

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-Al Sauer
http://www.flickr.com/photos/spookythecat

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!!

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Brad

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

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Greg Witmer, V.P. of Operations
Airboss / Ground Boss / WWII Aircraft Coordinator
David Schultz Airshows LLC

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.

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.

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Don't touch my junk!!

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

San Juan islands to be accurate

Nice old bird thats well cared for... the airplane, not the owner

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"They can teach MONKEYS to fly better than that"

http://www.heritageflight.org
http://www.bravo369.org

Thanks! Got my first T-6 ride with Dennis Firestone in that plane.

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

Glad I could help out....

(The last thing *I* needed right now was another project!)

Bela P. Havasreti