2010 Heritage Flight Conference

[drgondog]

I was there representing the 355th FGA and we had one great time at the 354 and 358 Roll Call's. I didn't take many pics except for Chuck Hauver (last 354FS ace from WWII) with the 354FS pilots. They just got back from Afghanistan just awhile ago - out standing teams of pilots and maintainers everywhere on the base.

I thought last year was a little better from a warbird assembly point of view but the flight precision was still outstanding this year.

The F-22's were down Thursday and Friday with maintenance problems, but they got it (one) up saturday afternoon.. the 'old' one was #10 off the line and I think it blew two pressure fittings when they tried to crank it up on Friday.

[mlenoch]

6trn4brn wrote:"Vlado...where are the pix of Moonbeam??? Did you not take her out there?"

No, Moonbeam did not go this year.
The WX was awful coming & going anyway.

Thx,
VL

[drgondog]

Vlado - Moonbeam wasn't there last March either (was it? - I have experienced CRS in my declining years)..

Regards,

Bill

[mlenoch]

Participating warbirds are funded by ACC. Mileage is part of funding. And Moonbeam is one of the furthest warbirds from the conference. Thus - No Moonbeam
(No CRS on your part! )
VL

[aerocapture]

Here are a few of my shots captured during the HFC - Lyle

[Randy Haskin]

Is that Greg Anders in the Skyraider?

[jtramo]

Those F-4s are badddddddd! Man when I was a kid going to shows I never though id see the retirement of the F-14 and the F-4 (but more likely) and kinda took seeing them all the time for granted. Its unbelievable that there are still some Phantoms flying while the Toms are all gone or gut-less and parked on grass in front of museums. darn those F-4s are baddddd!

[Hal B]

Is that Greg Anders in the Skyraider?

That be BA hisself!

[mustangwatcher]

Vlado, do you think they will ever add any new civilian pilots to HF?

[mlenoch]

The USAF certainly will add new pilots as the demand dictates.
Some of the factors are retirements, more airshows, regional demands, etc.
Today, just like the economy, the demand is stagnant.
VL

[steve dickey]

Could somebody tell me what the pod on the inboard pylon is?
Thanx. Great photos by the way

[CAPFlyer]

It's an SUU-12A Gun Pod that carried a 7.62mm Minigun in it.

(From Wikipedia, but confirmed on other sources) -

* M18 and SUU-11/A Series

Perhaps the most widely used gun pod developed by the US military, fitted with a single M134 7.62x51mm Minigun.[3] This weapon was produced in three generations, with separate designations applied by both the US Army and US Air Force.

The first was the XM18 and SUU-11/A, which featured a standard version of the weapon encased in an aerodynamic pod. This weapon was unmodified and fired at a rate of 6,000 rpm. The fact that the weapon only fed from a drum containing 1,500 rounds of ammunition meant that a slower rate of fire was desired.[8]

The second set of subvariants, designated XM18E1 (and standardized as the M18) and SUU-11A/A, featured an aircraft-to-pod electric connection, allowing aircraft internal power to be used in providing better starting torque, a de-energized solenoid allowing for better round clearing at low rates of fire, and circuitry that allowed for selectable rates of fire. The options were either 2,000 rpm or 4,000 rpm, both significantly lower than the base rate of fire.[9]

The last set of subvariants were designated M18A1 (development of the M18E1) and SUU-11B/A. These featured a slightly higher set of selectable rates of fire, either 3,000 rpm or the high 6,000 rpm.[1][10]

These pods were used on a wide array of US aircraft, primarily during the Vietnam War, including the A-1 Skyraider, A-37 Dragonfly, and the T-28 Trojan. It was also tested on the ACH-47A "Guns A-Go-Go" by the US Army and on the UH-1E Iroquois by the US Marine Corps, and were part of standard armament fits for the AH-1 Cobra with both services.[11][12]

Line drawing -

[drgondog]

As most of you know the A-10 has taken over the Sandy role.

Weasel nose Gunner Billy "Sparky" Sparks was asked to say a few words out in front of the A-1 to many current A-10 pilots flying that mission - about his personal experience in getting picked up 'way up north' in a bamboo forest with one quarter of a turn left on the spool of the Jolly green hook - Migs in the area and Sandy's staying to provide cover.

He gets pretty emotional and it was one hell of a good run of a 'few words'..

I don't recall if he knew Greg before the show but he was glad to see the A-1