Warbird Information Exchange

Navy TAC Demo (VFA-106) has Thunder on their schedule.

Saw that. Not particularly interested in seeing another Hornet demo, but hopefully we can have a great Legacy Flight with perhaps an A-4 Skyhawk or two, maybe an A-1 Skyraider and/or a T-2 Buckeye. As long as its at least a 3-ship Legacy Flight!

Looking at that list, something to consider is that many of those aircraft are hold overs from WWII and are best known for their service during that war. If that theme had been taken it would likely be pretty hard to tell it apart from a WWII theme.

Also 2013 is the 40th anniversary of the withdrawal of US troops from Vietnam. So, the Vietnam theme is actually quite appropriate.

I wouldn't mind seeing an F-100 or two, or the F-4 again. I'm sure it will be a great show like always.

"big blue is considering ways of maintain several airframes as flyers for the heritage flight program, beyond the completion of the QF-4 program."

And in this era of budget cuts, we should be thankful if this is truly the case!

TXCOMT

Just remember, the NASCAR race is that Sunday 30 miles West. Just book hotels early.

Thinking about driving to Hamilton Friday, going to the CWH show and staying overnight in the Sarnia area before heading to Thunder on Sunday. If that doesn't work out, I'll be driving in from Kalamazoo both days. Looking forward to hearing more about the Thunder lineup so we can make our decision on where we're going and when.

I like the possibilities for the Vietnam theme. Selfridge did a pretty good Vietnam show in 2005 with the Collings Foundation F-4, an F-104 demo, MiG-17, Skyraider, AC-47, A-37, Bearcat and OH-6. The Collings F-4 demo at Thunder in 2009 was one of the most memorable things I've seen at an airshow and I hope TOM is able to bring that back. Add a downed pilot demo with Hueys and some fast movers, maybe one of the F-100s and a Skyhawk and it could be a heck of a show.

A Skyhawk/F-18 Legacy Flight would be cool too, or even a QF-4s for a Heritage Flight.

EDIT: Just saw over on Fence Check that there won't be any QF-4 Demos or Heritage Flights this year.

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Matt

GOOD ideas on the Vietnam theme! Like your thinking. Hope there is at least a 3-Ship Legacy Flight with maybe a Hornet/Skyhawk/Skyraider or something along those lines.

Terrible news about the QF-4's and Heritage Flights in 2013. I went over and confirmed what you saw on Fence Check. Maybe there is at least a very small chance that they can come up with a plan for a couple of the civilian F-4 pilots to fly for some HF's or at least a few single ship QF-4 demos...... This could be a potential blow to the Vietnam theme and if there cannot be any AF QF-4's then I would think that the acquisition of the Collings F-4D becomes even more important. Work is being done on the F-4D and it sounds like late April or May could be the earliest it may be available for shows. Hopefully it will be available in mid-June.

I know that Michael, Kevin and team will do the best they can to get a good cross-section of flying warbirds for the show including ones for the Vietnam War theme.

Look forward to aircraft attending news as it becomes available.

Is that Vietnam War Heritage group still around that used to do the demos at airshows? Saw them at Dayton and Selfridge in early 2000s.

They had a C-7 Caribou, OV-1, OH-58, OH-6, UH-1, AH-1 along with ground artillery guys. The AH-1 would fly over and there would be great pyro simulating him blowing away the Viet Kong.

I think they may still exist on a smaller scale. Unfortunately I believe the Caribou and Mohawk are not part of the group any longer. The Cobra gunships and Hueys may be the extent of what they have.

Is that the same group that gives the Huey rides at Airshows? And also the Cobra 4 ship Black and yellow formation squad (which would be cool to get at Thunder)?

I am wondering if it is the same C-7 that flies the airshow circuit as the one from back at those shows? There was a C-7 that flew a heritage flight with a C-17 at Sun N Fun a couple years back.

Thunder Over Michigan did have a small Vietnam tribute in 2009 with the Mig-17/Collings F-4 dogfight and the small battle with the AC-47, 3 Sky Raiders, 2 Hueys and a couple other planes

I don't think the group Boeing666 is referring to exists anymore. I saw this group, or a similar one, at Battle Creek in the late-90s. As I recall they had a Skyraider, OV-1, Twin Otter, Beaver, O-2, O-1 and possibly a few helicopters. That group was named something-Assault Battalion as I recall. It was a very good act. I believe the Skyraider ended up with Rick Sharpe.

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Matt

IT was these guys I am quite sure.

http://www.armyav.org/home.html

They just don't seem to have the C-7 anymore that would drop the freight out the back of it. They did a small reenactment at Titusville - Rescue at Dawn with the OV-1 (that is a local Florida based one), the L-19, Huey but they used some local T-28s (that posed as AT-28s) for the pyro simulated bombing of the Kong

The only airworthy C-7 in the US is N149HF which is owned by the Cavanaugh Flight Museum (which is technically a CV-2B Caribou). I am thinking either Army Aviation Heritage Foundation may have used to own it - what gives me the clue is that the tail number is N149HF - the HF maybe stood for Heritage Foundation as I believe some of the Huey tail numbers end in HF.

The Cavanaugh Flight Museum's Caribou does look like the former Army Aviation Heritage Foundation's one. The website says that both their Caribou and Mohawk are airworthy and available for air shows. It would be terrrific to see these at Thunder in June.

http://www.cavanaughflightmuseum.com/in ... rticle/121

It would be outstanding to see the Caribou in the air with a C-123 and a C-47/AC-47.

I would love to see that Cavanaugh green Mohawk. There is a gray one that flies various Florida Airshows N10VD. It participated in the Rescue at Dawn show at Titusville along with Army Heritage Foundation's UH-1 and L-19. Some local guys that fly T-28s every year at Titusville, Sun N Fun etc had their T-28s pretend to be AT-28s I guess as they were doing pyro when they flew over.

Thunder had a C-123 on static in 2009 when they had the Vietnam show last time. It just never went up for the show.

Is that DHC-4/C-7 that Yankee Air Force has still flyable? That used to belong to Environmental Research Institute of Michigan and I last saw it fly around 1999 before it was donated to Yankee and repainted to look like a C-7.

Looks like the website is coming to life. Looking forward to updates.