Warbirds to ID from Breckenridge Airshow

[Obergrafeter]

I was there and saw it...............................really unbelievable that no one was hurt!!!!

[Steve T]

Nice to see that Sabre again. Ron Iberg flew her all the way up here to Ontario for one of the "two and only" Brant County Airshows at Brantford, west of Hamilton, in (iirc) 1994. I occasionally assisted decal-maker Howard McLean with his airshow vending back then, and was at Brantford on arrival day (such as it was--the shows were small, run on a shoestring) helping set up. Howard went to chat with the organizer in the early evening and came back with the excellent--not to mention astonishing--news that the F-86 that had been the subject of wild rumours earlier in the day was in fact inbound, arriving fast and low out of the setting sun ten minutes later...the first Sabre I had ever seen in the air. One of my four or five all-time favourite Warbird moments...

S.

[JFS61]

Always regretted not getting to one of those "Big Iron" airshows back in the 80's - Thought about it a couple of times, but the distance (6+ hours) and lack of accommodations in the area at the time always got in the way.

[Lynn Allen]

Lynn, were you there the year the P-63 and Cloud Dancer came " " this close to merging? Still gives me shivers. That is the only year I ever made it to Breckenridge. Had a truly great time and my first experience of true Texan hospitality. We were in my brother's Skipper, but they treated us like we had come in the -6.

Ken Dawson has it on tape. Steve Rister and I watched it.

Now, do you remember the Saturday night party P-51 fly-by by Bob Converse? Its on tape and there is a picture of it if Ober can get a copy from Col. Fry. That almost made the 19sec fly-by over at Lancaster look like nothing...

[RobC]

We had to leave after the show, so I am sorry I missed that. It would be great to get those videos out on youtube or some place. The statute of limitations must have expired by now!

[C170BDan]

Thanks again for the help with the aircraft IDs. Lots of great memories.

Can anyone help with some other details???

What was the year of the last airshow? 1994 or 1995? I can't figure out what year it was.

Also... trying to dig up history on the airfield itself. The runway layout suggests it is an ex-military airfield. Maybe an aux-field? Can anyone provide me some history and link to verify the history?

[Rajay]

Trying to find the N numbers or serial numbers for the aircraft below. Any help would be appreciated.

Goose - this airplane is two hangars away from mine and I still can't ID it!

OK... right after I posted I found a WIX post that included info on Goose 87732 that is N87U.

Goose used to be owned by Glenn Johnson. Great guy from Ft. Worth. Experienced my first water landing in that aircraft. I think I was around three...

Still is AFAIK.

Grumman G-38 c/n B-126 built in May 1945* as US Navy JRF-5 Bu. 87732.

*For some strange reason, on its registration, it is identified as a 1942 model.

Currently registered as N87U (since June 8, 1993) to:
Blue Goose Enterprises Inc.
3342 South Sandhill 9-516
Las Vegas, NV 89121

Dan, "Two hangars away from mine" would that happen to be in Roanoke, TX? That's where I heard that N87U was actually based - in spite of its registration. Heard that directly from Glen Hyde.

Goose s/n B-126 was formerly registered as N9544C, became N87U in 1964 or so with Kodiak Airways in Alaska, later with Kodiak Western Airways in the 1970's and and Cinema Air in the 1980's. Rumored to have been used in the Mel Gibson movie "Forever Young" in 1988.

Once looked up the corporate registration of "Blue Goose Enterprises" and the trail led back to an attorney in Ft. Worth, TX named E. Glen Johnson. Also heard a rumor that he has a vacation place in Maine and takes the Goose there annually (or so.)

One of its obvious mods is the installation of Beech 18 engine cowlings per the Pan Air STC. Of course, also the Hartzell 3-bladed props - but don't they all by now? (On the other hand, Addison Pemberton's resto of N95467, s/n 1161, will be going back to 2-bladed Ham Stds. with a new feathering setup for safety.) N87U also has Cleveland wheels and brakes per STC SA99GL plus a water rudder as well. Don't know which water rudder mod it is, but have seen blueprints for two versions - by BNP Airways and Ellis Airlines.

Never been able to figure out why N87U has the RAF Eagle Squadron logo that was later adopted by the 4th Fighter Group of the 8th Air Force in the ETO (and still used later on 4th FG F-86's in Korea too) - on a US Navy Goose!

This was one of two Gooses to sail on the USS Carl Vinson to Hawaii in 1995(?) to participate in some kind of Pearl Harbor memorial at that time. Apparently, it flew off the deck and landed in the harbor and taxiied up the seaplane ramp on Ford Island.

The other Goose on that Chuckie V cruise was Tom Danaher's N291VW, G-21A s/n 1188 - the very last actual civilian model G-21A ever built by Grumman, in Sept. 1942. It was initially sold to Columbia University and registered as N1604, but it was actually operated by some kind of special ops/research group at Columbia in support of the war effort until it was taken over by the US Navy and brought up to spec as a model JRF-4. It was later further upgraded to a JRF-5 configuration and kept by the Navy after the war. In the 1950's, it was one of 4 that were loaned to the fledgling JMSDF (as no. 9012) for use as a MES and navigation trainer. Tom got it in 1963 directly from the US Army Depot Command in Japan after it was declared surplus - and he's had it based in Wichita Falls, TX ever since.

Taylor, I imagine that when you were just 3 y.o. was a long time ago. Are you still in touch with Glen Johnson? He's one of the few current Goose owners with whom I've never had any direct contact. Would love to be able to talk to him if you happen to have a current e-mail of whatever. PM me if you do/will. Thanks!

[C170BDan]

Grumman G-38 c/n B-126 built in May 1945* as US Navy JRF-5 Bu. 87732.

Dan, "Two hangars away from mine" would that happen to be in Roanoke, TX? That's where I heard that N87U was actually based - in spite of its registration. Heard that directly from Glen Hyde.

Goose s/n B-126 was formerly registered as N9544C, became N87U in 1964 or so with Kodiak Airways in Alaska, later with Kodiak Western Airways in the 1970's and and Cinema Air in the 1980's. Rumored to have been used in the Mel Gibson movie "Forever Young" in 1988.

Never been able to figure out why N87U has the RAF Eagle Squadron logo that was later adopted by the 4th Fighter Group of the 8th Air Force in the ETO (and still used later on 4th FG F-86's in Korea too) - on a US Navy Goose!

Thanks for the Goose airframe history.

Yes... I was based at Northwest Regional in Roanoke and yes that is where this Goose lives. I could not gain access to the hangar as the Goose has been sitting for a number of years along with a couple other rare aircraft. Took me a few minutes after I posted this original post to find the registration. Also, Glen Hyde passed on other info I needed a couple months back.

N87U was in some background scenes in Forever Young. N87U was once owned and operated by Cinema Air (Friedkin family) and for awhile they put the "RAF Eagle Squadron" logo on most of their aircraft.

[Chris Brame]

Here's 52-5116 in service in April 1959, at the World Congress of Flight airshow at Nellis AFB. It's from an 8mm home movie and this was the only frame that showed the markings legibly.

[AirJimL2]

Since we are talking old Breckenridge warbirds, can anyone ID this Mustang? It has stumped everyone I've shown it to.

Jim

[51fixer]

Since we are talking old Breckenridge warbirds, can anyone ID this Mustang? It has stumped everyone I've shown it to.

Jim

The emblem on the tail looks like the Connie Edwards Ranch Brand.
Might be one of the P-51s he owned over the years?

[Warbirdnerd]

Since we are talking old Breckenridge warbirds, can anyone ID this Mustang? It has stumped everyone I've shown it to.

Jim

I don't have an ID, but the white oval is the Edwards brand.
What Rich said.

[John Kerr]

The mustang Lady Colonel is N150U, 44-64122, and was being flown by Patsy Edwards, circa 1981. I have some slides of it and and try to locate and post.

[John Kerr]

Here are two shots of it at San Marcos, TX. Sep 1981

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v704/ ... UG1981.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v704/ ... UG1981.jpg

[AirJimL2]

Awesome. Thank you guys!

Jim