Sun-N-Fun 2014

[billtate]

Hi All,
I had a chance to visit Lakeland, Fla. for Sun-N-Fun this year and I can report FOR ME it was great. Beautiful weather and a great Warbirds show. Some highlights would be three F7F Tigercats all together, unusual for the East Coast. Also, a 1934 WACO YKC formerly of the Ohio National Guard, which was a masterful rebuild. And a plane close to my heart is the Howard DGA 15P which was stationed at old NAS Atlanta in Chamblee, 1944. (Robbie you should enjoy this)



























Go to my Facebook page for more pictures:
https://www.facebook.com/will.tate.315/ ... 248&type=3

https://www.facebook.com/will.tate.315/ ... 248&type=3

https://www.facebook.com/will.tate.315/ ... 248&type=3

[DH82EH]

Nice shots.

Thanks for posting.

Andy Scott

[billtate]

Thanks Andy.
Here are some more pictures.

















Cheers Bill,

[DH82EH]

Like.

Andy

[Boeing666]

Less warbirds showed up this year than last year, but the content was better -3 F7Fs, a B-17 (Texas Radiers), Russian marking B-25, P-38 Glacier Girl, P-40 (for a couple days I guess was there Tuesday but gone by Friday) a few Mustangs have come and gone through the week (but I can remember the days when you would see 20 on the ramp at once), TBM, Helldiver, Skyraider. Some really great vintage civilian planes too - one of the best turn outs I have seen in years - at least 3 Howard DGAs, a Fairchild 71 and others. Great to see Glacier Girl in a heritage flight and a little bit of modern military back with the F-22 and Blue Angels (still nothing modern on static). A black Tyndall T-38 landed the other night but went hiding in one of the hangars.

[jtramo]

Looks like I was sitting right next to you sir!

[Boeing666]

Never got to see those Tiger Cats fly, they towed the 2 blue ones to the north side of the airport this morning

[Robbie Stuart]

Great pics Bill! Thanks for sharing.
Robbie

[jtramo]

I can't believe they didn't fly the Tigercats the only two days I was there

[XL446]

Some really great vintage civilian planes too - [...] a Fairchild 71 [...]

Excuse me, John Cournoyer's Fairchild 71 was at Sun-n-Fun?! That's a long way from home!
I would love to see that fly, so let's hope he wants to show it to other people too and takes it to Oshkosh this summer...

[billtate]

Thank you all for the comments and I do admit that the turnout in the Warbird's department was on the small side but still the Quality was there. Also, I must say that I was not surprised that the "ANTIQUE Grand Champion" went to David & Jean Allen's; 1934 Waco YKC NS14137. The hand painted Ohio State Seal on the side of the aircraft was indeed a work of art.
Four P-51Ds did show up but again this number does not compare with 1999's numbers (27) but it is a fair turn-out considering the economy and the recent passing of Jim Leeward.
I was also disappointed about the shortage of US Military aircraft although six F/A-18 hornets Blue Angels and two F-22s must have cost the government a pretty penny. Being an old rotor head it was also good to see the Sikorsky HO5S-1, which like the Tigercats I did not see fly.

[Dan K]

Apparently someone is still upset over the closing of Fantasy of Flight.

[billtate]

Sorry, I can not seem to master this Photo Bucket thang. I apologize about the images dropping off.

[JohnB]

Wow, a flying H-52 / HO5S, I didn't know one existed!!!!!

Talk about a forgotten warbird, the Marines used them in Korea as Medevac ships, but they don't have the fame of the Bells or even the HO3S, which gained most of its current fame from the film The Bridges at Toko-Ri.

Vertical Technology, the outfit that uses S-52 components in their re-engine /re-fuselaged homebuilt, told me they no longer had any S-52 airframes around, so I'm shocked at seeing this.

Now if we could get another HUP airworthy...and keep the H-21 flying and add to the H-19 & HH-43 population, I'd e a happy guy (helicopter-wise).

[Warbird Kid]

John,

I believe this S-52 is the last flyable one from Florida. She used to look like this.