The fascination had to start somewhere ...

[Pogo]

So many awesome photos, and such great banter ... an embarrassment of riches as WIX threads go!

But this is what really made me sit up straight and stare - my gosh, what must it be like in that man's seat?



Wonderful stuff! Thanks so much yet again, Mark!

[Randy Wilson]

Thx again fella's. Sad endings.
Randy, not to sound morbid, and I'll understand if you or anyone doesn't want to respond, but how many fatalities have occured over the years in the CAF ranks? Seems far too many.

More lovely shots

Mark - I'm pretty sure that is me flying the CAF FM-2 Wildcat "F-15", Butch O'Hare's F4F markings. The shot with the Zero as my #2 is probably John Kelley flying it. My guess for a date would be around 1990-92.

I'd just say to the losses of CAF aircraft and pilots/crews in the 1980-90 span, these were a cause for a much stronger and much more active safety culture, environment and management programs within the CAF in the last 15 or so years. This is a key point for the leadership of the CAF today. I say this as one involved with them.

Randy

Last edited by Randy Wilson on Wed Jul 13, 2016 8:17 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[Randy Wilson]

More nice photos to have the veteran CAFers comment on.

Mark - the FM-2 Wildcat in pre-war markings was how I first flew the CAF Wildcat. In the day, they tried to have aircraft painted in both immediate pre-war and wartime colors to better tell the store of American airpower in the classic CAF AIRSHO. Anyone who has flown behind a Wright R-1820 knows that trying to clean a light grey fuselage with basically flat paint is not fun! Once I became the primary sponsor pilot I got permission to paint it as Butch O'Hare's F4F to better tell his story. Frankly, to me and many CAF members, the airplanes are all about the people who not only flew them but built them, maintained them, etc. My 2 cents. Keep up the posts Mark and I'll try to chime in when I can.

Oh, the P-47N was when it was sponsored by Linda Finch, I'm pretty sure. About the same time frame.

Randy

[Randy Wilson]

What the heck is up with that cowling? Why was it blocked off like that?

Bdk - the Hellcat was basically built up as a project from parts at some early point and I know for a fact that later restoring it to a real or as close-to-real as possible aircraft took years and a lot of money by backers and CAF members interested in the plane. A couple of my own warbirds were in the same hangar/facility while much of this was going on. Just FYI.

Randy

[Randy Wilson]

So many awesome photos, and such great banter ... an embarrassment of riches as WIX threads go!

But this is what really made me sit up straight and stare - my gosh, what must it be like in that man's seat?



Wonderful stuff! Thanks so much yet again, Mark!

Hi Kurt - yes, it is amazing to fly these aircraft and the CAF is one of the few places that many can do so without owning the planes. Most of the inflight photos that Mark is posting are from photo flights, often done at air shows to gather high-quality in-flight photos of our planes for use in publications and on the web. The F8F Bearcat shown is based with the Southern California Wing and has been for some time. My best guess is the pilot in that photo might be Steve Barber but I have been wrong a few times All the best.

P.S. Photo missions are some of the most demanding formation missions we fly. Just FYI.

Randy

[Neal Nurmi]

So how did The Confederate Air Force deal with the inconvenient fact that there were no Colonels in the U. S. Navy??

[Randy Wilson]

Neal - since the CAF rank of Colonel was/is honorary, I don't think anyone worried about its use with Navy aircraft. I was a former Army officer flying the Wildcat and Hellcat, and I didn't. The Corsair shown was privately owned by the Colonel whose name is on it. It was not uncommon back then to see member-owned warbirds with CAF markings.

Randy

[Speedy]

Merle's 'Coh-saih'.

[Mark Allen M]

Thanks Randy for taking the time to post your experiences. Love to hear your stories. Great stuff. My parts the easy part, just post some photos and sit back and read the responses. All good stuff indeed.


Randy is that you back there?


And here?


Love this scheme

[C VEICH]

An AWESOME thread, thanks for all who have participated. I've posted these many times before but this seems an appropriate place to do so again. Pictures provided to me by the late Col. Gerald Martin. I've got one of the Martin Mauler that Gerald sent me as well but can't find it at the moment.

[Randy Wilson]

Mark - In the first shot with the Wildcat behind the Zero, I am flying the Wildcat and John Kelley the Zero. This was in 1991 or 1992. It was used on an early CAF Midland AIRSHO poster with the lovely West Texas desert photoshoped out and replaced with a Pacific jungle green blur.

In the second image of the Wildcat in its pre-WWII scheme, I'm pretty sure that is not me flying as I never flew in the grey uniform and the Stetson hat. If you look closely, that is what the pilot is wearing. Probably a bit before my time in the CAF. If you're interested, I joined in May, 1984, with the Dallas/Ft. Worth Wing as my home unit, back when I still lived in Dallas.

Randy

[Randy Wilson]

<>
.... he is Brig. General Regis F. A. Urschler, USAF (Ret.), better know as Reg to friends. He retired from the USAF in 1985 and for many years was the primary sponsor and pilot of the CAF P-51D "Gunfighter". There is a pretty good bio at the link below. Hope that helps. Randy

Randy, if you could clarify some of my old notes from back then, especially since you were actually there flying these planes.
My notes have Col. Ed Messick as primary for the P-51 "Gunfighter" and I have Col. Regis Urschler as primary on the P-51 "Minute Man".(?)


ed; and back to Marks original question. My dad got his pilots license in 1976, and it was at the 1977 Reno Air Races that I first saw the Confederate's and that was what kicked my obsession. I had been to a few airshows, but wasn't really into the "old" airplanes. The CAF's Tora show was the first time I had seen an "aerial ballet".

Hi Lon - I joined in 1984 and was in Alaska most of the 1970s, so I wasn't around the CAF then. Since the late-1980s or so, Reg Urschler was the pilot of "Gunfighter". I don't remember a P-51 named "Minute Man". Perhaps someone else can help with that. Keep in mind that it was not unusual for member-owned warbirds, especially fighters, to wear the CAF name and even livery, before we were allowed to use the vintage military schemes on them. Feel free to contact me if I can be of help. PM me if you need an email. All the best,

Randy

[Mark Allen M]

Great stuff!!

Any idea who and when this photo below was taken?




CAF Rebel Field Harlingen c 1968


CAF Rebel Field Harlingen c 1968

[Speedy]

Ed Messick owned and flew Minuteman in the late '70's. Had Tex ANG markings on it. Raced it at Reno in 1977. Last I remember, Bob Guilford crash-landed it on a residential street off the end of the Santa Monica airport in the late '80's. Haven't seen it since.

http://www.mustangsmustangs.com/p-51/su ... l/44-73163

[Neal Nurmi]

These are from Reno 1977: