User Panel
Posted: 5/28/2023 9:08:56 AM EDT
The summer CAF Airpower Tour has commenced. After a busy spring in the hangar dealing with typical heavy maintenance issues that come up on 80-year old aircraft, both the B-29 and B-24 are healthy and out on the road. We have 16 stops on this part of the summer tour, with a possibility of some added stops in Sept/Oct.
This week we spent a couple days in Memphis (KNQA) and Bristol (KTRI) doing rides and static displays. Next weekend we're at the airshow in Reading. Fifi on the deck in Dallas, ready to depart: Attached File Diamond Lil on her way to Bristol on Thursday: Attached File https://www.airpowersquadron.org/ |
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Love it. Will try and catch y’all this summer. I’m about 20 minutes from CAF San Marcos.
October ‘22 before I tossed myself out of the “Tico Belle” a few times with Alex Hernandez (10th SFG SgtMaj and DepChief of Team Alpha linking ODA 595 with Gen Dostum, and the absolute nicest guy I have ever had the honor of calling a friend) Attached File |
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I'll be heading up to the Reading WWII weekend tomorrow.
I was going to go on Saturday, but the ceiling is going to be about 1600', so that might kill the airshow portion. |
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Quoted: I'll be heading up to the Reading WWII weekend tomorrow. I was going to go on Saturday, but the ceiling is going to be about 1600', so that might kill the airshow portion. View Quote I'm unfortunately on a trip for work, so I'm missing Reading. The B-29 is already on the ramp today, and the B-24 should be arriving tomorrow. |
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I watched Fifi on Friday, and they were busy!
It was about 92 or 96 degrees out, so I bet they were glad to get airborne! Next up: Oshkosh. |
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Spent this weekend at KBAF Westfield Barnes airport in Mass doing rides in the Liberator and Superfortress. Fortunately the smoke from the Canada fires wasn't too bad, and was more of an annoyance than anything.
I made sure to fly the bombers both directly overhead UMass Amherst on all the rides to show them what the American flag looks like on an instrument of America's airpower history. Attached File Attached File Attached File Attached File |
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Very cool. No stops near me but I did get to see FiFi and Diamond Lil many years ago at the Reno Air Races.
It was long enough ago that there were some number of B-29 and B-24 WWII vets in attendance. |
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Quoted: Very cool. No stops near me but I did get to see FiFi and Diamond Lil many years ago at the Reno Air Races. It was long enough ago that there were some number of B-29 and B-24 WWII vets in attendance. View Quote Was it the year they went around the pylons after hours? Attached File Attached File |
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After a couple gorgeous days at NMUSAF, the rain interrupted the day yesterday in Springfield, OH.
Attached File Attached File |
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Thank you for this thread. I think many in GD don't know about it or you would have many more visitors.
I only found it because you linked to it in your Pittsburgh to Springfield, OH thread. |
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I used to live right near Broad Run airport in Manassas. FiFi has taken off over my house many times, as has the B-17 that I believe was destroyed in Dallas. Such a magnificent sight.
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We spent our OSH week sitting in DuPage getting mid-tour maintenance accomplished on both bombers and the PT-13 while the WASP T-6 was at the Aeroshell display at AirVenture.
Yesterday we flew the bombers to Terre Haute where we'll resume the back half of the tour this week. Hoosier Aviation at KHUF is our host, and they're always great to us. A few pics from this last week. Rainy day Liberator early in the Dupage week, getting more work done on the gear indicator switch: Attached File Post 100-hour mx test flight for the Stearman: Attached File Just after finishing the maintenance test flight on the Superfortress, and getting prepped for the transition flight to Terre Haute. Attached File |
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Since several people asked, we had originally intended to have the B-24 up on the main square for a couple days during OSH, but had to back out a bit ago based on our maintenance schedule. As you may remember, last year we were doing rides out of Appleton all week, so while we were able to fly over the show we weren't on the ground there then, either.
EAA is still interested in having us up there, and we're still interested in doing it, so we're going to try and work in into our sched for next year. Our next aishow is Thunder Over Michigan at YIP in two weeks. See you there! |
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It was very cool seeing the planes at Thunder today.
It’s the first time I’ve seen Fifi flying. |
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Quoted: It was very cool seeing the planes at Thunder today. It’s the first time I’ve seen Fifi flying. View Quote Things were a little different than planned...we were supposed to be airborne before the afternoon show started and make our opening formation pass as the Star Spangled Banner was ending. But hopefully we looked okay. I was in the B-24. Thanks for coming out to see the show! |
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Link to Facebook-hosted video of our formation pass to open the afternoon show today:
https://www.facebook.com/ThunderOverMichigan/videos/6163529160425281 |
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Quoted: Things were a little different than planned...we were supposed to be airborne before the afternoon show started and make our opening formation pass as the Star Spangled Banner was ending. But hopefully we looked okay. I was in the B-24. Thanks for coming out to see the show! View Quote Looked good to me! |
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Be careful and vigilant guys. The memory of Texas Raiders falling still haunts me. I was lucky enough to go through her at her home base in Conroe and am in the Legion with some of the volunteers who supported her and maintained her.
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