On May 5^th and 6^th, the Planes of Fame Air Museum in Chino California is going to open its hangar doors and roll out some of the finest examples of restored aircraft in flying condition from years past.  This year’s airshow honors the turning of the tide in the Pacific in 1942.  The airshow is scheduled to feature over 40 historic aircraft performing for all those in attendance; in addition to many other fascinating exhibits and demonstrations.

The Planes of Fame airshow is THE airshow to go to if you happen to like anything that flies and has used by various militaries across the world in the last 70+ years.  The flying collection during the show includes aircraft from World War II and on; including an F-4 flight.  The list of performers and aircraft flying in the airshow is too long to put here and really is better viewed on the Planes of Fame website:  www.planesoffame.org

Many of the aircraft scheduled to fly are one of only a small number of flying examples.  The Planes of Fame airshow usually has a majority of the flying P-38; at least one of only a few Tigercats; more Mustangs than just about anywhere else; and this year Planes of Fame has merited a spot on Sean Tucker’s performance schedule.

The staff at the Planes of Fame Air Museum were more than gracious, including amazing access to aerial photography of a couple of their fabulous machines.  Having the opportunity to go up in the air and shoot a P-38 Lightning along with a P-40 Warhawk was an amazing experience from a Cessna 195.  Many thanks are due to everyone at Planes of Fame for their generosity in opportunity and welcoming attitude.

Simply put, the Planes of Fame airshow is amazing.  Every year I go, I look at the whole experience as a privilege to see these rare machines flying.  Unfortunately, as time goes on these aircraft become fewer and fewer and you just never know when they might not be around for the next performance.  See you at the show!

The Planes of Fame Air Museum is located at Chino Airport and located online at www.planesoffame.org  For more information visit their website or call 909-597-7576

Riverside Airport is packed into the middle of suburban Riverside, surrounded by houses on all sides.  While the main runway is just large enough to accommodate a C-17, the traffic pattern still seems more like driving directions than flying.  There is something nice about the smaller, local, airshows; there is a certain down to Earth quality about them which just is not a part of the large military airshows.

The weather this year was much less than ideal, cloudy and drizzly most the day.  The weather caused the show to start late, which provided ample time to shoot the static displays.  The whole flight line was filled with static displays, many of them warbirds.  Inside the crowd line there were numerous general aviation aircraft as well as local police equipment on static display.  The show got off to a little of an unannounced start after some remote control airplanes filled the gap between the scheduled start and the actual start.  Once the wing walking and Dr. D’s Taylorcraft aerobatics got underway, there was no doubt the show had started – too bad the weather didn’t get the notice and clear the clouds out.  Shortly thereafter, Jon Melby took off in his Pitts biplane to show that the Pitts and biplanes in general are not the most current technology but are still very capable in terms of aerobatic performance.  Doug Jardine followed Jon Melby putting his much more modern Sbach 342, a big horsepower carbon fiber monoplane, through punishment – the clouds weren’t going to keep him on the ground.  This performance also demonstrated how much punishment a person can take at the controls of an airplane; modern airplanes can be designed – and often are – to be more capable in maneuvering load factors than well trained pilots.  Next John Collver took off in his T-6 “War Dog” to perform maneuvers which appeared lazy in nature after Doug Jardine’s performance – even though the maneuvers he performed are considered advanced training.

At this point a Riverside Police MD-500 helicopter put on an aerial demonstration, most of which seemed like a demonstration of helicopter performance rather than standard police helicopter flying.  The helicopter then joined in on a mock police chase around the runway and taxiways, finally picking up SWAT officers and a police dog to apprehend the mock suspect.  After all the chasing excitement, there was a reasonably large fire on the other side of the runway – a second MD-500 with a water dropping attachment came in to put the fire out.  After the fire was out, the two helicopters performed some loose formation flying.

After all the police excitement had settled down, five T-6’s took to the air to put on a formation flying demonstration.  They flew a normal traffic pattern and as they came around on each lap they were in a different formation.  While the wing walking demonstration was getting into position at the end of the runway, a L-39 Albatross came in to make a handful of reasonably high speed banana passes for the crowd before disappearing.  The schedule called for a F-16 to perform the high speed passes, but with weather delays the crowd was given a L-39 on a seemingly more flexible schedule.  By this point, the weather was starting to clear – ever so slightly.  The Just In Time Skydivers climbed to altitude while Jon Melby and Doug Jardine went back up to give the crowd another glimpse into the body-straining life of an aerobatic pilot.  The performances put on by those two were equally impressive as their earlier performances.  The Just In Time Skydivers jumped, still limited by the weather.  John Collver again took to the air, and while the maneuvers were seemingly easy I’d venture a guess there was nothing easy about them.

While John Collver was performing, the distinct sound of jet engines a long way down the crowd line could be heard.  Scanning around to see where the sound was coming from showed the P-38 Honey Bunny pushing back from the rope as well as the A-10 taxiing out.  As the two aircraft taxied out for the heritage flight, the crowd got a glimpse of the ultra-rare P-38 Lightning.  The A-10 and P-38 spent a fair amount of time forming up on their own and working out the details of the heritage flight, in the meantime Tim Weber went up in his Geico-sponsored MXS to give Doug Jardine a run for his money in the aerobatic sense – Tim’s performance did not disappoint.  The A-10 and P-38 performed their heritage flight, with each aircraft putting on a little something special at the end of the heritage flight.  As the heritage flight landed and pulled off the runway, a group of warbirds commenced their takeoff roll.  The group included a Hellcat, Bearcat, Wildcat, and a Mustang.  The flight of four took up an orbit around the airport, all nearly evenly spaced for a seemingly continuous sound of glorious piston engine power.  This spacing allowed for excellent photo opportunities of all the airplanes, never having to compromise and decide quickly which aircraft to shoot.  The Mustang seemed to be lagging behind the group of Grumman cats, setting up for an awesome pass; the mustang came in for a low firewall pass much like a pilot would do down a German airfield during World War II.  The whole experience was amazing, especially the sound of the Merlin engine.

Depending on how you look at it, the last performer in the show or the first departure of the show was the C-17.  It was really amazing to see such a large aircraft on the runway after so many smaller aircraft had been flying throughout the day.  The C-17 was so large, it had to back up the crosswind runway to the main runway, and then back up the main runway to the approach end.  There was not enough room at the airport for the C-17 to taxi around like a normal airplane.  The C-17 didn’t even hold the brakes to wait for the four Pratt PW2000s to spool to full speed, the acceleration was nothing dramatic, a slight pull back, and the behemoth took to the air.  A couple passes later and the C-17 was headed back home to March ARB, just a couple miles away.  As is the case with most airshows, there is a push to get home after the show is over so sticking around after the show “ends” is quite the treat to see all the static aircraft leave.  The Cessna 195 you were admiring on the ground has to takeoff and return sometime, might as well see it take off, right?  Occasionally the pilots would come back around after taking off for another pass or two; the Lightning based at Chino had only a five minute flight home and if you were up in a P-38 you’d take two more trips through the pattern too.

Overall the Riverside airshow was a fun time, even if the weather was less than ideal. I’ll be going next year for sure; there are just too many cool things to see at this show.  Thanks are due to all the people who worked to make the Riverside airshow a success.

By Matt Shinavar

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On January 14, 2012 just before noon the only flight-worthy EC-121 Warning Star throttled up its four 18-cylinder R3350’s and sent this Connie barreling down Camarillo’s runway; destination:  Yanks Air Museum, Chino airport.  Sliding the four throttles forward symbolized the completion of a seven year project to get this super constellation back into the air.  Completing the flight from Camarillo to Chino in about an hour, the Connie made one pass above the runway before entering the pattern and making a smooth touchdown.  Taxiing to the Yanks hangar seemed to take forever, like the crew and Connie wanted to savor the greatness for as long as possible.

Lockheed, including the legendary Kelly Johnson, sought out to meet the airlines’ challenges to provide a 40-passenger transcontinental aircraft – design on the Constellation began.  With the outbreak of WWII, Constellations were converted to C-69s for military transport.  In 1954 the EC-121 was introduced to provide airborne intelligence gathering, much like the AWACS role in the modern era.  The EC-121s could be immediately identified from other Connies by their two large radomes, one on top and one on the bottom.  While the Constellations provided dignified military service, civilian Constellations were very successful airliners setting many records; some that still stand today.

Yanks’ EC-121, now N548GF, was delivered to the US Air Force in the summer of 1955 to be part of the 552^nd Airborne Early Warning Wing at McClellan AFB in California.  Through its career, the aircraft spent time in Florida, Taiwan, South Korea, Iceland, and finally to Davis Monthan for storage in 1978.  The aircraft was acquired by Yanks in 2004 and underwent restoration to flight worthy status into 2012.

Walking up the airstairs and crawling through the forward door into the airplane felt like an once-in-a-lifetime experience.  Everything about the inside of the aircraft was very interesting; so many things on that airplane just aren’t seen anymore.  A flight engineer station has gone the way of the dinosaurs, including its separate throttle levers from the pilot’s throttles.  A navigator’s station has been replaced in most aircraft by a small screen that receives a satellite signal.  The electrical intelligence equipment all was dated and had a nostalgic 50’s and 60’s look to it – radiation hazard warnings and all.  Everything about this constellation screamed cool nostalgia; even the smell – if smells scream.  In an era where things get smaller, simpler, cleaner it is refreshing to see firsthand the complexities of the past:  racks of electronics with all the exposed connectors, switches galore, lots of boxes with lots of buttons, and the quintessential circular yellow screen radar display.  The complexity isn’t better shown than by the 18 member crew – in some cases the crew was in excess of 30.

As usual, being near a radial engine monster is a moving experience – walking over after shutdown with the smell of exhaust and oil lingering in the air, watching museum workers scurry over to place pans under the engines to catch the oil from the engines, and just basking in the sheer excitement of the crowd upon seeing this Connie.  During flight it seems as if engine three decided to leak a little more oil than normal from the otherwise steady streaming radials.  A close inspection of the pictures shows a brown wavy line down the fuselage – that’s oil, and a lot of it.  But who cares?  It’s a radial, they leak oil, that’s life and a mighty fine one at that.  The little intricacies like that made this event really special; all too often are we concerned about noise abatement, lowering CO₂ and NO_x emissions, higher fuel consumptions, and more passengers per flight; while these are all noble pursuits, once in a while it’s refreshing to throw that all to the wind, burn tons of fuel – the louder the better, leak oil, make a low pass, and firewall the throttles.

The arrival of N548GF to Chino adds the largest aircraft to the Yanks collection of more than 170 aircraft.  The Yanks collection is the largest private collection of American WWII aircraft; many of their aircraft are the last surviving examples of their kind.  All aircraft are restored to original condition and are flight worthy, the only non-factory modifications are those required by the FAA to fly the aircraft in the national airspace system.  This EC-121 is another exemplary piece of aviation history that fits well in the Yanks collection.  Big thanks go out to Yanks for hosting the arrival of their aircraft so a small group could stand in awe as tons of fuel was burnt and oil spilt in the name of bringing this lumbering beauty home.  The Yanks Air Museum can be found at:  http://www.yanksair.com/

You can contact the writer, Matt Shinavar, at matt.shinavar@gmail.com

 On January 7, 2012 at 6:00 am, I made my way to the Planes of Fame Air Museum in Chino, California. There, I was to be a passenger in the museum’s Cessna L-19 Birddog that was scheduled to be on static display the Cable Airshow in Upland, California. To say I was excited to fly in the Birddog, let alone to an airshow, and with my good friend at the controls for his first airshow, would be an understatement.

The Aircraft

The L-19 was designed for the U.S. Army as a light observation aircraft. It was used as an artillery spotting platform, medevac, and pilot training in the Korean and Vietnam wars. The U.S. Army retired the Birddog in 1974. The Planes of Fame Air Museum has an excellent flying example of one of the 3,200 plus Birddogs that were built during the 1950s.

The Planes of Fame Air Museums' Cessna L-19 Birddog.

The Pilot

My good friend, Scott Turner was to pilot our Birddog today. Scott is a senior captain with a major airline and a museum volunteer since 2008. Scott started off at the museum washing and waxing airplanes and then moved up to ground crewing “Wee Willie II.” In 2010, Scott was given his first restoration project – The museum’s OV-1 Mohawk. Turner is expecting to have the Mohawk flying in late 2012. In early 2011, the museum’s chief pilot, Kevin Eldridge, asked Scott to fly the Birddog.  Several months later, Scott’s dream of piloting a Planes of Fame aircraft was realized.

Planes of Fame's newest warbird pilot – Scott Turner (Photo by Andrea Eldridge).

The Flight

At 7:00 am we pushed the 1,600 pound Cessna out of the hanger and Turner started his pre-flight. While Scott pre-flighted, I took photos that would document Scott’s first airshow as a Planes of Fame pilot. Once the pre-flight was done it was time to depart for our 8 mile trip to Cable airport. From the backseat of our Birddog, I snapped away, trying to get some interesting shots of Scott at the controls. The L-19 was a great little airplane to fly in. It had exceptional visibility, surprisingly spacious for a small aircraft, and overall very exciting to fly in. I imagined what courage the pilots had, flying these L-19s (small, non-armored, and lightly armed) over the hostile skies of Korea and Vietnam. Cruising at 100 mph, we arrived at Cable airport in less than 15 minutes. We taxied in, parked, and enjoyed the airshow.

My backseat view!

The Airshow

This was the 37th Cable Airshow that featured world class pilots and aircraft. Pilots that included 17 year old Sammy Mason flying his 1941 Stearman, Frank Donnelly aerobatics, Doug Jardin and his Sbach 342, and the legendary Clay Lacy and his very orange “Super STOL” Pilatus. In addition, there were air demos by the Commemorative Air Force’s AN-2 (the world’s largest bi-plane) and C-53 (which was the drop shop for the airshow skydivers). The day was filled with other flying from a large variety of aircraft that included T-6 Texans, home built planes, and a demonstration from the Corona Remote Control Model Club.

In addition to the fabulous flying, there was a car show, historical vehicle parade, and what would any airshow be without great food. Those attending the show had a wide variety of outstanding food to choose from – smoothies to sausages, chicken bowl to funnel cakes, there was something for everyone.

Overhead at the Cable Airshow.

On final to Cable Airport.

The Flight Home

At 3:45 pm, the Cable airport was open to general aviation traffic and time for us to depart. Once again we mounted up, taxied our Birddog to the runway, powered up, and off we went.  Airborne over the runway, Scott gave a “wing wag” to the crowd and then pointed the L-19 towards Chino. The trip home was just as exciting as our trip to Cable.

I would like to thank Scott Turner for inviting me to be his L-19 Birddog “backseater.” It was a great experience and it was a privilege to document my friend’s first airshow as a Planes of Fame pilot.

Crew Birddog (Photo by Andrea Eldridge).

Taxing for out our for departure (CAF C-53 on the right).

Back home.

Information on the Planes of Fame Air museum can be found at their website (www.planesoffame.org) and additional information on the L-19 Birddog can be located at the International Birddog Association website (www.ibdaweb.com).

An aerial view of the 2011 Air Fair from the backseat of Rich Piccirilli’s Cessna 172.

Big Bear Airport is located in the San Bernardino National Forest 25 miles northeast of San Bernardino, California. The airport has a 5,850 foot runway and operates under an “uncontrolled approach” in terms of air traffic control.

This year’s Air Fair included a static display of 30 aircraft. These aircraft included a United States Navy MM-60R Seahawk from HSM-41 based at Naval Air Station North Island, a United States Marine Corps UC-12 from Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Arizona, several homebuilt planes, the Russian bi-plane Antonov AN-2 from the Commemorative Air Force 3^rd Pursuit Squadron based at Cable Airport, Upland, California, a handful of other miscellaneous warbirds, a fixed wing Cessna from the California Highway Patrol and five warbirds from the Planes of Fame Air Museum based in Chino, California.

Will Whiteside flying the P-63 Kingcobra “Pretty Polly” taxies to the ramp. Will is also an air racing pilot who fly’s the modified P-51 “Voodoo” and the Yak-3U “Steadfast.” He will be racing at next month’s National Championship Air Races in Reno, Nevada.

Another Air Fair attendee, an A-1 Skyraider, touches down at Big Bear Airport.

A HSM-41 MM-60R Seahawk from Naval Air Station North Island arrives. Note the custom paint on the aircraft. This aircraft was painted by Shayne Meder.

John “Flipper” Flippen arrives in style in his Beechcraft T-34 Mentor.

The boys from Chino (Planes of Fame Air Museum, Chino, CA) arrive in a 5 ship formation. From top to bottom is the B-25 Mitchell, the P-40 Warhawk, the P-38 Lightning, the F4U Corsair, and the P-51 Mustang.

The A-1 Skyraider (front and folding its wings) and T-28 Trojan taxi to the ramp after arriving.

I spoke with airport manager, Pete Gwaltney, about the air fair. “We have an air fair as an outreach to our community and to help educate the public in airport operations. 85% of the air fair’s cost is funded by the airport’s budget and this allows us to charge attendees a very low entrance fee ($2.00)” said Gwaltney. “Our goal is to increase attendance, both community and aircraft, with each air fair.”

According to Gwaltney, this air fair would not have been possible without support of local volunteers (many from the Big Bear Pilot’s Association), the local Civil Air Patrol and nine members of the Big Bear airport staff. Additional support staff includes the “Air Boss.” Big Bear Airport is an “uncontrolled approach” (meaning there is no dedicated air traffic controller and pilots are responsible for communicating their aircraft’s position during approach, landing, and/or take off). Due to the increased air activity, and to serve as an added layer of safety for the air fair, Gwaltney brought in veteran pilot Peter Murray to serve as a temporary air traffic controller. Murray is a retired Naval aviator of 10 years and an American Airlines pilot for 35 years.

The Big Bear Airport staff that made Air Fair possible (from left to right) Cindy Chundak, Ryan Goss, Nancy Jones, Bob Dow, Pete Gwaltney, Charlie Koch, and Tom Hoover.

Two additional Big Bear Airport staff that help make the Air Fair possible - Billy Chundak and Diane Cartwright.

Air Boss “Peter Murray” talks to a pilot before landing.

Because it is an air fair, there are no scheduled flying acts other than the “Just in Time Skydivers” (www.justintimeskydivers.com), Boeing Stearman Biplane rides, and those pilots flying in for the event. The air fair started at 7:00am with a Kiwanis pancake breakfast, followed by the opening ceremonies at 9:00am.

Just in Time Skydivers – Top row (left to right) Bruce Hofer, Mike Swan, Lynn Fogleman, and Doug Lanphere. Bottom row (left to right) Rich Piccirilli, Dennis Sattler, Abraham Villamueva.

Just in Time Skydivers announcer Bob Jones (a parachutist since 1967) and Peggy Querry (skydiver and pilot).

At 12:00, there was a parachute jump by the “Just in Time Skydivers.” This parachute group was formed in 1967 and is based in Lake Elsinore, California. The seven parachutists today have 250 years of combined parachuting experience and 28,850 jumps collectively. The “Just in Time Skydivers” are under the leadership of Rich Picilli, a skydiver for 44 years with 4,300 jumps.

The Beechcraft D-18 takes off with Just in Time Skydivers onboard.

Parachutist Doug Lanphere looks for his landing zone.

Just in Time Skydiver Mike Swan lands in front of the Air Fair crowd (note smoke canister on his right ankle).

Parachutist stacked up 3 deep as they approach their landing zone.

Lynn Fogleman (red parachute) controls his parachute after touchdown (Mike Swan in the foreground).

A Just in Time Skydiver lands in front of a full crowd with a colorful streamer.

From the time the gates opened at 7:00am until well past 4:00pm, Kent Thomas and his Boeing Stearman from Palm Springs, California, sold rides in his vintage 1940s era aircraft. I spoke with one couple, Cathy and Tom Quintard immediately after their 15 minute Stearman flight. “I was scared at first but it was smoother than I thought,” said Cathy. Tom told me, “I could have done that all day.” The Quintards were one of many people who attended the air fair to experience, first hand, the joy of flying in a vintage military aircraft.

Tom and Cathy Quintard pose in the forward cockpit of a Boeing Stearman.

The Quintards take off!

Post Stearman flight pose with their pilot Glenn Smith (center).

The 2011 Big Bear Air Fair was a great aviation event for the community of Big Bear and an experience that entertained, educated, and thrilled all that attended. Mark your calendars for Big Bear Air Fair 2013!

Air Fair attendees, both young and old, look over the Planes of Fame P-40 Warhawk.

One spectator examines the huge Wright 1820 radial engine of a T-28 Trojan.

HSM-41 MM-60R crewman, AE2 (Aviation Electrician 2nd Class) Patrick Smith temporarily swaps hats with a young Angels fan.

Ted Sutton from Parker, Arizona poses in front of his 2005 Just Aircraft “Highlander” kit plane.

Local Guide Dog handlers used the Air Fair as an opportunity to socialize their dogs with large crowds.

A father boosts his son up to view the cockpit of the P-63 King Cobra “Pretty Polly.”

Chandler Taylor of Big Bear poses in front of a Fairchild PT-19 on display at the Air Fair. Mr. Taylor owned a PT-19 in the 1940’s and accumulated approximately 600 flying hours while he owned the aircraft.

Thanks to the Big Bear Airport staff who were incredibly gracious in the access they provided and meeting the needs of the media photographers who attended. A very special thanks to Cindy Chunkdak and Pete Gwaltney for providing me added support to make this article possible and obtaining special access to various parts of the airport.

The County of San Bernardino Planes of Fame Airshow is an annual event and one NEVER to be missed. Joe and I have been making this trip for the past three years and it just keeps getting better. This year was special as it was celebrating the “100th Anniversary of  U.S. Naval Aviation”. Planes of Fame in conjunction with the County of San Bernardino, did another great job bringing to the skies 40 historic aircraft.

Brian E. Boyer, chairman of the museum’s Board of Directors, estimated they might have attracted more visitors than in previous years. “It looked like a record crowd,” he said. “The pilots reported seeing all the parking lots filled and people going into the overflow” lots. Some of the flying demonstrations  performed were a mock dog fight between a Japanese Zero and a P-38 Lightening. A second mock dog fight included a German FW-190 and a Republic P-47 Thunderbolt.  There was a Douglas demo with the Dauntless SBD, an A-4 Sky Hawk and a Vietnam era Sky Raider flown by our good friends Bill Muzsala and Mike “Buick” Eberhardt. The last demo was a combination of Sabre Jet, Mig and Shooting Star.

The birth of naval aviation is generally pegged at May 8, 1911, which was the day that the Navy signed a contract to purchase aircraft.This happened just months after pilot Eugene Ely, working for Glenn Curtiss, and flying a Curtiss pusher biplane made the first take off from a ship, the USS Pennsylvania in San Francisco Bay. Curtiss immediately offered free training to any Navy pilot and chose North Island in San Diego Bay for that work. Just 100 years and days after the Navy signed that first contract, the Chino Airport skies will be filled with generations of Navy and other services airplanes. Some 40 aircraft are scheduled to fly in the 2011 show and many more will be available in close up static displays.

Some of the aircraft that flew were the Grumman Wildcat, Hellcat and Avenger, the Douglas Dauntless and Skyraider, and the Vought Corsair. An authentic Japanese A6M5 Zero from World War II. Aircraft on static display were a C-17A Globemaster from March ARB, Consolidated PB4Y-2 Privateer from Casa Grande Az,  Navy F-18F Super Hornet from VFA-122, the B-17 “Fuddy Duddy” from Lyons Air Museum and scores of other restored aircraft.

The USAF Strike Eagle F-15E Demo team also did a wonderful routine over the thrilled fans. Thanks “Cash” and “Buda”. You guys did not let us down!!

One of the cool static displays was a ME-109 under restoration. The POF had set it up down by the Living History Actors area and it was a perfect place seeing that some of the actors were of German Military. The Spanish built ME-109(N700E) was featured in the 1969 film ‘Battle of Britain”.

I’d like to recognize  Jerry Wilkins for his hard work and dedication as Air Show Coordinator on this year’s air show and thank him for his “30″ year career as volunteer at Planes of Fame. And to all the volunteers that came together this year to make it a great success!! A job WELL DONE!!

A big shout-out to the Planes of Fame Board of Directors. Tom Nightingale(Chairman), Brian Boyer, Karen Hinton, Steve Hinton, Ed Maloney, John Maloney and Bill Schanz. And a big round of applause to Kevin and Andrea Eldridge, Bob Forbes, Mike McDougal, Bill Muszala.

Special thanks to the pilots who volunteered their time. Pat McGarry, Bob Forbes. John Muszala Jr., Bill Muszala, Mike Eberhardt, Seth Chandler, Ashley Baker, Don Keating, Mike “Maj” Mc Dougal,

Joe Kates  aircraftinc@yahoo.com

Dave Budd  dave_budd@yahoo.com

12►

As I get older, it takes more to get me out of the house.  It takes a lot more to get me and 150+ pounds of camera gear to move cross country 2200 miles to California.  The Chino Airshow can motivate me to do that.

Frank Mormillo invited me to the pre-show press conference last year.  I couldn’t make it, but I did cover the airshow.  It was the 5^th show I’ve done in a row and they keep getting better.  This year, I came out to California about 10 days early (and I’m still waiting for the show as I write this) just to come to the press conference.  Well the guys at Planes of Fame know how to have a media event (translation, if Frank will have me I’ll be first in line next year).  I’ve sat through so many boring media events that I’d put my eyes out with sharpened sticks before I do another.  This one was done standing up in a hangar, not on a folding metal chair in a conference room.  It was a quick; welcome, we are here; you guys know us, let’s get into the planes and go flying and shoot air to air.

A speech like that wakes you up faster than a giant double Mocha Latte from Starbucks and off we went.  I got into a Cessna 190 (thanks for the ride Jeff) to shoot the air to air that you see here.  Planes of Fame supplied the camera ships as well as a Dauntless, a Corsair and an Avenger.  I furnished the photographic skills here.   Shoot was awesome, pictures were amazing and a good time was had by all.  Everything was done professionally as expected and the press conference went off smoother than Seal Team Six double tapping Bin Laden; after all they lost a helicopter, and we didn’t.

I even uploaded some LARGE shots that should make NICE screensavers or wall paper which will be at this link for a limited time for your PERSONAL use.

https://files.me.com/tnmark/2nbiy2

The show this year looks like it’s going to be bigger and better than any show they have presented in the past.  If there is a single airshow not to miss this season, this is the one.

This event has become the largest regular warbird event in the country with the best photo opportunities that can possibly be had.  There are virtually no “bad” places to see the show from.  The warbirds that appear here on a regular basis are ones that would warrant a “specially” themed show somewhere else.  The theme for this year’s show is the 100 years of Naval Aviation as so many others are doing this year.   What distinguishes the event here at Planes of Fame is that they have so many Navy and Marine aircraft in house and on the field that they don’t have to run around trying to get aircraft to appear.  You will see a Duck, F3F biplane, Wildcat, Hellcat, Tigercat, Bearcat, Avenger, Corsair, PV-1, PBJ (B-25), and Skyraider.   There will also be all the other Army aircraft from WWII and Korea; as well as a Zero, Firefly, FW-190, Spitfire and more.  The Zero and Wildcat combination is a featured act at another airshow this summer and they are making a “big deal” out of it; it something you can see that at Chino every year.  All that and more; some of the more that is scheduled is a C-17 and a F-15 Strike Eagle.   Civilians flying will be Rob Harrison in his Zilin 50 the “Tumbling Bear” and the Silver Wings Wing Walkers, Hartley Folstad and Margi Stivers.

For me a special treat is to see Howard Pardue fly aerobatics in the FM-2 (Wildcat).   Howard is a Texas oilman, and former Marine Pilot (are there really any “former” Marines??).  He’s done some of the best warbird aerobatics in the past in the Wildcat, Bearcat and Corsair (and at one time or another he’s owned all of them and several of some).  Howard just retired from racing at Reno where he was fixture for many years.  I know he’ll put on a show you will not forget.

The Northrop N9M Flying Wing is scheduled to fly.  I’ve seen it fly before, it’s not fast, nor does it do Pardue type acro, but there isn’t another place on this planet where you are going to see this plane fly.  Chino’s annual airshow is the only place and if you look at the crowd, they give the wing their undivided attention.

Clay Lacy is doing a demo in his LearJet.  Last year he did aerobatics in it and that was a real crowd pleaser, after all who has ever seen a Learjet doing a roll or loop with smoke on?  For those of you who are not familiar with Mr. Lacy, well, he’s in a class by himself.   He pretty much invented modern corporate aviation.  He was the first to sell LearJets, along with his old friend golfing legend Arnold Palmer.  He’s flown about everything and has been flying the Lears since they first came out.   He set around the world records and started the first jet charter service in the world in 1968.  He has over 50,000 hours of flight time to his credit and all of this doesn’t even scratch the surface of what he has accomplished.

I had the opportunity to speak with Steve Hinton.  Before the show (well, I’m sure all the time) he works like the “hired man”.   He doesn’t sit still, for that matter I can’t think of a time I’ve ever seen him “sit”.  Steve grew up at Chino with warbirds (the ones he flies now and flew back then), if I had to pick the most skilled pilot in the world today it would be him.  He has to be the best stick and rudder man to every lift a flying machine into the air.  During the show, he runs the show, and flies in it.  He probably flies in about every flight in the show and in a variety of aircraft which are constantly changing.   He doesn’t stop, read manuals, or do anything special, he simply straps on a new airplane and flies it well.  He is not only the President of Planes of Fame, but he owns his own company “Fighter Rebuilders” that restores WWII aircraft.

Steve took a minute out of his busy day to talk to me about the Planes of Fame P-51 “Spam Can”.   N5441V has a very unique history.  It last served with the West Virginia Air National Guard (and I’m from West Virginia) and Ed Maloney (founder of Planes of Fame) bought it surplus in 1957 and its been in the “family” ever since.  I’m sure that is holds a few records for the longest a Mustang has had a single owner, as well as the longest one has been continuously operated (54 years is pretty hard to beat) and for that matter its probably the highest time P-51 in the world at currently just over 4000 hours total time.  If you go back in history to the TV series 12 O’Clock High, there was an episode in 1966 called “The Fighter Pilot” starring N5441V.  In one scene, you can clearly see the N Number on the fuselage in foot high numbers.  Of course the B-17 in front of the museum was a “star” of the show (and its restoration is coming along nicely).   Spam Can still looks good and will be flying in the show.

Steve’s son Steve is going to be at the show too.   He’s a chip off the old block; ok, has dad beat; Dad was National Unlimited Champion once (that I can recall) and Steve “O” as he’s known has been National Champion twice (the current reigning champion).  Steve is going to be flying “Strega” which is the current National Champion P-51 giving us a demonstration of what you may see at the Reno Air Races this September.

I have left out a lot of things here, there is simply so much going on, It’s hard to cover it all.  I can say this:  Stop what you are doing, change your plans and be at the show.  If you can’t afford it, sell a kidney (2 kidneys are overrated anyways) and be there.  If you miss this one, you will be sorry.

The airshow is May 14 and 15 2011 at the Chino airport, gates open at 8AM, parking is free.  General admission is very reasonable at $20 for adults, $5 for ages 5 to 11, and free to accompanied kids younger than that.  Discounted advance tickets are available from www.planesoffame.org until May 13th.

You can contact the author at TNMark@Me.Com.

John Hinton... Joe Kates... Steve Hinton

Each June, warbirds take to the sky over the Valle Airport in Arizona’s High Country near the Grand Canyon when Planes of Fame Air Museum hosts its annual High Country Warbirds Fly-in.

A number of the aircraft on display at Planes of Fame Air Museum in Valle, AZ are flyable, providing plenty of up-close and personal warbird action throughout the day of a Fly-in, along with the chance to meet with genuine World War II combat heroes, and even opportunities for the public to experience the thrill of orientation flights in authentic warbirds. For more information about the High Country Warbirds Fly-in, Planes of Fame Air Museum, or member-supported warbird orientation flights, call (928) 635-1000.

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A Salute to the Greatest Generation

As America’s foremost living history aviation museum, Planes of Fame Air Museum, in conjunction with the County of San Bernardino, will showcase the aircraft of America‘s Greatest Generation.

Please Join Us!

Airshow 2010 is a fun and exciting event for the entire family, in addition to being high-visibility marketing opportunity for your business or organization. We hope you’ll join us in this worthy endeavor!

08:00 Gates Open
9:45 – 10:45
Greatest Generation Veterans Panel

* Clarence “Bud” Anderson (P-51 ‘Old Crow’ triple ace in WWII);
* Vi Cowden (WASP P-51 pilot WWII);
* John Doolittle (WWII and Korean War veteran);
* Bill Holloman (Tuskegee Airman P-51 pilot);
* Huie Lamb (P-47 and P-51 pilot);
* Wilbur Richardson (B-17 ball turret gunner, Purple Heart recipient);
* William “Bill” Spengler (P-51 “Buzzin Cuzzin”).

Moderator: Jonna Doolittle Hoppes
10:45-11:10 Airshow Begins National Anthem/Missing Man Formation
11:10-11:25 Silver Wings Wingwalking Stearman Biplane – Hartley Folstad and Margi Stivers
11:25-11:40 Rob Harrison Aerobatic Performance by the “Tumbling Bear” in his Zlin 50LX
11:40-12:10 Navy Fly-bys F4F, F4U, SBD, A6M Zero, F6F, F8F
12:10-12:25 Clay Lacy Learjet Aerobatic Demonstration
12:25-12:55 INTERMISSION Don’t miss the Interview with Gen. Johnny Alison during the flying intermission beginning at 12:25 p.m.
12:55-01:40 Army Air Corps
Fly-bys P-38s, P-40s, P-51s, B-25s, A-1s, T-28, P-47
01:40-01:55 The Horsemen 3-Ship P-51 Aerobatic Demonstration Presented by ASB.TV
01:55-02:20 Air Racing Demonstration T-33, P-51s, F8F, Sea Fury, Yak
02:20-02:45 Korean Air War T-6, T-33, F-86, MiG-15
02:45-03:15 F-16 Demo/USAF Heritage Flight F-16 Viper, P-38s, P-51
3:15-3:30 Brian Sanders Sea Fury Aerobatic Demonstration
3:30-4:00 P-51 Mustangs P-51s in Diamond Formation with B-17
4:00-4:15 USAF C-17 March ARB “Globemaster” Flight Demonstration
END OF SHOW

Visit Planes of Fame for more info..

http://www.planesoffame.org/index.php