Almost all aviation photographers have one dream, crave one chance, an event that can make or break a career, and that is to be able to shoot Air 2 Air! Shooting an aircraft while up in another aircraft. This is where the magic really happens. Most photographers never get the chance at this, but on April 27th, 2012, I did.

Now, while I have flown in C-130’s, CH-53’s and CH-46’s, when I served as a grunt in the U.S. Marine Corps,  I was really excited about the opportunity that was to befall me.

The Collings Foundation is a historical group based in Massachusetts, and they own several World War II, Korean and Vietnam Wars era aircraft that are available for Air Shows, and other events. Every year, the Foundation puts on a Country-wide Tour called the Freedom Tour, where they travel from State to State, from airport to airport, and attendees, are given up-close tours of the planes, and even the chance to go for a flight on them for a fee.

The planes include the B-17G Flying Fortress “Nine O Nine” , the B-24J Liberator “Witchcraft”, the only one left in the world that’s capable of flight, and of course, the P-51C Mustang, named the “Betty Jane”.

Finding out about the tour in March, I made contact with Hunter Chaney of the Foundation, and  I was able to secure a flight on the Witchcraft, when they would be moving the planes from Gillespi Field in El Cajon, CA. to Palomar Airport in Carlsbad, CA.

Arriving at Gillespi Field, I met many of the great volunteers and employees, who keep the show going. Wonderful people who all share a love of these warbirds, their histories, and love of Country. I also met several men who were former P.O.W.’s from WWII, some of which had actually been shot down by the Germans while flying in a B-17 or B-24. Truly as said before it’s our Greatest Generation of Americans.

Once, I was in the B-24, and we were ready for flight, we rumbled down the tarmac, and everything seemed to be shaking and creaking as the old girl made her way to the end of the runway. Suddenly, the roar of the engines drowned out any other noise, and we were rolling down runway, and then suddenly we were airborne and quickly climbing in attitude.

After several minutes, we given permission to stand and move from our seats, and the Mustang came along side of the B-24, and I started shooting away. Now I will say this, thank god for the Vibration Reduction (anti-shake) device in my lens. I shoot with Nikon, and I was using the Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 VR lens. While the bomber was a fairly steady platform to shoot from, it still was bouncing quite a bit, as I stood at the waste gunners windows, while the Mustang flew along side. Sure I could have shot at a very fast shutter speed to get sharp images, but the propellers on the Mustang would not have looked natural, and the VR helped me get sharp images with slower shutter speeds.

We flew towards the ocean passing MCAS Miramar along the way, and finally out over the Pacific and then north along the coast, even if the P-51 had not been present, it was still a beautiful day to fly along the coastline. After 20 minutes in the air, we landed at Palomar Airport, with a big bang, and standing, waiting for the those planes to arrive, were several hundred people, who wanted to tour the planes.

I want to thank Hunter Chaney and the rest of the Collings Foundation for giving me my first Air 2 Air experience, but for also preserving these wonderful warbirds, and to Joe Kates of Photorecon, who’s advise I sought and used while in the air.

Dayton Ohio’s National Museum of the U.S Air Force was home to the official ceremony that marked the 70th anniversary of the Doolittle Raiders’ World War II bombing mission against Tokyo.  On April 18, 1942, sixteen North American B-25 Mitchell bombers led by Lieutenant Colonel James Doolittle and crewed by seventy nine other airmen, launched from the deck of the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Hornet; their  destination was Japan.  From Tuesday April 17th through Friday April 20th, 2012, a series of events feted the reunion of the surviving crew members, four out of five were able to attend.  Twenty B-25 bombers assembled at nearby Urbana Ohio and flew onto the Air Force Museum’s grounds for the first day and a half of the reunion.  The four attending Raiders attracted loads of attention with their recollections about the raid, but there were other people present at the ceremonies that offered their stories too.  Somehow, every story contained a common thread to the North American B-25 Mitchell bomber.  Here are a few of my favorites.

It is well documented that the 16 bombers never made their planned destination in China because of an earlier than expected launch.  All but one did manage to reach the Japanese-occupied country though, and the aviators were assisted by many local Chinese in their bid to return to friendly territory.  During the Raiders’ sole press briefing, a Chinese delegation offered some startling links to the past.  Three Chinese citizens who were young children when the raid occurred travelled to the reunion; their families helped various Raiders evade the Japanese and escape from China.  One, Hu Daxian is the wife of Li Senlin, a Chinese resistance fighter who assisted some of the crew’s evasion and escape.  A woman named He Shaoying brought a Chinese book containing a photograph of herself (a young child) and her family together with Lt. Col. Doolittle’s crew; she shared this picture with retired Lt. Col. Richard Cole, who was Doolittle’s copilot, and who was standing with her in the picture!  Mr. Mingfa He produced two photos: one of his father who helped other crewmembers survive, the other a picture of a 1937 Wheat Cent that one of the aviators gave his dad as a token of his appreciation.  The penny is a family heirloom today, and was kept well hidden until the war was over as the Japanese occupiers killed many Chinese that they felt may have assisted the Raiders escape the country.  Mr. Weiyong Zheng  was another delegate, though not connected with the raid through his family.  He announced that he has visited seven of the crash sites of the raid’s B-25 bombers in China.  He unfolded a piece of bright orange cloth and produced a small piece of metal he said came from one of the planes.  An excited Air Force Museum official remarked that the piece still had paint on it from 70 years ago.  Mr. Zheng told those gathered that he has recovered more small fragments and four larger pieces too.  Not surprisingly, Museum officials were keen to hear more from him.

A pair of Navy veterans from the U.S.S. Hornet (CV-8) were present, and added their own stories.  Retired Navy Chief Petty Officer (CPO) Allen Josey, an electrician, is a “plank owner” or original crewmember of the Hornet when it was launched.  CPO Josey was aboard when one of the first things the Hornet did after its’ launch was to receive two B-25 bombers at Norfolk VA and secretly proved the feasibility of their flight operations off of the carrier.  He couldn’t imagine where those tests off of the Virginia coast would lead to at the time.  Retired Aviation Machinist’s Mate (AD) Elmo Wojahn joined the Hornet’s crew shortly after the secret tests, and both men talked about the mission, though both were below decks when the B-25s launched.  AD Wojahn worked on Grumman aircraft during his Navy career, from the F3F biplane fighter to the F9F Panther jet.  Their stories of the sinking of the Hornet some months later were riveting; CPO Josey said that the first torpedo hit on the ship sounded more like “breaking glass” than an explosion.

The twenty B-25 bombers that flew into the privately airstrip behind the Museum drew thousands of spectators.  Arriving from Urbana on Tuesday morning shortly after sunrise, a bomber touched down close to every three minutes.  Later, a viewing opportunity was open to the public, drawing thousands of spectators.  Not only was this a chance to talk to the crews that flew the bombers onto the field, but a time to catch a couple of “war stories” too.  Knots of people gathered around to hear tales from the Second World War veterans that made it out to the flight line.  I walked into the midst of one such conversation under the wing of a B-25 that went like this: “we’d start our dive bombing from 8,000 feet… some guys liked to push the nose over, but I liked to roll onto a wing and put the target in the gun sight.  We had it all worked out that at 2,500 feet you’d begin to pull up, and the instant the nose obscured the target, we’d hit the release and were really accurate with the bomb.”  Intrigued, I said that I didn’t think the B-25 could do a wing-over like that, and the veteran exclaimed “B-25?  I didn’t fly that truck! I flew P-40s in the China-Burma Theatre…” and drew chuckles from the bystanders.

Another story began with a conversation with a crewmember from the dark blue-painted “Devil Dog”, representing a Marine PBJ version of the B-25.  At another air show, an older man was spotted hurrying along the best he could towards the bomber that was parked on static display.  The crewman saw that this wasn’t an easy task, and wondered what was going to happen next.  The older man finally made it to the plane, and touched his hand to the metal skin of the plane, while smiling.  Of course, they talked, and in a heavily accented voice the story was told.  The man was of Philippine descent, and was interned with his family in a Japanese camp during World War II.  As a very young boy, he remembered that every once in a while his father told him to go outside and arrange a pile of rocks and stones in a specific way.  Although not a fun task, he obeyed his father and did what he was told.  The elderly man also remembered the dark blue planes that flew over and bombed Japanese positions during the war too.  Those planes helped defeat the enemy.  After the war, the young man put two and two together, and realized that his father had the boy arrange the stones in a specific pattern to communicate to the planes where their target was.  And many years after unwittingly helping Marine bombers find their targets, the now elderly man finally saw one of those blue planes close up and could touch one!

Wednesday around noon, the bombers departed the Museum’s runway at 30 second intervals to join together for their fly-bys during the afternoon’s memorial service.  I had befriended some fellow photographers awaiting the B-25 launch, and listened to one, Bob Burns, talking about a specific B-25 with another photographer.  Bob had much experience, through his NASA career, with propeller-driven test and tracking aircraft.  The other photographer knew the history of the certain B-25 well.  The Bendix Radio Company used B-25s to assist with tests around the Baltimore area some decades ago.  During the conversation, one man asked the other if he knew this person or that person…   and you guessed it, they were soon discussing mutual acquaintances and experiences around specific aircraft and programs, although it seemed that they had never met before that day of the 70th anniversary of the Doolittle Raiders’ reunion.   Although aviation is a wide-ranging endeavor, its’ membership always seems to be a close-knit fraternity.

No, this isn’t a story about the history of the Doolittle Raiders and their reunion, but about people connected with the raid through personal circumstances, places, and the North American B-25 bomber.  Their stories piqued my imagination; I wonder what others are out there waiting to be told.

Ken Kula

April 2012

The web has been flooded with pictures and stories of the Space Shuttle Discovery’s move from Florida to its permanent home at the Udvar Hazy Center at the Smithsonian in Virginia.  I was there for the arrival in Virginia, I was also there for the Discovery’s last launch into space as well as its last landing at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

The Discovery was the third operational shuttle after the Columbia and Challenger.  Construction started in August of 1979 and it was completed in August of 1983.  The first flight was August 30, 1984 (STS-41).  The last flight was launched on February 24, 2011 and recovered on March 9, 2011.  During her 27 year career, she flew 39 missions, traveling 149 million miles, completing 5,830 orbits over 365 days in space.  Discovery flew more flights than any other Shuttle and flew four times in the year 1985 alone.  The Discovery flew the first flight after the Challenger disaster and launched the Hubble Space Telescope.  The longest flight was 15 days and it made the final docking with the Mir Space Station.

The Discovery replaced the Shuttle Enterprise at Udvar Hazy.  The Enterprise (which only flew atmospheric missions) was never flown in space and should be transferred to the Intrepid Museum in the coming weeks.

I was there for the last launch of the Discovery on February 24, 2011 in Titusville, FL.   I skipped the “Turn Basin” at NASA (standing near the Vehicle Assembly Building with the rest of the media only 3 miles from the launch) and instead shot from a carefully scouted location on the Indian River in Titusville 12.25 miles away for a wider shot.  The launch was spectacular and the angle was different.  There were eagles that nested in the area flying around.  After the launch we went back home to Tennessee.

I returned to Florida for the landing on March 9, 2011.  I’d never shot a shuttle landing and didn’t get media credentials for it, so I planned to shoot the landing from the parking lot of the visitor center.  The landing was supposed to be from the south and the shuttle should pass close by.  Well, the best plans never seem to work and with 30 minutes to go to landing, the wind shifted.   I heard on the radio the approach was supposed to be from the north which meant no pictures.  I tossed all the gear (and Betsy too) in the van and headed to the causeway on the east side of Kennedy Space Center.   A crowd gathered quickly and within minutes after getting there the radio said Discovery was passing over the west coast of Florida.   Now, the other coast of Florida is at least 125 miles away, but at a speed of Mach 3 (say a mile every 2 seconds), it took about 2 minutes to cover the distance.

Some aircraft make distinct sounds; the Goodyear Blimp, a P-51, and C-5 are easy to distinguish by the sounds that they make.  The shuttle landing is another; all sonic booms have a double crack, one with the initial pressure rise from the nose of the aircraft and a second when the tail passes and the pressure returns to normal.  Normally the double boom isn’t noticeable, but the shuttle makes a very, very distinctive double boom to announce its arrival over the landing facility.  The approach starts at about 9000 feet and 425MPH and it descends about 9800 feet per minute to a landing touchdown speed of about 215MPH.

What all of this means is that when they announce the shuttle over the west coast of Florida; things happen very quickly.   Within 3 minutes the shuttle is on the ground.  There is the announcement, everyone looks, someone spots a reflection of the shuttle at 10,000’ and less than 60 seconds later it’s on a short final to land.  The runway is surrounded by trees and you can’t see the touchdown from the causeway.   Opportunities for photos are limited as the time is short, you have to be ready to shoot and do it now.

The final trip from Florida to Virginia was another story.  I started that trip with a dilemma.  I was going to Dayton to shoot the 70^th anniversary ceremony for the Doolittle Toyko Raid.  This was supposed to be the last time the Raiders would get together and 20+ B-25s would be on hand.  So I arrived on Friday; it rained all day on Saturday; and I shot B-25s practicing at Urbana, Ohio on Sunday morning.  About lunch time I thought it was time to go and I should shoot the shuttle instead.  I left Dayton, stopped for the night in West Virginia and left on Monday morning for DC.

I figured the area around Dulles Airport was going to be a zoo (and it was, some photographers got stuck in traffic and didn’t get there in time), but I knew the shuttle would be making a couple laps around the “mall” (Capitol and national monuments) so I figured I’d catch it there.  I’ve been to DC dozens of times and decided the best place to shoot from was the parking garage at Arlington Cemetery.   I went there Monday afternoon and shoot pictures of aircraft landing at National Airport and picked the primary camera lens combination I was going to use (Canon 1DMK4 and a 300mm 2.8 Lens).

I went to a hotel about 6 air miles away and the fun started.  The Shuttle was to arrive at 10:30AM or so and fly the mall and then go to Dulles to land.  I got up, had breakfast, and left a bit before 9AM.  I thought LA got a bad rap for traffic and really used to think Chicago was worse.  Well, you’ve never been to DC (OK, eastern Virginia) you don’t know bad traffic.  It took me 50 minutes to get to Arlington (straight line distance 6 miles, probably less than 15 on the road).  During the trip, the radio said that the shuttle was ahead of schedule by at least 30 minutes.  Was it weather?  Was it to keep the terrorists, who would be gridlocked in traffic, from getting their shot at it?  Who cares, it was simply early.

I got to the garage about 9:45AM; took out the camera, the backup camera and was ready to fire a few test shots and the wind changed.   National Airport was landing the other direction.  The shuttle was supposed to fly the approach, which means I couldn’t really see it too good from there.  It was time to change plans and start the move to the Memorial Bridge about a mile away.  For those who know me; running isn’t something I like to do, but I moved swiftly to the bridge.   I was on the bridge for literally 30 seconds and looked over my shoulder and there it was; the 747 with the Discovery on board.    It flew within 400 yards of me, they flew several circuits around the mall, and made two nice close passes to where I was standing.  As you can see the shots were really magnificent.  By carefully matching the camera/lens with the distance to the subject, I got virtually full frame shots that were perfect.  No cropping here.

I stood there until we were sure that Discovery was on its way to Dulles Airport and went back to the car.  I wanted to stop at Dulles on the way back.  The traffic there was a real nightmare.  There were “Lot Full” signs up around the Museum and I almost by passed it, until I realized that they didn’t have time to change the signs and everyone was leaving.  So I went in.  I got a few shots of Discovery from a LONG ways away (the public was not allowed near it, I’d estimate 2 miles at least) and headed home.

The crowds at the landing were amazing, virtually blocking streets in the area.  The Memorial Bridge had 6 lanes of traffic of which at least 2 or 3 lanes were closed by people stopped for a look at Discovery.  There was a DC cop on a motorcycle trying to get them to move but without a lot of success.

The Space Shuttle Program was a real milestone in the exploration of space and development of technology that will advance science here on earth.  The Shuttle was a one of a kind vehicle and it will never be duplicated.  This was a final opportunity to see it with air under it’s wings.

Was it worth the 2 ½ days and 1000+ miles of driving to see the Discovery during its last flight?  Yup, well worth it, since I have a great story to tell.   I’d like to thank NASA for the Shuttle Program, Donna and Tony McFarr for helping me get spectacular launch photos over the years, and the taxpayers of the USA (of which I’m one) for funding the Space Shuttle Program to the tune of $196 Billion (2011 dollars) which works out to about $1.5 Billion per launch.  That’s money better spent than spending it on another war and is about the amount of money it takes to run the country for 18.6 days (in 2011).  It was a deal.

You can contact the author/ photographer Mark Hrutkay at TNMark@Me.Com.  All Photos Copyright Mark Hrutkay.

This year marks the 70th anniversary of the raid which was the first strike against the Japanese homeland.  The National Museum of the United States Air Force has a B-25 that was restored by North American Aviation and presented to the Museum in 1958.  The aircraft was restored and painted to represent B-25B, Serial Number 40-2344 which was flown by Doolittle.   It’s displayed as though it’s on the deck of the Hornet in the days before the Raid.  What you may not know, is what artifact is on display in a glass case behind that B-25.

This is one of the most significant artifacts of the raid.  Yet it wasn’t on the raid and didn’t even come into existence until long after the war.  But as time passes, in another 50 years or so, people will really understand their significance.  There are eighty silver goblets that represent each man that flew that mission.  Each one has the airman’s name engraved on his goblet twice; once right side up and once upside down.  These are the goblets that the Raiders used in their annual toast at each reunion.  When the last Raider is gone, people will see the goblets as the men they represented.

The Raider’s reunions started in December 1946 when they got together to celebrate Doolittle’s birthday. That reunion became an annual event and in 1959 the city of Tucson, Arizona presented the group with these goblets, one for each Raider.  Eventually they were presented to the Superintendent of the USAF Academy for safekeeping and they were displayed there between reunions until 2005 when they were placed in the Museum as a permanent home.

The goblets are placed in a case which was custom made by Doolittle’s co-pilot Richard Cole (remember him from TICO 2012, he’s still with us).  The Goblets are in 4 panels, each 5 high for the crew of each airplane.  Left to right they represent the crews of,1 to 16 based on takeoff position. The rows top to bottom are Pilots, Co-Pilot, Navigator, Bombardier, and the Gunner.

At every reunion the survivors meet privately to conduct their “Goblet Ceremony” where they toast the Raiders who have passed since their last meeting and turn their goblet upside down.  The goblets are placed in the case right side up for the living Raiders and upside down for the deceased ones.  So far there are five left surviving.  When there are only two left, they will meet and drink a final toast to their departed comrades.  A special bottle of Hennessy Cognac has been reserved for that purpose.

There are currently five surviving Raiders:

1. Colonel Richard E. Cole, copilot of aircraft #1; born September 7, 1915
2. Major Thomas C. Griffin, navigator of aircraft #9; born July 10, 1916
3. Lieutenant Colonel Robert L. Hite, copilot of aircraft #16; born March 3, 1920
4. Major Edward Joseph Saylor, engineer of aircraft #15; born March 15, 1920
5. Staff Sergeant David J. Thatcher, gunner of aircraft #7; born July 31, 1921

The oldest is 96 and the youngest is 90 years old, let’s hope that there is an opportunity for them to continue the reunion for a few more years.  If you have the chance to attend or to see one of these men near you, take advantage of it.  They did a lot for us and everyone who can should thank them.

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

Attached original photo is of the crew of Doolittle’s B-25; Crew No. 1 Crew No. 1 (Plane #40-2344, target Tokyo): 34th Bombardment Squadron, Lt. Col. James H. Doolittle, pilot; Lt. Richard E. Cole, copilot; Lt. Henry A. Potter, navigator; SSgt. Fred A. Braemer, bombardier; SSgt. Paul J. Leonard, flight engineer/gunner. (U.S. Air Force photo)

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

The  B-25 known as Executive Sweet began it’s journey from Camarillo, CA to Dayton, OH. The aircraft will be one of Twenty-five B-25 Mitchell bombers that plan to pay tribute to the Doolittle Raiders as they commemorate the 70th anniversary of their raid on Japan. The reunion will take place  April 17-20 at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force in Dayton,OH.

On the way to Dayton, OH the B-25 will make several stops,providing an excellent opportunity for the public to see and fly in  this wonderful aircraft . The first of the planed stops was today at Glendale, AZ.

The aircraft arrived about 10:00 AM, after a short flight over Sun City, AZ and the North Phoenix Valley.  The plan to over fly the Sun City area was a good one, as many WWII veterans live in the area.  The visit was hosted by, Glendale Areo Services FBO and the New Left Seat West Restaurant.

The aircraft was available for tours for about 6 hrs, providing wounderful photo opportunities against the blue sky of a wonderful AZ day. The aircraft will stay overnight and depart for Albuquerque ,NM at around 8:00 am on Tuesday 4-10-12.   Executive Sweet   is planing to return to Glendale ,AZ on 4-23-12  as it makes its way back to Camarillo airport.

For more info   http://www.aafgroup.org/

The planed stops along the way are as follows.

On April 4, 2012 just after 2PM, Howard Pardue left us before his time had come.  He was 77 years young.  His XF8F-1 Bearcat NL14HP crashed shortly after takeoff from Breckenridge Texas.  We send our sincerest condolences from the staff here at PhotoRecon to his family and friends and we shall remember him in our prayers.

Howard was known and loved by the warbird community.   He raced at Reno for many years, performed aerobatics at airshows and participated in military “heritage flights”.  During the 70s and 80s, Howard and Nelson Ezell turned Breckenridge into the virtual center of the warbird universe with an airshow that became a legend in its own time.  Howard had a collection of warbirds over the years long before it was cool to have more than one warbird.  He owned several Corsairs, Sea Furys, a Wildcat, and the Bearcat, along with some more conventional aircraft.

Over the years he had a few close calls too.   There was lost engine in the Corsair many years ago and the 1999 Oshkosh incident where the Bearcat he was in was hit by a Corsair.  But he was a very skilled pilot and kept on flying.  I first met him in Kalamazoo Michigan at an airshow in 1983 or 1984.  He was standing on the wing of the freshly restored Bearcat smoking a cigar.  I asked him a fairly intelligent question (I was only 23 back then) about power settings and he growled something at me.   Honestly he scared me so badly at that time that I stayed away from him for 20+ years.   Maybe I got off to a bad start with him.  I finally talked to him many years later and found out he was a pretty cool guy.   Robert Nishimura who was on his crew at Reno really thought the world of Howard.   Everyone in the warbird community liked him.

His Bearcat was as rare as he was.  It was a prototype XF8F-1 and had an interesting history.  It was in storage at the Smithsonian in Silver Hill.   The Smithsonian wanted Darryl Greenamyer’s record setting racing Bearcat “Conquest 1” for their collection.   A trade was made and the government actually released the rare, stock, and very in need of restoration Bearcat to Greenamyer.   It went through another owner and Howard got it in early 1983.  He was well known for his aerobatic routines in the Wildcat, Corsair and he was at the top of his game in the Bearcat.  I watched him fly a great routine in the Bearcat at the Chino show in 2011.   It was an amazing and memorable performance for any pilot, let alone one that was 76 years old.

Howard was a successful businessman, family man, and pilot.  He will be missed by more people than one can realize; blue skies and Godspeed Mr. Pardue.

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

The Valiant Air Command’s show commonly known as “TICO” (which comes from the Titusville Coca Airport) this year worked around a “Doolittle Raider” theme, since this year is the 70th anniversary of the famous carrier launched raid.  As we know on April 18, 1942, the raid was launched off the carrier USS Hornet.   LTC. Jimmy Doolittle was the pilot of the first B-25 launched and his copilot was LT.  Richard Cole.   Richard Cole (currently age 93) was at the show in the Valiant Air Command PX tent, signing autographs.  Dick Cole is one the five surviving raiders and is a fine gentleman.   He looks at least 20 years younger than his current age too.

The Raider theme is one being used for many airshows this year.  But TICO was first.  They had four B-25s in attendance this year.

Larry Kelley sent down his B-25 “Panchito” which he has owned for 15 or so years.  It’s an airplane that is absolutely magnificent.  It was fresh from its spring polishing and looked like it just rolled off the line.  This airplane is marked in an accurate WWII paint scheme and always looks good.  Larry works with the DAV (Disabled American Veterans) and you will find them at shows with Panchito.  Panchito seems to be about everywhere and I’m fairly sure it’s on the road (or in the air) during the entire airshow season.

“Wild Cargo” was at the show too.   This B-25 is owned by Jerry Yegan and the Fighter Factory, Military Aircraft Museum, in Virginia Beach.   Many years ago it was a part of the Walter Soplata collection in Newbury Ohio, sitting in a field with quite a few other rare airplanes.  It was acquired by my friend Steve Detch who had it in his hangar at Air Acres in Woodstock Georgia for quite a few years.  It was in pieces and my son used to play in it 17 years ago as a three year old.  It was named “Wild Cargo” since at one time it carried zoo animals.  The name stuck after it was restored and it’s been back in the skies since about 2008.  Mr. Yegan spared no expense in bringing this aircraft back to better than new condition.  It really stands out and it’s great that this aircraft is available for airshows.

“History Flight” operates a canon nosed B-25H “Barbie III”.  This is an accurately painted aircraft representing one that was flown in combat by former AVG (Flying Tigers) pilot R.T. Smith.  R.T. named the B-25 after his new wife Barbie.    Barbie III is another B-25 that’s on tour a lot and seems to show up at a lot of airshows.  The paint on her is slightly worn and a good black and white picture makes it look like its WWII again.  You can also find Barbie III at airshows throughout most of the season.

The last B-25 is the “Killer B” a resident of the VAC Museum.  Tom Reilly owns it and is one of those people who knows more about B-25s now than anybody on the planet.  In his 40 year career, he has restored 34 aircraft of which 10 were B-25s, he also restored the B-25, B-17 and B-24 that the Collings Foundation tours in.  For that matter Tom restored Panchito too.  His old business was based in Kissimmee Fl, restoring WWII aircraft.  After the 2004 hurricane, he finally moved to Douglas Georgia.  His B-25J “Killer B” is painted as you would have found one early in the war, operating out of North Africa.  In the past this airplane has had the left seat graced by Dick Cole on several occasions.

All the B-25 pilots are good, maybe Tom Reilly is the best.  Not only does he check pilots out in the B-25, but he can fly it to the limits.  At TICO 2010 we were shown a demonstration of how low you could really fly a B-25, and it was nothing short of stunning.  For those who think Snort flying anything low is impressive, they need to watch Tom fly a B-25.

The B-25s flew everyday of the show and it was well worth it to see them fly.  One B-25 flying is impressive, four is at least four times as good if not better.  They represent an era in aviation and WWII history that will never be replicated.  You can watch B-25s fly on TV and in newsreel footage, but it doesn’t start to match what the real thing is like. The VAC show in Florida is one that is well worth going to and is a great way to start the airshow season.  The airshow for 2013 is currently scheduled for March 22, 23, and 24th, time to put it on the calendar.

I would like to thank, VAC Public Relations Officer Col. Terry Yon for his assistance.   You can contact the author Mark Hrutkay at TNMark@Me.Com.   The VAC is at www.VACWarbirds.org.

The MCAS Yuma played out a little different from the original way I was planning on doing the show. The weather people in San Diego had been predicting a large winter storm to hit Southern California with lots of rain, snow, and major winds, on the weekend for the schedule Yuma 2012 Airshow. I started to think that the show may be affected by the approaching storm.

I had planned on driving into Yuma early on Saturday morning from San Diego, and meeting with the Public Affairs Officer, along with the other Media types to shoot the show, but while at the NAF El Centro 2012 Airshow, the weekend before, I learned that the Marines were having an unofficial Media day on the Friday before the show. With the weather coming and my thinking that it might interfere with the actual show, I contacted the PAO office at MCAS Yuma, and got put on the Media list immediately for the Friday practice show. I have to say, this PAO office was one of the best that I’ve dealt with, a big thank you to Captain Reidinger, Gunnery Sergeant Dunk, Corporals Bopp and Diamante.

Arriving Friday morning, I met with approximately 15 other photographers and news crews. The photographers came from as far as Europe, and as close as Yuma, itself.
The day was beautiful with no clouds in the sky, temps in the low 80’s and a cooling breeze sometimes blowing through. It was a perfect day, and the Marines gave us full access to the flight line. Most of the static displays were not in place yet, but that was okay, because we were able to walk up and touch the US Air Force Thunderbirds F-16’s, and the Marines Aggressor Squadron’s F-5 II’s. Performances from Tora, Tora, Tora and CAF groups were awesome, and to see these old war birds still flying, they just hold one’s attention, when you see a P-51 Mustang in a steep dive or a F4U Corsair streaking by just above your head.

The Navy’s F/A 18 Demo Team is never boring, nor are the Marine’s AV-8B with it’s noise and hovering abilities. The Marines F-5’s put on what appeared to be extended fly-bys, and what a joy it was to see as each plane, painted in different camouflaged colors.

It was finally late afternoon and time for the Thunderbirds to fly. The paint scheme on those F-16’s alone make it a great time for watching them fly, as they pull off maneuver after maneuver, and after having just seen the US Navy Blue Angels the weekend before, it was just amazing few days out in America’s southwest deserts.

It all started on May 22, 1912, when Lt. Alfred A. Cunningham reported for flight training at the Naval Academy at Annaplois, it wasn’t until August 20, at Marblehead, Massachusetts, that Cunningham soloed in a Curtiss B-1 Seaplane and became Naval Aviator number 5. Since then, Marine pilots have done their job to defend America and each other, with names like Col. Gregory “Pappy” Boyington (Medal of Honor awardee) of the Flying Tigers in China, and the infamous VMF-214 “Black Sheep” squadron of WWII, and Lt. Col John Bolt, the only Marine aviator to achieve the title of “Ace” in both WWII and the Korean War; and remains to this day the only Marine “Jet Pilot” ace.

Because of these men and many more, 2012 brings us the 100 year Anniversary of United States Marine Corps Aviation, and no place is that history better represented, than at the little known Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum, based at MCAS Miramar, in San Diego, CA. This museum is probably the best kept secret in the aviation world, which is not something this museum wants.

Every branch of the U.S, Armed Forces is allowed only one official museum, and is funded by Congress. The Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum has undergone a rigorous certification process and is one of only three certified Marine Corps Command Museums. The museum is the only museum in the world dedicated to the primary purpose of preserving the history of U.S. Marine Corps aviation

The museum was originally founded and based at MCAS El Toro, in Orange County, CA but with base closures in the 1990’s El Toro was shut down and NAS Miramar, became MCAS Miramar, after the U.S. Navy’s move to Fallon, Nevada (including it’s famous “Top Gun” school). Along with the Marines came the Command Museum in 1999, opening in the year 2000 to the general public.

Steve “Smitty” Smith (USMC Ret.) is currently the Curator of the Museum. He started working at the museum, back when it was located at MCAS El Toro, where Smitty was stationed and he decided to volunteer at the museum. He worked as the museum’s librarian, and then he became the Assistant Curator. After the museum moved to MCAS Miramar, Smitty was promoted to his current position. Along with Asst. Curator Leon Simon (served in the US Navy), both men are responsible for all of the aircraft maintenance, and restoration, along with over 100 volunteers who either work in the museum as docents, or work in various positions from the gift shop, office, to restoring the planes that are acquired from the military. Most volunteers are former and retired Military. Former US Senator and Retired Marine Colonel John Glenn is the Chairman of the Board of the Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum Foundation that runs the museum.

The museum currently has approx. 40 planes and vehicles that are either displayed outside of the museum, or in its restoration hanger nearby. Most planes date from the WWII era to the Present day, and the helicopters from the Korean War to the present. Inside the current building, housing the museum are rooms full of Marine Corps aviation history with paintings, pictures, documents, and other displays showing that the Marine Corps’ proud history and tradition isn’t only held by the Marines hitting the beaches and fighting on the ground for over 236 years.

The current plans are for a new two story 90,000 square foot building to be built as soon as the Marines make a final decision on the museum. They have already decided where the new building will be built and funding does not seem to be an issue, it’s strictly some red tape that is slowing down the process of getting the final okay’s done. The new building will house a library, a small theater, a gift shop, and more rooms for the many displays. Modern technology will be made available to watch videos and other films. There will be more room for more planes as “Smitty” is constantly attempting to add more to the museum’s inventory.

The museum, while located on MCAS Miramar, it has its own entrance, and is located directly across the street from 8604 Miramar Road. From I-15, proceed west for 1.3 miles and turn left into the parking lot. From I-805, proceed east for 3.9 miles and turn right into the parking lot. Look for the American flag and Marine Corps flag on the fence, and the museum is open from Tuesday through Sunday (except on Federal holidays) from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Main website: http://flyingleathernecks.org/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Flying-Leatherneck-Aviation-Museum-Hangar/115458738559141