US Naval War on warbird owners

Letters sent

Hi All,

Just to bring everyone up to date I’ve sent letters off to the Sect. Of Def., The Sect. Of the Navy, Chief Of Naval operations, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Also I’ve been in contact with ICAS about boycot of airshows here in the States.

I also received an e-mail from the Bill O’Reilly show on Fox News.

Cheers CrazyMainer

PS Go MAN. U

Reading you loud and clear!

Sorry Mates

Its been a long time since I lived in the uK, us crazy Maine Hicks have are own set of Speak, it comes from are Colony days.

I just received a interesting phone call about this matter, I can’nt get into the legets of it but its going to help the case.

I’ll try to be more Scottish. If you go to the other board I talk about and look up staff and see my photo you’ll understand.

Cheers Mates

PS: Go Man U

Hi Crazymainer,

Thanks for posting – very interesting issue. Hope you do not mind me repeating what Flood said – it would be great if you could just make your style of writing a little bit more digestible for us over here in the UK. Thanks again 🙂

Hi Flood

Hi Flood,

It would take a long time to get into the on going debate. May I suggest that you go to warbird resource group and go to the discussion board and look up all of mine and other threads you might understand.

As for the second part of your question, well thats the million dollar question that not even the US Navy can give a reason for.

Like I said in earlier post the Navy is set on going after the Warbird Community they seem hell bent in going after anyone who has planes. I know that if they win this case they plan on going after the CAF or Yank Air Museum to get their SB2C.

Remember the Smithsonion just took back all their planes on loan to the USNAM this means the SB2C they had is now on display in DC.They also are looking at alot of the early Navy aircraft that are now on the Warbird scene this includes at least three USN aircraft that are in the UK the F7F, FG-1D and F6F.

Also if the Navy starts looking into the Lend Lease stuff. If I was FAA Museum I would damn well make sure the Corsair and Hellcat that are on display. Also the AD-4 AEW that is in Storage.

On Friday I plan on Filing a FOIA to get US Navy reports and internal records on this subject.

As I stated this is a War that we can’nt lose.

Flood I hope this helps alittle if you wish I can send you some more items off line.

Cheers

Rob,
welcome.
I can tell you are enthusiastic about your subject but it would be a lot easier for those of us trying to understand your arguement if you went back and read your post before you sent it, to correct the mistakes and maybe put some punctuation in too.

Unfortunately over on this side of the pond it is becoming a lot more difficult to actually get military aircraft to participate in all but the largest shows – and sometimes not even then. If the USN sent aircraft across to appear then it would be extremely difficult for any organiser to turn them away.
What is the reasoning behind the USN making grabs for the more well-known warbirds – ie those that were not rebuilt from written off wrecks at the bottom of the ocean or from a swamp? Is this to include all those sold as scrap? Do all those sold abroad (New Zealand, France, El Salvador, Honduras, Canada, South Vietnam, Britain, Mexico, the Philippines, Laos, Thailand, Zaire…Etc. A wide field!) count for repossession?

Just wondering…

Flood.

Glyn, they are all ready………

Hi Glyn,

They have all ready set to go after the CAF as soon as their done with Lex. they want the SB2C they have also their are a # of aircraft that are out their that have un-certain early ownership problems that they want.

As for Lex know what he got himself into, weel he talk with the Navy and as I said in an earlier post the Navy did’nt give a Rats-Tushy.

It use to be real easy to deal with the Navy if you found something you gave them a call talk witht hem and if they did’nt want it then they gave you the OK, it was’nt till the present leadership at Washington Naval History Center and down at Pen. came in then things went South.

As for calling on boycott of Navy aircraft at Airshows its one of the Best PR things you can do. Let me but in this context. Say Reno and Oshkosh both cancel all Navy apperances and then go and have a Live Press Conferance covered by all the Bigies. The first qeustion thats going to be ask is why and the responce is that because of the Navys position towards the Warbird owners.

Then you go on to explain the USAF and US Army positions and how easy it is to deal with these Museums. That gets the press to start asking the Navy alot of hard questions, at the same time you talk about the TBD off Florida the PBM thast they wreck in Lk Washington you get where I’m going here the only way you can fight this to make the public call for changes.

Also by getting a petion started at Airshows going on thru-out the US you reach out to close to 50 million people if you can get just 1% to sign and turn these over to major Media outlets then that can be there helpful.

Remeber they started this War when they went after the guys up in Lake washington in the mid-80s, and believe me this is a War if we don’t win then this gives the Navy a free hand in going after anyone. they still believe that any aircraft that served in the Navy is theirs.

Cheers Rob

I really don’t understand what all the fuss is about. It is certainly no suprise to anyone who follows warbird news that the US Navy doesn’t like their crashed aircraft messed with without their full consent. This is the way it has ALWAYS been, hence that poor Devastator rotting away down below when it should be saved today.

I feel bad for Mr. Crally and can certainly empathise with his frustration in the matter. That being said, he knew who he was dealing with and for that he shouldn’t be too suprised at the current state of affairs. What is encouraging is the amount of press the story has received here in the states, if nothing else I bet the Navy will back off to avoid a PR black eye.

Calling for a boycott of Navy planes is a bit unrealistic and I think unnecessary. This situation will get worked out behind the scenes – I really don’t see the Navy telling all current operators of former US Navy aircraft that they no longer own their airplanes and they’ll have to give them back.

Re: Re: Re: US Naval War on warbird owners

Originally posted by Nermal
That said, are there any in the Lochs? Thought there might be one or two in the Irish Loughs, though… – Nermal

Good point , as far as I can make out there are none in any Lochs , there are a couple in the sea off the Isle of Arran – including one which is only 60ft offshore – the starboard wing was only a few feet below the surface at low tide – but I think the wing was blown off to stop things getting snagged on it – wonder if any of our resident divers can confirm this ??

Re: Re: US Naval War on warbird owners

Originally posted by ageorge
We don’t have “lakes” in Scotland – we have a singular lake – The Lake of Menteith , we have Lochs .

That said, are there any in the Lochs? Thought there might be one or two in the Irish Loughs, though… – Nermal

Re: US Naval War on warbird owners

Originally posted by crazymainer
Hi All,

We the warbird communitie need to rally around this, the USN claims ownership to all their Aircraft World Wide that means all the Cats. that are in the Scottish Lakes.

In closing any support you can give will be welcome.

Long Live The Republic of Maine

We don’t have “lakes” in Scotland – we have a singular lake – The Lake of Menteith , we have Lochs .

STRIKE

Yes their is, In the court ruling on the Lk. Washington aircraft the Federal Judge ask the Navy Lawyer does the word STRIKE mean that the USN gives up ownership and are declaring said aircraft displosed of.

The Navy lawyers answer was yes that the Navy concider STRIKE aircraft no longer their property. The Judge then ask for a clear statement from Washington on this and they replied stating that if they have too clean up or recover all STRIKE site aircraft that they could not and are giving up ownership claims to all said STRIKE aircraft.

This case is public record and we have someone in the Seattle area getting the whole case including the ruling and the appeals that the Navy also lost.

Cheers

First the Corsair in question was a STRIKE which means the US Navy gave up all rights to it

[pedantic]
Is there somewhere online we can see a clear, independent, definition of the term STRIKE?[/pedantic]

Was visiting a small airport in Philiadelphia last year, and came across the wreakage of two Wildcats. The owner had a similar story to tell, the US Navy would take them back if they got to know about them. Have some great pic’s will post when I figure out the attach picture thing !