Information for all P-38 Lightning friends…
The flight to transfer the aircraft from Texas across the North Atlantic to Salzburg, which was scheduled for this week, is not going to take place.
We welcome this personal decision, which ultimately was made by Sigi Angerer himself, and regard this as sign of due respect for this not quite risk-free “adventure”. Although the restoration works have now been completed with highly satisfactory results, the risk of choosing a flight across the North Atlantic over the safer sea route was not taken.
The ultimate reason for the decision was that despite the fact that all systems are functioning smoothly and successful flight tests have been performed, the residual risk is nevertheless quite high, because the aircraft in fact was not built to fly such long distances at all. 3.5 hours between Canada and Greenland, in weather conditions which are ultimately never totally predictable and with only one hour’s worth of fuel reserves may even turn the smallest technical problem into a catastrophe.
After three and a half years of restoration time, the P-38 has turned into a world-wide unique showpiece and has now also become too valuable to undertake such a flight.
We have the greatest respect for Sigi’s decision, which doubtlessly was not easy for him. At the same time, we are all the more pleased to be able to present the aircraft in all its splendor at around the end of October on our home base in Salzburg.
We are convinced that you welcome this new situation as much as we do and will keep you informed of the latest developments through our website.
Legends 09? :p
By: Oxcart - 13th September 2008 at 22:42
He obviously could afford it, but they have been conspicuous by their absence at legends haven’t they?-i seem to remember reading its something to do with insurance-there may be other reasons too-but the point is, they have never come over
By: Firebird - 13th September 2008 at 18:01
Wouldn’t hold your breath!-they’ve said its too expensive to bring their aircraft over here
Yeah right…….:rolleyes:
Dietrich Mateschitz isn’t exactly poor, the cost of bringing over a few of Red Bulls warbirds for Legends would literally be insignificnt compared to what he spends on 2 x F1 teams per year and sponsoring all manor of other stuff.
By: JDK - 13th September 2008 at 02:42
…because the aircraft in fact was not built to fly such long distances at all.
Ah, the famous P-38 point interceptor.
By: Last Lightning - 13th September 2008 at 01:10
after all the expence of buying it restoring it and shipping it to europe why wouldnt they want to show it off:cool:
By: Oxcart - 13th September 2008 at 00:43
Wouldn’t hold your breath!-they’ve said its too expensive to bring their aircraft over here
By: mike currill - 12th September 2008 at 22:47
I agree with Bograt there, would be great to see her at Legends next year. My youngest is too young to remember when we had a P-38 here and is desperate to see one in flight. I’d like to see it too.
By: Propstrike - 3rd September 2008 at 20:55
A wise move, they have nothing to prove. Most single-engined fighters seem to come in a container these days, though that was not the case in the eighties and people like Doug Arnold would send Mustangs and Thunderbolts over ( or back ) via Greenland. His Mosquito also came, and went back that way.
Off hand, I can’t think of any that came to grief, though Jeff Hawke had a Me108 go down after 633 Sqdn. He was leading a flight of two to the USA ,and only one arrived!
By: Bograt - 3rd September 2008 at 20:41
A very sensible decision, albeit a hard one to take; we had to keep our Tigercat a Duxford for a few months more than the new owner might have wished for, but by the end of August the North Atlantic weather is deteriorating fast and even for a twin it’s a big ask to make that trip.
Legends ’09? we’d love to see it there!
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September 3, 2008 at 8:26 pm