For what it is worth…I visited DX a few years ago and was proud to see that B-24, and the rest of the machines on display in the country they proudly served. That airplane deserves to be there and in such good hands. As for the rest of the Lackland airplanes…they to deserve better fates…and paintjobs.

jim

Here is a photo I found of that jug when it was being flown by Odom. This is the machine now with Yanks.

jim

The Collings A-36 is being finished up, should be done by summer. AND there is a 90% chance the 262 will join us on the tour this year…fingers crossed!

Then there is the Yagen P-39 and maybe the 109…who knows they might even get another of Yagen’s 190’s up and running. There is a P-40 here in Florida getting close to being completed.

jim

It’s great that so many people have had the chance to experience these aircraft. Where there is a will there is a way. I’ve been really lucky, my first warbird ride was in 1989 in the right seat of Glen Lamont’s B-25 and I haven’t looked back.

jim

Flown PIC:
Mustang C “Betty Jane”
B-17 “909”
B-24 “Witchcraft”
B-25 “Tondelayo”
T-6 (7) different airframes, including a Harvard
Bird Dog
Stearman
PT-19
T-28
Beech 18
L-4
YPT-14 waco UPF-7

As Passenger:
Fieseler Storch
Mustang TF “Crazy Horse” & “Lady Jo” actually logged time but not PIC
F4U-5
L-39
B-17 Aluminum Overcast
Mustangs Ridge Runner, American Beauty, Lady B, Petie 2nd, Flying Dutchman, Straw Boss
B-25 Guardian of Freedom
Ford Trimotor in Military markings…if that counts :p

Found some more, including my rendition of “Yankee Dood It”. I spent hours at the Air Force Museum studying this jacket. It’s as close as I could humanly get to an exact reproduction. Unfortunately, when you do this for a business the jackets that people envision aren’t always what was done during the war. It was really special when a customer wanted a jacket modeled after an original.

jim

This movie will no doubt help bring a new generation into the know about the Air War. The CGI is overdone and reminds me of an episode of Dogfights. Every modeled airplane I saw has an actual flying counterpart. The flight models could have been more accurately simulated. That said, it looks like a good popcorn movie with a bit of a history lesson.

As an aside, after almost 2 years of T-6 instructing, more than a few people comment on how slow things happen compared to airplanes they see in the movies.

jim

First flight as PIC in Betty Jane…although this is more of a personal photo, the clouds that day were beautiful.

jim

Here is a great interview with Tex himself. Watch the video…he doesn’t change heading by 45 degrees or 90 degrees…he does an aileron roll straight ahead. I agree with your definition of a barrel roll with the change of heading…that is spot on. It frankly doesn’t matter what size the airplane is when defining what kind of aerobatic manuever you are doing the principles are the same.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ra_khhzuFlE

Harold Johnson in the Ford Trimotor
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6dWtDk_rOI

Harold actually performs a “flick” roll…or snap roll with the big transport

fun stuff!

jim