Around 20-25 years ago I took some photos of an F-15 flying with two P-51 Mustangs at an air show at Eglin AFB. I thought it was really neat.
Later I discovered something similar is done at just about every air show. Still interesting tho.
A flying P-38 is a very rare sight.
Nice!
Picture(s)?
Pics or it didn’t happen.
(...but I hope it did!)
Practicing an assault on the NORKs?
They’re more than welcome to pass by our place. A little bit of a hike over the mountains but the Stead Airport is right here. ;-)
Yee-haww!
hey, ever hear of a CAMERA? I’m soooo jealous.
Uhn huh....
TTIWWOP’s
A-10s have been running simulated strafing runs over my house all week.
Barksdale is where that very aircraft was delivered to the U.S. Army Air Corps when shiny and new, so it's fitting that Doc begins its second career there.
I think a PBJ (Marine version of the B25) from CAFSoCal will be there. Not your typical Mitchell.
Now if FiFi and/or Doc (B29’s) are there, you’ve got one heck of a collection in one place!
I’ve got two BlackHawks and a Chinook buzzing over mine, you win.
What I’m posting is largely from memory so if the facts are somehow skewed, just say so and post the corrections.
Sometime back, a wealthy owner of a grocery store chain, in Kentucky, went over to Greenland, on an expedition to recover a P-38 Lightning, that was entombed in ice, 250’ underground.
This particular gentleman flew one of the several P-38’s that had to make an emergency landing on Greenland, due to hazardous weather encountered on their flight, which forced all of the P-38’s in the group /to the ground in said landing.
The pilots spent a couple on weeks on Greenland, and were eventually rescued by a passing ship.
Decades later, an expedition was launched to retrieve the P-38 that this particular pilot flew.
Sophisticated sonar was used to locate the planes, which were buried under 250’ of ice and snow.
A kerosene heater 5’ in diameter and resembling a giant plumb bob, was used to melt a shaft down to the subject aircraft. Workers were lowered down to the plane, and using a steam, power washer like- spray device, melted a cavern large enough to allow for the dis-assembly of the aircraft.
Due to the effects of the crushing weight of 250’ feet of ice and snow, the subject aircraft was determined to be damaged beyond repair.
Since there were several other aircraft in the same flock forced down, an expanded search found another aircraft in sufficient condition to warrant salvage.
The target aircraft was painstakingly disassembled into pieces that could be brought to the surface via the 5’ diameter shaft.
The aircraft was shipped to Middlesboro, Kentucky, and over 10 or more years rebuilt into flying condition by volunteers and staff.
Today, this bird is known as Glacier Girl, and has (or had) the distinction of flying the airshow circuit as one of the stars of the Heritage Flight.
One hell of a story if you ask me.
I went to the hangar in Middlesboro, where the aircraft was being restored, during it’s final months of restoration. To me- it was kind of like visiting Liberty Hall, or Cape Canaveral (Kennedy Space Center).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glacier_Girl
http://p38assn.org/glaciergirl/index.htm
http://www.airspacemag.com/history-of-flight/glacier-girl-the-back-story-19218360/
https://www.damninteresting.com/exhuming-the-glacier-girl/
I have the privilege of watching A10s, B2s and KC 135s, C130s and CH47/UH 60s on a regular basis, occasional AH64. I live under the flight path/approach to Fort Wood MO, Cannon Air Range the fixed wings come from Whiteman and Kc, the rotary from Wood, usually toting Sapper school classes to Lake Ozark for helocasting.
After a few close encounters with A10s in other environs, it took a few years to be comfortable with their tree top antics. I painted a “go Hogs” banner on my steel roof-one day a USAFR pilot drove up to the house and introduced himself. He appreciated the banner- and we had a good chat.
ping
Nice! I saw a plane fly along the coast at Huntington Beach yesterday and it may have been a P-51. The cockpit canopy seemed a bit longer so I may very well be misidentifying it. Regardless, it was cool.