On my way back from another Oshkosh Adventure and here is a report for those who did not get up there this summer. I will spare you the weather report (good news - no snow)...
6 - B17s this year
Fuddy Duddy was flying tours daily from Appleton and participated in at least two of the warbird shows, complete with one or two other B17's (depending on which day) with a B25 in a missing man formation...pretty neat.
Aluminum Overcast sitting on the sidelines, minus 3 engines but looking good.
Yankee Girl was a late arrival and sat down at West Ramp, excuse me "Aero-Shell Square", along with:
Thunderbird
Liberty Belle
Sentimental Journey
5 - B-25's (not counting City of Burlington sitting on the grass outside the AirVenture Museum..."keep 'em flying...hmmm)
Devil Dog in AeroShell Square tucked amongst a gaggle of B17's.
Panchito (flew in every warbird show and in the missing man formations) next to the Warbirds In Review area and co-located with the Disabled American Veterans - a great display.
over on the grass in Warbirds you found Betty's Dream & Warbirds Digest (also known by the Warbird Line Cew as "Dawn Patrol" since they went out for a photo shoot early almost every morning)
and...w-a-y down past the Ultralight area (far south end of the runway) sat Pacific Prowler. I found this nice B25 early Wednesday morning as I tooled around on a borrowed scooter looking at the Vintage-Antique aircraft. I asked why they were down here. They assured me they did not have a falling out with the Warbirds people, just that they liked to camp inside their B25, which they are not allowed to do in the Warbirds area, but can "way down here". They also confided to me that "the kids" snuck into the B25 at AeroShell Square to sleep every night last year. My memory is that a B25 is not quite as large inside as an RV is, but, it must be neat to camp out in a big warbird at Oshkosh and I would have loved to have done when I was a "kid".
...lest we forget...Diamond Lil our favorite LB30/B24 was on display in AeroShell Square but did not fly during the week. You would have liked to see one side of the square with 3 b17's a B25 and a B24 all cheek to jowl.
And for the fighter afflicted (just kidding, I really like them myself) two P47's flew in Saturday morning to join Butch Schroeder's P47: Wicked Wabbit and Hun Hunter. 3 - p47's = not bad at all.
And yes, Glacier Girl was there in all its well-deserved glory, but did not fly after Wednesday's show (Pilot Steve Hinton had other committments was what I was told). I did get to be a wing-walker one morning as we brought it over from the hanger to the Warbirds In Review presentation area and got a real close-up view of the bird and a nice talk with Bob Cardin, the project manager.
Glacier Girl also flew in at least one "Heritage FLight" with two modern fighters (sorry for my mental block on the exact types of the modern noise boys) and General Reg in the P51 Gunfighter. A really good looking formation. Excellent flying, especially Steve Hinton's very smooth roll at the end.
Glacier Girl won the top WWII award from the EAA Warbirds.
In the "odd duck" department - Chuck Greenhill's J2F-4 Grumman Duck, fresh from a 7 year restoration, flew in (but did not fly in any flybys nor during the warbird shows) early in the week and flew out late Wednesday. Well, at least I got to see a great restoration of a very rare warbird land and take-off. I love all the B17's, really, but this was my favorite aircraft at Oshkosh this year. I'm no judge, but it looked pretty authentic to me.
...just sorry that business will keep me from attending "Thunder Over Michigan" this weekend.
Oshkosh Report..
Oshkosh Report..
ww2John