# Wonderful Military Weekend



## davparlr (May 17, 2009)

This may not be the place, but I just have to post it.

Weekend Thrills

This was quite a weekend for me. On Saturday, while visiting Del Amo mall in Torrance, I toured the military display presented for build up to Memorial Day. I sat in cockpit of an F-5A, on display from the Western Museum of Flight at Torrance airport. Since it is basically a T-38 with a weapons control panel and a gun sight, it took me back to warm memories of long ago that still felt so familiar. Also, I saw a M1A1 tank for the first time. It was actually smaller than I though it would be. It seemed low and short, but very wide. 

On Saturday, I went to Chino air show. Wow! Planes that only existed in books and video to me, started up in a roar and smoke, taxied, took off, and buzzed overhead like angry bees (big ones). Grumman planes were the feature, and there they were, F3F (biplane), F4F, F6F, F8F (there were FIVE of these), TBM, and a J2F Duck (also a biplane) amphibian, all flying. Then came the F7Fs with their incredibly slim fuselage and two huge engines. The Korean Air War was presented, showing off the T-6, T-33, F-86, Mig 15, and the Sea Fury. The Pacific Air War was represented by the SBD Dauntless, F4U, F6F, VAL, FM-2 (F4F), ZERO, P-40, P-38, P-51 and the F7F (Huh? More like a Korean war bird). The P-47, P-38, P-51, B-25, P-40, F6F (with British roundels and invasion stripes), and the Yak-3, represented the European Air War. The last I saw was the Airpower flight with all of these aircraft flying and buzzing the field. I never believed I would ever see many of these aircraft, much less flying.

Impressions.

While these planes were flying, it was easy to let my mind drift to different times in different places, an airfield in foggy England or on hot, humid island in South Pacific, or on the windswept wooden deck of a cruising aircraft carrier, or frigid skies high over Korea. The volunteers and owners crawling around the aircraft easily transformed into Army, Navy, Marine, RAF, and Japanese pilots and ground crews preparing their war birds for battle. Sounds were impressive. The Merlins, Allisons, Centaurus (maybe), Sakae (one ZERO did have an original engine it), and whatever is in the Yak-3, engines chattered as they started and roared wonderfully. A running pulse jet, being towed down the runway, gave a realistic experience of what Londoners heard overhead late in the war.

Of special impressions were seeing those magnificent F8Fs, with their long legged landing gears and huge, four bladed propeller, displaying great power and deadly intent. I couldn’t take my eyes off the small Mig-15 and the larger F-86, with is slight black smoke trail, chasing each other around the field. I was also struck by the massive beauty and power of the Sea Fury, which darted right by the crowds, and with the beauty of the Yak-3.

A wonderful, treasured time.


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## Njaco (May 17, 2009)

Sounds like a great time. I think evangilder and syscom were there - you guys might have passed each other!


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## Thorlifter (May 18, 2009)

Sounds fantastic. I wish I could go to Chino just one time.


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## Airframes (May 18, 2009)

Sounds like you had a great time, and what a fine description. I could almost hear and smell the sights and sounds. Thanks for sharing.


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## ccheese (May 18, 2009)

Sounds like a wonderful time and place for a warbird fan. Chino is a wonderful place, hope to get there someday,
but it's not someplace I can hop to for a week-end.

Charles


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## TheMustangRider (May 19, 2009)

Amazing trip! One day wouldn't be enough to take a close look at all those magnificent aircrafts.


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## evangilder (May 19, 2009)

Sorry I missed you at the show davparlr. I was to the left of the media tent. syscom was there too. It was a great show, even by Chino standards!


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## wheelsup_cavu (May 21, 2009)

evangilder said:


> Sorry I missed you at the show davparlr. I was to the left of the media tent. syscom was there too. It was a great show, even by Chino standards!


I was on the right side of that tent.

Great description of the show Davparlr. 

The Zero with the original engine is stored at Chino.
I saw her fly in December 2008 at one of their monthly shows.
First Saturday of every month there is a mini show.


Wheelsup


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## davparlr (May 27, 2009)

wheelsup_cavu said:


> I was on the right side of that tent.
> 
> Great description of the show Davparlr.
> 
> ...



I knew some of you guys were at the show, I just got real busy and didn't get around to finding out where I could meet you.


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## evangilder (May 27, 2009)

No worries, it was a crazy busy day for me as well.


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## Njaco (May 27, 2009)

Charles, Toughombre and myself are gonna have to teach you guys how to make a plan of attack!


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## davparlr (May 27, 2009)

Njaco said:


> Charles, Toughombre and myself are gonna have to teach you guys how to make a plan of attack!



Wherebouts in NJ do you live? I spent four year at McGuire AFB at Wrightstown, from 71 to 74. We really enjoyed NJ. Great fruits and vegetables. We first lived near an abandoned peach orchard, in Beverly, near Willingboro. We had wonderful peaches on everything, just had to cut out the worms.


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## Njaco (May 27, 2009)

Glassboro, just below Philly. Home of Rowan College. About 45 minutes from McGuire.


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## davparlr (May 28, 2009)

Njaco said:


> Glassboro, just below Philly. Home of Rowan College. About 45 minutes from McGuire.



Is it rural there? I know southern NJ can be very rural. We used to practice flying combat airlift mission (CAM) over southern NJ. We had a drop zone out there somewhere. Flying into NJ and seeing those dirigibles hangers at Lakehurst reminded me of seeing hotels on the board of Monopoly.


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## Njaco (May 29, 2009)

Well, its still alittle rural but getting crowded all the time. The fastest growing community in the nation is situated here - Woolwich Twp. I can't wait to retire and get my own Pacific island with only 2 natives. Eating coconuts and fish, working on a tan and collecting pearls. aaaahhhhhhhh.


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## ToughOmbre (May 29, 2009)

Njaco said:


> Well, its still alittle rural but getting crowded all the time. The fastest growing community in the nation is situated here - Woolwich Twp. I can't wait to retire and get my own Pacific island with only 2 natives. Eating coconuts and fish, working on a tan and collecting pearls. aaaahhhhhhhh.



I'm comin' with ya Chris!

TO


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## davparlr (May 29, 2009)

Njaco said:


> Well, its still alittle rural but getting crowded all the time. The fastest growing community in the nation is situated here - Woolwich Twp. I can't wait to retire and get my own Pacific island with only 2 natives. Eating coconuts and fish, working on a tan and collecting pearls. aaaahhhhhhhh.



Have you ever ate at the Lobster Shanty at Point Pleasant? It was one of our favorite spots.


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