Chino This Weekend

[GregP]

The event this Saturday is the 475th Fighter Group featuring our P-38J 23 Skidoo.

We have just finished overhauling the port Allison and the P-38 will be flown in demostration after the presentation by members of the 475th Fighter Group, who flew the P-38 in combat.

Welcome one and all. If you get there, come to the restoration hangar and look me up (Greg). I'd be happy to show you around personally.

 

[GregP]

Well, the event was a rousing success despite that fact that our P-38 was unable to fly until after the museum closed. We just could not get it back operationa,l in time. We are very lucky at Chino in that we have TWO flying P-38's at the field, so we simply flew the other one, "Honey Bunnie". Today was the last meeting of the 475th fighter group and we had five speakers who related their best P-38 stories, including Perry Dahl, whose P-38 opurs is painted and named for (23 Skidoo).

I gave a personal tour to a couple of forum members and we had a great time in general. Too bad more of you could not have been there! Our annual airshow is May 4 - 5, in one month, and you are all certainly invited to attend. This year's theme is "1942 - Turning the tide".

See you there!

Cheers - Greg

 

[MikeGazdik]

God I hope you are still on this site and I can someday schedule a visit in May. Yet another thing added to the "bucket list".

 

[evangilder]

You won't regret it, Mike. But I will warn you, once you go to one Chino show, you'll want to go back again and again. This year will be my 7th in a row.

Greg, who own "Honey Bunny" these days? It sat in Camarillo for a few years while the CAF tried to do a secret handshake deal that fell through. I sat in it a few times and gave my a presentation on the P-38 with that airplane in the background several years ago.

 

[GregP]

I think Jack Croul.

By the way, Evan, would you like to get together before the airshow? Say on Friday, 3 May?

 

[evangilder]

Ah, okay, he has owned that for many years, didn't know if he still did.

I'd love to get together on the Friday before, but I work in the SFV and live in Ventura County, so that's a bit of a haul for me. I'll be hanging out with the RV guys in the morning Saturday, and possibly flying with them for some photos and video. I need to find Rob Harrison in the morning as I have something for him and I will likely be on the crowd line sometime after that.

 

[Jenisch]

Perhaps I will make a trip to the US.

 

[GregP]

Since I'm working the airshow, I'll be over at the RV parking area colelcting fees. Will miss seeing you. Good luck with the RV crowd! Great planes and a LOT of fun.

You'll find Rob over at the chili cheeseburger chuck wagon ... at least that's what he claims when he lands and talks with the crowd. But I bet you KNOW that ...

Anyway, I'm glad you;re attending and hope you enjoy the show.

 

[wheelsup_cavu]

Ontos started a thread and posted some photos from the tour Greg.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVRXn5Qjqs0

High Definition (720):
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVRXn5Qjqs0

The P-38L Lightning, "Honey Bunny" takes to the sky for a deonstration flight for the Planes of Fame Air Museum's Living History Flying Day Event for April 2012. This flight features Steve Hinton as the pilot with a camera mounted on one of the guns in the nose.

The seminar featured eight veterans of the 475th Fighter Group who presented the Group's history and their stories of courage and sacrifice, as well as their experience flying one of America's premier fighters of WW2, the P-38 Lightning.

Special thanks to Mr. Jack Croul and Allied Fighters for the use of Honey Bunny.

Find more videos of rare planes being flown and shown at the Planes of Fame YouTube channel.
Planes of Fame's YouTube channel: POFmuseum's Channel - YouTube

Wheels

 

[jetmech]

GregP, On my bucket list is to one day visit the museum, watch one of your shows and attend one of the 475th FG reunions. My father was a crew chief in the 432nd and shared many stories of his exploits in the South Pacific. I truly miss him and greatly appreciate the efforts made to keep their history alive. Currently I crew a P-51D and a T-6D owned by Nathan Davis. While these are great aircraft I still love the P-38 the best. Thanks again for all that your group does. JT

 

[GregP]

Hi Jetmech,

Thanks for the nice post. I am just a volunteer and would welcome you to the Planes of Fame anytime. Our airshow is usually in the middle week of May, but we moved it up a week this year because March Air Force Base decided to have their airshow that very weekend. Anyway, we have a very good airshow voted number two in the world last year according to our data.

I love the European airshows and think we do a good job in comparison, not necessarily better, but would not care to vote. I'd much rather see them all and not decide a "winner." Any day at the airport is a good one for me. Any day at an airshow is better.

In Europe we see many European aircraft as well as American aircraft involved in airshows. Over here we see mostly American aircraft, not due to any prejudice, but more due to availability of parts.

At the Planes of Fame airshow this year, we have three Japanese Zeros, a static Yokosuka D4Y Judy, two Spitfires, a a Fairey Firefly, and Fw 190F Fluegwerk aircraft, And a large number of American aircraft.

Speaking with the pilots and owners, I find they choose their mounts more by availability of parts than by nationality. The parts are more important than the country. If we had a lot of Zero parts, we'd fly a lot of Zeros. Thats why we fly a lot of Mustangs ... we HAVE more parts. There are few Spitfire parts in the U.S.A. and even fewer Hurricane parts. We've never seen a part for a Blenheim as far as I know ... or we'd flying one or more.

Personally I'd love to restore a Bouton-Paul Defiant, but I've never seen one live and in person. Maybe a Beaufighter? We need parts!

We HAVE a Meteor ... but no engines. Anybody have two Derwent 5's?

 

[Njaco]

oh. if only to be on the West Coast. Sun, sand and...warbirds! You guys be sure to get some pics and throw in a couple of yourselves too!

 

[jetmech]

GregP, I can relate to much of your post. I have seen European shows at Duxford and one while I was stationed at Hahn AFB in Germany. They do have some good shows however, I am retired Air Force and my preference is to watch either an American demonstration team or our own warbirds hammering it out in the overhead skies.

I am fortunate to be with a group of folks who are known as the Checkertail Clan from Kokomo, Indiana. We have two with the possibility of making it three events lined up for the Mustang and T-6 before OSHKOSH. One of these is our own auto/airshow which is free for the local community. A Band booster group from one of the high schools takes care of the concessions and parking. The high school then uses the proceeds they make as a fund raiser for their marching band.

The show usually entails aerobatics, parachute teams who do the opening National Anthem, auto vs airplane races, and lastly warbirds in review. Folks really like to watch the events and get excited when they see either a model A trying to beat a J-3 cub or a 900HP vette against a T-6. If things work out this year we may get a run between a top fuel dragster and the Mustang. Anyway it is a good time and enjoyed by all.

I hear you on the parts. Better to be flying rather than waiting on something to get the plane back in the air.

Perhaps we'll be able to cross paths in the near future. Until then keep em flying.

JTharp

 

[GregP]

Hi Jetmech!

When I went to Purdue, my sister and her husband were based at Grissom AFB in Kokomo. At the time (1968 - 1971 or so), they still had a few B-58 Hustlers there and I saw one max-performance takeoff. The B-58 was 10,000 feet in the air when it passed the end of the 10,000 foot runway! Good luck with your local airshow! You certaintly have a great airport in the former AFB.