When did you first become interested in Warbirds?

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pbfoot said:
While going through my junk I found a notebook of mine from grade 2 or 3 about 1962. The only thing i managed out of that list was working radar
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Agressive little fella, wanting to take the Russians on at that age.

Love the picture. If you did that these days they would probably send you for therapy.
 
My interest was sparked when my parents took me onto the back roads near to RAF Duxford where the Battle of Britain film was being produced at the time.
 
Have interested in newer warbirds since I was a youngster (my dads ex RAF) and my especial favourite has always been the Harrier. My interest in older warbirds started in 2008 when I found the grave of a New Zealander from 75 (NZ) Sqn buried in my local churchyard. Because of him I started buying books about New Zealanders in Bomber Command and especially Stirlings which is what he died in. Now it has taken on a whole other life. Strange to say that my other favourite newer warbird now is the Skyhawk (looks a bit like a harrier in some ways without the VSTOL capability)..... Warbirds at Wanaka was great and it looks like I will be volunteering at RIAT this year....
Dee
 
I've loved anything that flies as long as I can remember, but I only became seriously interested in warbirds a few years ago when I went to an airshow in Rome, GA.

They had a P-51, B-25, SBD... great show!
 
I grew up hearing my dads war stories of flying B-24's in the 8th and 15th Air Forces. Then in '74 we went to an air museum that was little more than a bunch of wrecks parked out in a field and I was hooked for good! Thats me on the right next to my brother and my all time favorite aircraft!
 

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Hi.
My interest in warbirds started when the war started, I was a very young nine year old and was already making rubber powered flying models. My father worked for the LNER. (Late and Never Early Railway)
Grimsby Docks Board, organised spotting posts on high buildings in Grimsby and spotters were trained from the LNER staff. They were in telephone and radio contact with the dock authoroties and the docks continued working during an air raid. If anything suspicious was seen, alarm bells were rung and all the workers went to shelter. The proof of the system was that less than 2,000 hours were lost in six years. I too, had a job, my father told his bosses that I could make model aircraft, the result was they purchased solid model kits and paint and I made aircraft recognition models. I had a few near misses in the war especially with the Butterfly Bombs. Also, although I am 80 next month, I help out at the local aviation museum, we have a 3 story control tower full of artifacts. The aircraft are Jet Provost, Meteor, Hunter, Vampire, Saab Draken, F100, 2 Helicopters, Spitfire and a Lightning.

Ken
 
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I guess I really first got interested in warbirds after I read Robert Scott's God is My Co-Pilot. The other thing was there was a TN. ANG squadron at then Berry Field in Nashville, TN that flew P-47s. I used to watch them get into a rat race over where we lived. I've been a frustrated fighter pilot ever since.
 
From the moment I laid my eyes on my childhood friends model of a B-17. It was 1/72nd scale and olive green but with some detail to it. Even as a small child the plane looked "right."
 
As a child I was always models of WWII aircraft from various countries. This aroused my interest in such aircraft, the fighters were the best. At air shows about 15 years ago I was able to experience the live sound. Since that time, I love these planes, whether fighter or bomber. Being the most beautiful sound is B-25.
 

Very cool story!

I don't want to get to far off topic, but I was curious what aviation museum you helped out at?
 
I'm really not sure how far back my interest in aviation goes, somewhere around 8 or 9 I begin building balsa wood and plastic models .
What really boosted my interest was a 1957 trip to Chicago, for my brothers wedding. While there we went to the Fields museum. As you walked thru the main entrance you were greeted by a Stuka pointed right at you in a very steep dive. There were several other aircraft there, and other exhibits, but I remember only that Stuka and the U-boat (U-505 ) outside.
 
I always had an interest in aircraft, one time in 1982 I went to do some race practice at Snetterton race circuit which was a USAAF bomber base in WWII. It was february and freezing cold so myself and my friend walked to the local bar. We sat and had more than a few beers in a room lined with old photos pinned up by the American aircrews in the war many of whome did not return, it was a very touching poignant experience. Being only about 1 1/2 miles from the runway I bet that bar was a special place during the war.
 
I was in Civil Air Patrol as a teenager and inheried my love for the old warbirds from the Senior Members. I even worked an airshow for the Confederate Air Force back in the 70's .
 
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My Dad's Navy stories and memorabilia are basically what got me hooked. He got his wings on July 28, 1944.
 
OK here goes:

Me in my Dad's arms in 1960 and the next two in 1962, building my first scratch built model.
 

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Hi everybody.

Fitting topic of my first post, huh?

I do not recall a time when I wasn't devoted to warbirds (I prefer WWII, ETO, 8thAF Luftwaffe Ostfront).

Seriously, the Mrs. asked a while back and I really don't know. I think, but not sure, it had to do with a weekly reader ad in 2nd-3rd grade. Had some cartoony Mustangs and Thunderbolts in the margins. I do remember asking dad what they were, he got up, walked over to his ample library, and whipped out some type of WWII encyclopedia. The rest, as they say, is history.

Guess I better go check in at the proper place..........
 
I grew up in S. Cal with a kid who's dad flew recon P-38's and B-25's during the war. He (the dad) and another pilot bought a surplus P-38 and put a second seat in it. I got one flight and got sick, but I was hooked on War Birds.
I remember in grade school getting in trouble for doodleing airplanes instead of what I was suppose to be doing.
 
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