So, These Flew Overhead Last Night

Was out in the garage with my father last night, trying to bludgeon a Miata PPF bolt back into straightness, and we heard airplanes. Being that there is an old ex Air Force Base and a small private runway nearby, not too unusual. Then we noticed that it didn't sound like the usual C-5A Galaxy or Cessnas, so we went outside. Just in time to catch a B-25 Mitchell come roaring over the tree line, followed by a P-40 Warhawk, FG-1D Corsair, TBM-3E Avenger, P-51D Mustang and an FM-2P Wildcat. It was kinda dark and overcast and they were flying looooooow and it was awesome. Turns out they were displaying at the ex-Air Force base today. Someone tagged some photos for me.

Very nice, I had a Boeing B=17G fly over me yesterday in Flint. It belongs to the Yankee Airforce, based at Ypsilanti's Willow Run airport. They come to Flint for training flights regularly.

When you drive a modified Mustang, you are doing OK. When you FLY a modified Mustang, you are doing pretty dang well indeed.

Cool. Reminds me of being in the garage a couple of years ago. I'm concentrating on something on my workbench and I hear a plane. No big deal.

-Wait, that's a radial.

-Wait, that's multiple radials.

-(I'm running outside by now) Damn, that thing's low...

Get outside in time to see a B-17 go over at about 1500 AGL.

-Oh, right, the airshow is this weekend. What am I doing in the garage and not at the airshow?

In reply to pinchvalve:

Way to give JG an inferiority complex man...

I always look up when I hear the sound of a radial (or a Merlin ) There's a war plane museum in Blaine, MN and I think some private owners at the St. Paul, MN airport restoring warplanes, so once in a while they'll fly over my house.

B25 has to be one of my favourite warbirds. There is just something about them

One of the largest gathering of "War Birds" is going on this week in Oshkosh, WI at the EAA Convention. I just came from spending 2 days up there. There were over 100 planes that would/could be considered "Warbirds". Some the more important ones were:

2 B29's (The only two that are still in flying condition) 1 B17 Enough B25''s to almost reenact the Doolittle Raid. Somewhere around a dozen P51's. A lone P40. 3 P38's TWO P63's! 4 F8F Bearcats 2 F4U's A Spitfire 3-4 A20's 4 TBM Avengers

4-5 C47's

And I could go on. As for modern stuff: 1 B52 1 B1B 2 F22's 2 A10's A4 Skyhawk

Sorry I don't have pictures as my camera took a dump. The show lasts until Sunday.

There are 2 Lancaster Bombers left flying in the world. We're fortunate to have the one left in North America based about 10 minutes from our house. It flies over very regularly and I still stop what I'm doing each time just to listen to those engines and watch it bank over our house.

They probably all on their way to Oshkosh. I'll be there on Friday.

Oshkosh is almost in my backyard! Well 30 minutes away I am waiting forbanothet year or two for my son to get more out of it.

Here are some photos I took the last time we went in 2012. https://www.flickr.com/photos/31936748@N00/albums/72157630794975296

That's cool. Thanks for sharing.

stuart in mn wrote: I always look up when I hear the sound of a radial (or a Merlin ) There's a war plane museum in Blaine, MN and I think some private owners at the St. Paul, MN airport restoring warplanes, so once in a while they'll fly over my house.

Same for me. A couple of days ago I was outside and heard that radial song once again. It wasn't real close but it sure looked like one of these:

I have to say, that having looked at these photos and a few others, while Grumman built a solid, tough aircraft, they certainly did not build graceful designs. Every Grumman looks like a beer keg with wings tacked onto it

NickD wrote: I have to say, that having looked at these photos and a few others, while Grumman built a solid, tough aircraft, they certainly did not build graceful designs. Every Grumman looks like a beer keg with wings tacked onto it

They weren't called the Ironworks for nothing.

Riley_88 wrote: There are 2 Lancaster Bombers left flying in the world. We're fortunate to have the one left in North America based about 10 minutes from our house. It flies over very regularly and I still stop what I'm doing each time just to listen to those engines and watch it bank over our house.

I can only imagine the sound of 4 synchronized Merlins. Seeing one fly would be a bucket list item for me.

oldsaw wrote:

stuart in mn wrote: I always look up when I hear the sound of a radial (or a Merlin ) There's a war plane museum in Blaine, MN and I think some private owners at the St. Paul, MN airport restoring warplanes, so once in a while they'll fly over my house.

Same for me. A couple of days ago I was outside and heard that radial song once again. It wasn't real close but it sure looked like one of these:

Beechcraft Model 18, commonly called the Twin Beech

Riley_88 wrote: There are 2 Lancaster Bombers left flying in the world. We're fortunate to have the one left in North America based about 10 minutes from our house. It flies over very regularly and I still stop what I'm doing each time just to listen to those engines and watch it bank over our house.

You must be near Hamilton.

About 5 years ago, I got to sit in that bird and talked to the pilot for 45 min. In the hanger, not the air unfortunately. Incredible. Then a couple of years ago they stopped here in North Bay and did a refuel and some maintenance, so they were doing repeated take-offs and landings. 4 Merlin's just singing!

Duke wrote:

Riley_88 wrote: There are 2 Lancaster Bombers left flying in the world. We're fortunate to have the one left in North America based about 10 minutes from our house. It flies over very regularly and I still stop what I'm doing each time just to listen to those engines and watch it bank over our house.

I can only imagine the sound of 4 synchronized Merlins. Seeing one fly would be a bucket list item for me.

The sound is pure magic!

pilotbraden wrote: Beechcraft Model 18, commonly called the Twin Beech

Which can fly though billboards: https://www.youtube.com/embed/WlC1Fboq5vI Actually: that stunt apparently heavily damaged the plane.

I believe Twin Beaches are pretty rare these days because of a spar rot issue. Most of that style you see are actually Lockheed Electras:

Spar Rot issues or not.. this Beech 18 can twist in the breeze

Beech 18 Aerobatics by Matt Younkin at Oshkosh 2011

Turn the volume up for the wonderful sounds of those engines

In reply to pilotbraden:

The Navy referred to them (unofficially) as the Beech Bug Smasher

Love the corsairs. By far my favorite ww2 plane

A cycling buddy of mine is a Captain for American. Mid-40s in age. I don't know how it came up but I mentioned that another pilot buddy had paid several thousand for an hour in a dual P-51. "Cool, I have several hundred hours in the P-51. I've flown most of the WW2 fighters."

Turns out his dad is well-known in the WW2 vintage aircraft community. He's even in the EAA Warbird Hall of Fame.

EDIT: Ugh. I guess "was" is better. He passed away many years ago.

In reply to mfennell:

What's your buddy's dad's name? I might have heard of him.