EAA Fly 2006
On my way to the Warbirds area I came across a simulated American World War 2 camp, guarding the post was a Sherman tank, a half track and a few Willys jeeps armed with 50 calibre Machine guns. I included a few nice pics of this camp as well.
For the most part they did a nice job, and except for the occasional fan found in some tents, it was very realistic.
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In here I met a RAF pilot who flew the Spitfire parked just outside the gates of the simulated camp; he apparently was seeking refuge from the Luftwaffe and landed his bird at the American’s base. I was also able to take a picture of the cockpit of the Spitfire.
At the Warbirds area there were rows and rows of Mustangs. One of the first things I noticed was a group of people had gathered around one particular Mustang and as I approached I realized why. Jack Rousch of Nascar fame had just landed in his Mustang called "Old Crow" formerly flown by Bud Anderson. Jack was very friendly and was signing autographs for some of his fans. I could not tell if these guys were there because of his Nascar fame or his ownership of this very special Mustang. Other Mustangs in the area were Glamorous Glen piloted by Chuck Yeager, who was not present that day, and also Cloud Dancer, Xcaliber and many others.
Also present were a lot of Navy Warbirds and a P-40 Warhawk. Also in the area were some B-25 Mitchells made famous by Jimmy Doolittle and the Tokyo Raid. To me the B-25 looked more like an old school version of an A-10 with all the heavy guns in the nose of this airplane. Down the road the Russians made an appearance with two fighters of their own.
The airspace in Oshkosh is limited so certain performers are extremely limited in what they can do, but today we were in for a special treat as the USAF Blue Angles made a guest appearance, making 2 quick passes on their way to Ohio. I was able to get the video camera rolling. My heart was certainly pounding as the made their way down the flightline in the famous diamond formation.
Also on the Thursday prior to my arrival two F-22 Raptors put on a 10 minute show for the crowds.
I was unable to stay for the airshow at the end of the day due to prior commitments and I know I missed a very good display complete with pyro’ that adds a lot to this special show. Not only do the Warbirds carry out simulated bombing and strafing runs, they fly in formations similar to that in which they flew over 60 years ago over Europe and Japan.
There are lots of food vendors, plenty of restrooms, and lots of paraphernalia for you to purchase. You can get anything from t-shirts to chairs, from movies to airplane parts.
I highly recommend if you have the time to try and make it out to Oshkosh in 2007, the time spent and the history you see is well worth the price of admission. I will gladly be there again as part of the Armchair General team and I hope you can join me.
View the complete set of images in the ACG Image Gallery here.
