Aircraft pics

[427TJ]

Here's what some 23 year-olds were doing in 1945. That's Major Pierce McKennon warming up his P-51D "Ridge Runner" at Debden air base in England, March 1945. McKennon was KIA soon after this photo was taken. Mirrors atop windscreen were "borrowed" from an RAF Spitfire.

[427TJ]

Back in the 1969-70 period this P-51D used to buzz the east bay (San Francisco) hills where I grew up. We called it the "maroon and gold" Mustang. My dad's buddy took these photos at the 1970 Watsonville (California) airshow. The airplane was owned by George Perez and I think he still has it.

[427TJ]

Another common site in the SF east bay in the 1960s and early 70s were fire supression airplanes like this Grumman F7F Tigercat. Summer always brought with it the sound of rumbling radial engines and the F7F was the hottest hot rod in the air tanker fleet. I would blow the screen door off its hinges when a Tigercat went over the house. They were based at Santa Rosa and a few other bases in California. One of the surviving F7Fs participates at the Reno Air Races and it's a real crowd pleaser.

[427TJ]

I love this photo because it looks like a herd of cows heading for the barn. These are USAF C-119 "Flying Boxcars" enroute to Japan from Okinawa in 1955. Photo was taken from the open aft cargo door of a leading C-119. Imagine what that sounded like!

[427TJ]

Another SF bay area aviation landmark in the old days was Hamilton AFB in Marin County, north of San Francisco. Hamilton was the first base to operate the Lockheed F-104A "Starfighter" interceptor and it too was the hottest of the hot rods. It was called "the missile with a man in it." Hamilton's 83rd Fighter Interceptor Squadron flew the 104 between late 1957 and mid 1960. My buddy George Davis flew 104s in the 83rd and sent me this photo of four 83rd 104s over the Golden Gate in 1958.

[SS427]

[ QUOTE ]
We called it the "maroon and gold" Mustang. My dad's buddy took these photos at the 1970 Watsonville (California) airshow. The airplane was owned by George Perez and I think he still has it.


[/ QUOTE ]

Here is another photo of George's P-51 serial #44-74483
Rick

[Ngtflyr]

Cool bike...Cool plane, think I would take the plane however!

[ANDY M]

Mark your calanders, only 6 more months til Columbus goes P-51 Mustang crazy.
The estimate now stands at about 100 birds planning to attend!
http://www.gml2007.com/
Why look at pictures when you can see the real thing!

[PeteLeathersac]

Great shots...the radial powered bike is pretty cool too!.
The plane behind the bike is maybe a Grumman of some type, Wildcat, Hellcat...bring on the experts??

~ Pete

[JRSully]

It is too bad they have basically killed the unlimited air races, used to love going to the Phoenix 500, quite loud and low, too many gozillionaires dying though