Mike wrote:
>Thanks for the info Rich. I passed it on to my dad who lives close
>enough to go. He actually flew those planes.
Mike, I saw several older vets walking around, looking, reminiscing, hugging.
One walked up to me as I was taking a close up of the radial in a T-6
(T-6-looking - I don't know my airplanes) trainer, and said he was a Navy
pilot and trained in them in Pensacola in the 1950's.
I get goosebumps around those older vets. The stories, the HISTORY they
carry around with them!
One plane came in from Orcas Is. A Yak 52? Russian-built, piloted by Jack
Coe. You may have seen it flying around the San Juans. Looks rather like a
slimmed-down T-6:
http://yakpilots.org/jack_coe.jpg
Out of all the photographers there, I saw two tripods. I used the Bogen
monopod.
The Grumman Avenger was displayed with wings folded back. The hydraulic
lines, everything, all looked as though the plane had just rolled off the
assembly line. Torpedo bay doors were open. I never realized how BIG these
aircraft were! Landing one on a WWII vintage carrier must have been quite a
feat! Big cahones on those young men.
Rich
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