Author | Message |
adminSee my 107 Photos |
2007-08-06 GMT-5 hours |
The Gathering of Mustangs & Legends Confirms 109 P-51s
04-Aug-2007 By Karen Di Piazza The sound of freedom is once more, as 109 P-51 Mustang fighter planes will roar overhead during The Gathering of Mustangs & Legends--The Final Roundup, Sept. 27-30, at Rickenbacker International Airport (LCK), in Columbus, Ohio. LCK, originally Lockbourne Army Air Base, became home to the Tuskegee Airmen after World War II. LCK's namesake, Eddie Rickenbacker, was the leading American fighter pilot of World War I. Attendees will be permitted to photograph aircraft, but perhaps the rarest treat of all will be the opportunity to meet nearly 50 of the aces, heroes and legends who flew the P-51 Mustang. To name a few, Gen. Chuck Yeager, Lt. Col. Lee Archer and Maj. Gen. Donald Strait will be mingling with P-51 aircraft with names such as "Moonbeam McSwine," "Big Beautiful Doll" and the "Flying Dutchman." During the four-day Mustang event http://www.gml2007.com/ , other WWII fighters and bombers along with top civilian air show performers will attend. On Sept. 29-30, the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds will take to the sky performing precision aerial maneuvers and exhibiting the capabilities of modern high-performance aircraft. "When you hear the [Rolls-Royce] Merlin engines of a P-51 roll overhead you know you're hearing a piece of history," says Jim Hagedorn, chairman and CEO of Scotts Miracle-Gro Co., a sponsor of the event. Hagedorn is bringing his restored P-51D, "Old Crow." Lee Lauderback, president of Stallion 51 Corp., who is presenting the event, will bring his two P-51Ds, "Crazy Horse" and "Crazy Horse 2." Kermit Weeks is bringing his P-51D, "Cripes a Mighty 3rd" and his P-51C, "Ina the Macon Belle." Valhalla Aviation Inc.'s "Kiss Me Kate," which reportedly was named by actor/pilot Tom Cruise, when he declared his love for then fiancée Katie Holmes. Nearly 15,868 P-51s were originally built, yet only about 130 remain in flying condition. The remaining planes are privately owned and cared for--restored to their original glory. North American Aviation, manufacturer of the P-51 Mustang, was originally a long-range, single-engine fighter plane that entered service with Allied air forces in the middle years of WWII, becoming one of the most successful and recognizable aircraft in history. Flying most of its wartime missions as a bomber escort in raids over Germany, the P-51 helped to ensure Allied air superiority from early 1944. The aircraft saw service against the Japanese in the Pacific War and began the Korean War as the United Nations' main fighter. After WWII, Mustangs were converted for civilian use and entered the world of air racing. In the mid-sixties, the Ford Motor Co. adopted the Mustang's monumental reputation and named a coupe after the fighter aircraft. -Ray |
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rjpowneySee my 301 Photos |
2007-08-06 GMT-5 hours |
How many?! Good grief!
Regards, |
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adminSee my 107 Photos |
2007-08-06 GMT-5 hours |
Yup, 109, this will be ultimate Mustang photo opportunity/experience.
-Ray |
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Crazy HorseSee my 279 Photos |
2007-09-25 GMT-5 hours |
Tickets: checked
Flight: checked Hotel: checked Well, I'm all packed and ready to go... This will be my first airshow overseas in the US so I'm very excited about it. I don't quite know what to expect, but I hope to bring back a lot of good photos I'm leaving first thing thursday morning, anyone else attending the Gathering? "You know that your landing gear is up and locked when it takes full power to taxi to the terminal" |
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Jörg PfeiferSee my 1,029 Photos |
2007-09-26 GMT-5 hours |
I would like to but unfortunately I have to work
But I wish you a lot of fun there and I hope to see some good pictures here. Regards, |
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Mustang 51 |
2007-09-26 GMT-5 hours |
I would really like to go....
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adminSee my 107 Photos |
2007-09-26 GMT-5 hours |
Christophe,
You're the man, flying all the way for the show. Good luck with everything. Looking forward to the fine pics... Enjoy your visit to the States. -Ray |
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TomcatfreakSee my 6 Photos |
2007-09-26 GMT-5 hours |
I wish I could see it...Must be a great feeling and a great sight!
F-14 Tomcat 4-ever!:) |
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Mustang 51 |
2007-10-12 GMT-5 hours |
Any photo's of this event yet???
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Crazy HorseSee my 279 Photos |
2007-10-14 GMT-5 hours |
Hi Mustang 51,
Still working on it... I'm still sorting them out (about 7000 photo's to go through ). I should be ready by sometime next week. Maybe I'll make a review out of it on the forum? "You know that your landing gear is up and locked when it takes full power to taxi to the terminal" |
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adminSee my 107 Photos |
2007-10-14 GMT-5 hours |
Wow, that's a lot of photos Christophe. Looking forward to seeing the photos.
Absolutely, a review would be great. -Ray |
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Crazy HorseSee my 279 Photos |
2007-10-23 GMT-5 hours |
Well, the review is finally ready and online. Pictures in the database will follow during the rest of the week.
You can read the article here: http://www.airfighters.com/page.php?id=55 Hope you'll enjoy it... "You know that your landing gear is up and locked when it takes full power to taxi to the terminal" |
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adminSee my 107 Photos |
2007-11-01 GMT-5 hours |
Sure looks like you had the time of your life Christophe. Great job on the article too. Looking forward to the rest of the photos.
-Ray |
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Sneeker |
2007-11-01 GMT-5 hours |
Great article and amazing pictures!
Still waiting on Snort to take me for a spin in anything! |