EAA’s “Aluminum Overcast” flew in on the 5th of June, and has been giving rides around the area. I needed to up my currency on flying, so I drove out to the airport to shoot a few touch-and-goes in one of my flying club’s 172’s.
On the downwind leg of my first T&G, in comes the B-17, and the tower advised us in the Traffic Pattern that there would be some turbulence from the Fortress’ fly-by and subsequent landing.
When I was done, I drove over to the hanger that they had it parked at.
Photos, poor quality from my cell phone:
They also had a small collection of WWII vehicles, including a Jeep with a recoil-less (Spelling?) rifle mounted on it, an aquatic Jeep (IDK what to call it), a small howitzer, a cargo transport, and what appeared to be a mobile flight control station. Unfortunately, the pics I had did not turn out.
As for planes, besides the B-17, they had a Stearman (If I recall the type correctly, and again, Spelling?) painted up as a Navy trainer (haven’t seen it up in the air for years), a couple C-172s (one might have actually been a 182), a tailwheel Piper Cub that looked really old, and a few that I didn’t recognize. The pilots of these birds were taking kids up for rides, so it was busy day at the airport.
In my opinion, the best was the F-51(P-51D?) whose owner pulled it out of the hanger to show it off (He keeps in bundled up at KAPA, near Area Golf, only pulling it out once or twice a year, and rarely flies it. I’d seen it once before at a Young Eagle’s rally up at KBJC several years ago, when I was 16 or 17).
The F/P-51 “Crusader” FF-582:
Again, sorry for the poor quality of the photos. I forgot my camera at home (I planned on getting pics of the B-17), and had to use my camera phone.
If you’re in the area, the B-17 will still be at Centennial until the 9th (of June).
Klik
