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Annual(?) Update
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Fred Pierce
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May 17, 2005 12:59 PDT
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Avialantic Updates - May 2005
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Editorial Blather
MAAM WWII Weekend
Other upcoming events
Changing of the Guard - World Airshow News and Atlantic Flyer
DVD picks – “The Corsair Experience” and “Silent Wrecks”
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From the Editor
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It’s been a short and busy year since last I sent one of these missives
to Avialantic’s loyal (still over 1900!) subscribers. I hope it’s been
at least as good a year for you as for me. After sitting out the last
airshow season, I’m looking forward to getting back into the game,
although on a considerably less ambitious scale than in the past.
Starting with the Millville NJ show next weekend, I’ll be learning the
digital approach to airshow photography, having thanked my trusty
Minolta X-700 for its roughly 18 years of service and placed it
reverently in the closet. If you’re at Millville or MAAM WW II Weekend,
watch for me fumbling with buttons and readouts and muttering to myself,
and in any case, have a great summer of airshows!
fdp
MAAM WWII Weekend
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You read it here first – P-51 triple ace Colonel Clarence E. "Bud"
Anderson has been added to the show’s special guests roster! Still
flying a P-51 restored as his original mount, “Old Crow,” Anderson has a
long and illustrious career, including flying F-105’s in Vietnam. See
his web site at http://www.cebudanderson.com/ for more information.
Everything else I know at this point is on the web site –
www.maam.org/maamwwii.html. Be sure to check the Visitor Tips page -
http://www.maam.org/wwii/show_faq.html - especially if you haven’t been
to the show before, but things change so it’s probably a good idea for
old-timers as well.
With the tremendous variety and depth that WWII Weekend encompasses, a
“plan of attack” is a must if you’re going to experience the show to the
fullest. I choose the word “experience” deliberately, since that’s what
you do at this one. It’s not “just a show,” to be sure!
Other Upcoming Events
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The Millville Army Airfield Museum’s “Wheels & Wings” show looks like a
great way to start the season. A great mix of warbirds, civilian
aerobatics, and lots of wheeled contraptions topped off by one of the
few, if not only, appearances in the Mid-Atlantic area by the Canadian
Snowbirds. See the site - http://www.p47millville.org/. As many of you
may know, the P-47 in the URL refers to Millville’s history as a P-47
training base. Also nearby, at Cape May County airport, is the NAS
Wildwood Aviation Museum, displaying the rich history of that base and
its contribution to winning World War II, as well as housing several
interesting post-war aircraft.
Andrews AFB Open house is that weekend also, but most frustrating is
that it’s the date of the Potomac Antique Aero Squadron’s fly-in at Horn
Point, near Cambridge, MD - http://www.avialantic.com/paashorn.html. If
you’re in the neighborhood, stop by to see some of the most beautiful
antique and classic aircraft and friendliest people anywhere. If you
can’t pay them a visit, at least do your CAVU weather chant for the PAAS
folks – this is definitely a VFR-only gathering.
I’m still way behind in updating Avialantic’s events calendar, but what
I have is at http://www.avialantic.com/php/avia_events.php and I’ll be
catching up as soon as I can. In the meantime, see the publications
below for what’s happening.
Changing of the Guard - World Airshow News and Atlantic Flyer
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Is it something I said? I wrote? By strange coincidence, I hope, the
editors of both publications for which I began writing in the late
eighties (and hope to continue contributing to occasionally at least)
have moved on to other endeavors this year.
Congratulations and best wishes for their new endeavors to Jacquelyn
Lanpher of the Atlantic Flyer, who gave me my “big break” and published
my timidly submitted account of the Westminster Airshow back in 1990,
and Dave and Peggy Weiman of World Airshow News and Airshow
Professional. Dave and Peggy are concentrating their efforts on their
Midwest Flyer Magazine, http://www.midwestflyer.com/ while the new
editor and publisher, Jeff Parnau, is making sweeping changes in World
Airshow News, adding lots of color and taking the publication from a
strictly trade-focused magazine to one for the fans as well. For the
first time, WAN is available at newstands (though probably a bit hard to
find) and circulation has “taken off.” Visit www.worldairshownews.com
and www.aflyer.com to see what the Atlantic Flyer’s new Editors and
Publishers, Richard and Sandy Porter, are doing with the northeast
coast’s best source of aviation news.
DVD picks – The Corsair Experience and Silent Wrecks
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If you attended the Gathering of Corsairs at Mt. Comfort a couple of
years ago then you might already know about the outstanding documentary
that E Fighter Productions has produced – “The Corsair Experience.” If
not, then visit wwww.thecorsairexperience.com. If you’re a Corsair fan
this 4 DVD set is a must. If you’re a warbird fan, WWII aviation buff or
fit into any similar category you’ll want it too. It’s the next best
thing to sitting down with the veteran pilots and hearing them tell
their stories and share their fascinating experiences.
Although underwater movies are usually a claustrophobic experience for
me, “Silent Wrecks” was a pleasant exception. I found this DVD through a
Kwaj alumni newsletter and couldn’t wait to see it, having experienced
the island in a more pleasant post-war era. I’m embarrassed to admit I
paid little attention to the history around me when I was there, and am
grateful that the Oceanic Research Group has produced this outstanding
footage of probably the largest underwater museum in the world. Besides
outstanding photography of the aircraft and ships at the bottom of the
lagoon, the DVD includes a WWII documentary about the battle of
Kwajalein which is, as they say, “not for the faint of heart.”
http://www.oceanicresearch.org/kwajentry.html.
Looking for summer reading? See
http://www.avialantic.com/airsquare/gifts.html for lots of other stuff.
For something different in flying books, I particularly recommend Alan
Tennant’s “On the Wing,” and the challenges and triumphs of flying from
a bird’s perspective in “Living on the Wind.” GA pilots think they have
it tough!
And that’s all the news that fits!
See you at an airshow somewhere - Have a great spring and summer!
fdp
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Fred Pierce - fpie-@avialantic.com
Avialantic - Mid Atlantic Aviation on the Web -
http://www.avialantic.com
MAAM WWII Weekend June 3-5 2005 http://www.maam.org/maamwwii.html
Mid Atlantic Air Museum - http://www.maam.org
World Airshow News - the Airshow Magazine -
http://www.worldairshownews.com
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