WARBIRDS RARELY SIGHTED AT 50's DOW FIELD

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Joe Gopan
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WARBIRDS RARELY SIGHTED AT 50's DOW FIELD

Post by Joe Gopan » Thu Nov 10, 2016 2:21 pm

Took a few minutes to think back over the years of the rarely seen aircraft or aircraft events I have personally seen that were not common every day aircraft at Dow Field in late 40's early 50's.

Canada-Canadian TBM Avenger, Canadian Lancaster Bombers, Canadian T-33, Canadian Beech Expeditor, Canadian Catalina

US Coast Guard- Grumman Goose, PB1G Flying Fortress

US Navy- PB4Y Privateer, Grumman AF-2 Guardian, F4U-4 Corsair PBY-5 Catalina, P2V-2 Neptune, R4D-8 Super DC-3 Beech SNB, SNJ Texan, F-7F Tiger Cat, Grumman S2F Sentinel,F-9F-3 Panther Grumman F9F-6 Cougar, and the special R4D-8 Navy version of the C-47. Their R-1820's were loud.

USAF- Boeing B-50 Lucky Lady, Boeing SB-17, Northrop P-61, B-24M Icing Research Test Bomber, B-36D (engine out landings), North American RB-45, Sikorsky H-5 Helicopter, Lockheed RT-33A (Mats delivery flights to overseas) F-86F Mats Delivery flights to overseas Lockheed F-80 Fox Able Flights to Germany, and the first P-84B's to arrive at Dow fresh from the factory. Also witnessed many of the A-26 Flights of Bombers headed to Indo China.
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Joe Gopan
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Re: WARBIRDS RARELY SIGHTED AT 50's DOW FIELD

Post by Joe Gopan » Tue Apr 21, 2020 8:03 pm

Early Spring 1958 was interesting, Dow AFB was selected as the test site for the new Alfaca Runway Lighting system.
For a whole month , every Military type aircraft in use by all branches of the military tested the new lighting system. All aircraft on final were accompanied by the Base Flight B-25. I witnessed a B-36 landing in formation with the B-25. I also saw the first C-135 to land at Dow.
54 years later, I would land at Dow in a B-25J, and 38 years later I would spend a few hours in my MB with General Chuck Yeager who was Guest of Honor at an airshow.
2011 MVPA PIONEER AWARD - MVPA #1064
HONOR GRAD-WHEELED VEHICLE MECHANIC SCHOOL 1960 - US ARMY ORDNANCE SCHOOL(MACHINIST) ABERDEEN PG 1962 - O-1 BIRD DOG CREWCHIEF - 300,000+TROUBLE FREE M-38A1 MILES
LIFE MEMBER AM LEGION-40/8-DAV
7 MIL SPEC MAINTAINED MV'S
COL. BRUNO BROOKS (ARMY MOTORS) IS MY HERO

Joe Gopan
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Re: WARBIRDS RARELY SIGHTED AT 50's DOW FIELD

Post by Joe Gopan » Thu Dec 24, 2020 2:06 pm

The The Fairchild C-82 Flying Box Car also was also observed in the early 50's on MATS ferry flights to Indochina. The USAF customers at our burger joint made me feel as if I was in the Air Force.
2011 MVPA PIONEER AWARD - MVPA #1064
HONOR GRAD-WHEELED VEHICLE MECHANIC SCHOOL 1960 - US ARMY ORDNANCE SCHOOL(MACHINIST) ABERDEEN PG 1962 - O-1 BIRD DOG CREWCHIEF - 300,000+TROUBLE FREE M-38A1 MILES
LIFE MEMBER AM LEGION-40/8-DAV
7 MIL SPEC MAINTAINED MV'S
COL. BRUNO BROOKS (ARMY MOTORS) IS MY HERO

warbrds
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Re: WARBIRDS RARELY SIGHTED AT 50's DOW FIELD

Post by warbrds » Thu Dec 24, 2020 7:54 pm

Hi

C-82 was the Packet

C-119 was the Flying Boxcar

Mark

Joe Gopan
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Re: WARBIRDS RARELY SIGHTED AT 50's DOW FIELD

Post by Joe Gopan » Fri Dec 25, 2020 8:18 am

You're right, I flipped this back and forth in my empty head for a couple minutes, it was past my bedtime. What was the C-120 called?
2011 MVPA PIONEER AWARD - MVPA #1064
HONOR GRAD-WHEELED VEHICLE MECHANIC SCHOOL 1960 - US ARMY ORDNANCE SCHOOL(MACHINIST) ABERDEEN PG 1962 - O-1 BIRD DOG CREWCHIEF - 300,000+TROUBLE FREE M-38A1 MILES
LIFE MEMBER AM LEGION-40/8-DAV
7 MIL SPEC MAINTAINED MV'S
COL. BRUNO BROOKS (ARMY MOTORS) IS MY HERO

warbrds
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Re: WARBIRDS RARELY SIGHTED AT 50's DOW FIELD

Post by warbrds » Fri Dec 25, 2020 9:03 am

C-120 was the “Packplane”
Had R-4360’s on it
It was experimental.

Joe Gopan
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Re: WARBIRDS RARELY SIGHTED AT 50's DOW FIELD

Post by Joe Gopan » Fri Dec 25, 2020 10:56 am

Did you know Jerry Biro was a mechanic on the C-119 during his military service.
2011 MVPA PIONEER AWARD - MVPA #1064
HONOR GRAD-WHEELED VEHICLE MECHANIC SCHOOL 1960 - US ARMY ORDNANCE SCHOOL(MACHINIST) ABERDEEN PG 1962 - O-1 BIRD DOG CREWCHIEF - 300,000+TROUBLE FREE M-38A1 MILES
LIFE MEMBER AM LEGION-40/8-DAV
7 MIL SPEC MAINTAINED MV'S
COL. BRUNO BROOKS (ARMY MOTORS) IS MY HERO


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