Topic: I heard the whistle, warbird pic added. CC's Grandfathers history too.

[Don R]

https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/news/galesburg-hosts-stearman-fly-in-for-54th-year/ar-AA1LZPrh?ocid=BingNewsSerp

[grcamna2]

https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/news/galesburg-hosts-stearman-fly-in-for-54th-year/ar-AA1LZPrh?ocid=BingNewsSerp

That's Excellent Don 
You over there now ?!

[Don R]

 I'm not there but I live in the pattern. Multiple flights of 4 planes went over today. I heard a loud radial engine and ran outside to see a low to mid wing monoplane with drop tanks going away from me.

[newday777]

https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/news/galesburg-hosts-stearman-fly-in-for-54th-year/ar-AA1LZPrh?ocid=BingNewsSerp

🤎

[jlh3rd]

P-47 ?
kinda midwing
dual drop tanks
can't miss that radial.

[Don R]

Galesburg airport is the one my grandfather operated, and where my dad learned to fly -- solo at 16, private license at 17, commercial license at 18... in the early 1950s. I'll tell him there were some old warbirds there and he'll be psyched. I am in Seattle with him now, and we went to the warbird museum in Everett last week -- full of great planes, all in operating condition, but there are a couple they have retired from flying as they are the last known example -- one was a Focke Wolf 190 with a v-12 instead of a radial engine, and where they stretched the cowl and added a section near the tail to balance it out... The other two were Soviet and Japanese planes...

 My brother and I had an FW190 discussion whether they had radial or V12 engines, it appears we were both right. I probably mentioned it before but the WW2 pilot that I met said that he had a harrowing experience in his P51 vs an Fw190. He said he thinks that he only made it home because during a prolonged dogfight the FW pilot made a mistake. He thought he had a hot P51 but said that guy could match everything I could do. His two 109 victories were easy by comparison. 

 jlh3rd,  It looked big, and for sure loud, so maybe it was a P47. Going away it was hard to tell. The warbirds seem to always leave here going northeast. I've seen droptanks converted to luggage compartments, so that's a possibility.

[carnivorous chicken]

https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/news/galesburg-hosts-stearman-fly-in-for-54th-year/ar-AA1LZPrh?ocid=BingNewsSerp

Small world. My uncle, Lowell White, flew a Stearman as a stunt plane. They were popular modified from a 220hp engine to a 450hp engine, according to my dad (who talks in hp not cc or CID). And he flew out of the Galesburg airport sometimes, which like I said my grandfather ran (from 1958 on). Don -- I wonder, if you're ever there, I think there is a plaque dedicated to him, his name was LB (Lester Berlin) Lundry, and he managed the airport, giving lessons and flying charters and freight, until his death (probably around 1978 or so, I don't remember exactly since I was a little boy, but he died when his plane went down and we flew out when the CAP initiated the search). I'd love to see a photo to be able to send to my dad if you see it sometime.

[Don R]

 I remember LB Lundry and the search. My brother was in the CAP in the late 50's. I'll look for the plaque.

[carnivorous chicken]

I remember LB Lundry and the search. My brother was in the CAP in the late 50's. I'll look for the plaque.

Amazing. Small world. I appreciate it!

[Don R]

 I didn't find it online but he's on the wall of honor at the national air and space museum in DC.  They just named the airport after the follow on FBO and founder of Jet Air, Harrell Timmons. They tried to adapt Porsche engines to Aviation use, it worked but not so well.

[Don R]

I remember LB Lundry and the search. My brother was in the CAP in the late 50's. I'll look for the plaque.

Amazing. Small world. I appreciate it!

 I had to ask, the terminal is blocked off and abandoned. It broke my heart, but there is a National Stearman Museum, I asked around, they opened it and I was allowed to visit there. His plaque is prominently displayed there. I also made a donation to the Stearman Association and got volume 2 of the Illinois airport history.  He is mentioned in the Canton and Galesburg airport stories.
  Pics when they upload. CC, pm me an email address and I'll forward the pics.

[Don R]

 A better one

[carnivorous chicken]

Wow Don, thanks so much. Lump in my throat. I've got the Illinois aviation history book -- I think it's a set of two unless I'm confusing it with something else. Aside from my grandfather there are some great uncles in there. Lowell White's son was ground crew during the VN War, then became a commercial pilot, retired at 62, then flew for the Salt River Project in Phoenix. My dad grew up on the fam but flew with my grandfather, eventually getting certified on dual prop planes and did some commuter flights. He studied aerodynamic engineering at UI and worked for McDonnell-Douglas for a couple years before moving to Boeing and Seattle around 1970, which is why I grew up in Seattle. Much more than I am sure you wanted or needed to know, but there you ago. I'll send you a PM with my email for the photos.

[Don R]

 Yes, those are the books. I just skimmed through but it mentions him being a Taylorcraft and piper dealer, tells a good story about a Pylon race in Canton. It also quoted Jerry, would that have been your dad?

[carnivorous chicken]

Yes, Jerry's my dad! He maintained his connection to aviation in Illinois somewhat, I guess, by being on the board for aerodynamic engineering (or whatever it's called now) until a couple years ago. He still owns part of the family farm -- some of it on the Spoon River if you know it -- and used to go back at harvest time for a couple weeks. He's 88 now, so doesn't travel much anymore though.

[Kelly E]

Wow Don, thanks so much. Lump in my throat. I've got the Illinois aviation history book -- I think it's a set of two unless I'm confusing it with something else. Aside from my grandfather there are some great uncles in there. Lowell White's son was ground crew during the VN War, then became a commercial pilot, retired at 62, then flew for the Salt River Project in Phoenix. My dad grew up on the fam but flew with my grandfather, eventually getting certified on dual prop planes and did some commuter flights. He studied aerodynamic engineering at UI and worked for McDonnell-Douglas for a couple years before moving to Boeing and Seattle around 1970, which is why I grew up in Seattle. Much more than I am sure you wanted or needed to know, but there you ago. I'll send you a PM with my email for the photos.

I grew up in Seattle for the same reason. We moved to Seattle in 65' when my dad went to work for Boeing as a drafter/illustrator. I saw renderings of the 747 and the SST that he was working on. He also helped with interior designs for the first 747 Air Force One. He was in one of the last groups to be let go during the big "Will the last one leaving Seattle please turn out the lights" layoffs.

[Don R]

  I met a pilot instructor today, he had a student there getting his check out flight. He came in a little high on his landings. Instructor said oooh, I hope that was on purpose.
  I mentioned that he had a lot of runway, we once had a control tower and thought that 727's might land here. When they fired the air traffic controllers they never came back.
  Back then we had Maytag, Outboard Marine Corporation, Butler MFG and Gates Rubber. Now we only have part of Gates because their bandberry is grandfathered in according to the epa. It pollutes with lead so you can operate existing ones but no new ones.
  People actually flew in and out of here.

[Don R]

 This one is a couple years old