AirVenture 2006

[pdx]

I met Yeager before at Cabelas in West Virginia and I must say that he didnt seem very nice. I mean, i know hes old and everything and if you read his books you can tell the kind of person he is, but I must say I was a little disappointed. I dont even think he said hello to me. Oh well, at least he looks happy in the picture i got with him...of course the girl I got to take it for me didnt hold the camera still and its a little fuzzy.......once in a lifetime photo and its pretty much crap, gotta love it.

Yeah, when I was young, the name Chuck Yeager was as good as Jesus Christ to me. Then, when I was old enough to read (and actually understand) his books, I started to think he may have been a tad full of himself.

In primary, there were several Yeager bashing sessions among the sim instructors. Many of them were young pilots when Yeager was still flying. Not a single one of them had anything good to say about him as a person. As an aviator, he accomplished a lot of great things, but apparently he was also one of the cockiest SOBs to ever wear a flight suit. It is also said he disdained those who were not as superlatively awesome as he thought he was.

Now I worship Chuck Norris instead.

 

[FlytheBall]

Yeah, when I was young, the name Chuck Yeager was as good as Jesus Christ to me. Then, when I was old enough to read (and actually understand) his books, I started to think he may have been a tad full of himself.

In primary, there were several Yeager bashing sessions among the sim instructors. Many of them were young pilots when Yeager was still flying. Not a single one of them had anything good to say about him as a person. As an aviator, he accomplished a lot of great things, but apparently he was also one of the cockiest SOBs to ever wear a flight suit. It is also said he disdained those who were not as superlatively awesome as he thought he was.

Now I worship Chuck Norris instead.

Granted he has definately earned those bragging rights, but its a little different when you are signing autographs for fans instead of shooting down Nazis. I dont even think hes married to the same woman anymore. The woman he was with at the signing seemed to be his companion but she was definately a little young to be Glennis. I guess you cant teach an old dog new tricks.

 

[Huggy Bear]

Granted he has definately earned those bragging rights, but its a little different when you are signing autographs for fans instead of shooting down Nazis. I dont even think hes married to the same woman anymore. The woman he was with at the signing seemed to be his companion but she was definately a little young to be Glennis. I guess you cant teach an old dog new tricks.

Glennis died quite a few years ago. He remarried some much younger woman. Apparenty it caused quite a stir with his family.

Yeager is alright. I tried to get him to speak at my class's comissioning years ago (he's an acquaintance of my grandma). He said he would, but he had some prior commitment. Something about breaking the sound barrier again for the 50th anniversary. Some peoples priorities.

 

[A4sForever]

The only problem with 'CHUCK' .... he told me to call him that, BTW .... is that he claimed to get a "tally" on an ME-109 @ 50 miles !!!

First of all, how in the hell would he know --- WW2 style , i.e., no radar --- what 50 miles was, anyway ??? Second .... have any of you ever stood next to a BF-109 ??? It's really, really small. Sorry, Chuck ... I just don't buy it. Not possible.

I used to pick up an F-4 in burner -- i.e., no smoke, at @ 25 miles. I "trained" myself to look at a piece of sky ... infinity .... no focus .... and see "movement". You fighter types take note --- that's the way you get an early tally ..... I was always the first to get a contact in Adversary flying .... but 50 miles ..... I don't think so ....

But the younger wife??? Bully for him. I did the same, although my replacement wife is not significantly younger than me --- she just looks like it. People constantly mistake us for a Father/daughter team.

When you get to be my age ... you should be so lucky.

 

[Pags]

Nice F2G pics.

 

[JIMMY]

I was pretty disapointed with Yeager as well when I was at Oshkosh last year. However, Bob Hoover and Bud Anderson were awesome. I got to talk with both of them for a short bit and got their autographs. Heh, funny thing about the Hoover autograph, i was nervous when i finally got to meet him because he's one of my childhood heros, so when he asked what name to make the autograph out to i guess i mumbed "james"... he ended up making it out to Jason lol. anyone named Jason out there wana buy an autographed "Forever Flying"? jkjk, even so, id never give it up.

-jP

 

[HercDriver]

here's some more

first off... a gay air force albatross

Patty Wagstaffs whip...

Great shots of that Albatross...but that is the most hideous livery I have seen on that plane. The Goat (CG nickname) was a real workhorse for the USCG until 1976 (last operational flight into Pensacola Bay and it taxied up to the museum); I would love to hitch a ride in that loud f*cker sometime.

And the Corsair...makes you want to jump in one riding wing on Pappy Boyington for an afternoon raid in the Pacific, looking for some Japs and nursing a serious hangover....

Thanks for the pics.

 

[FlytheBall]

I saw that corsair at Pensacola regional when i was doing weekend ops for RIs back in march. I was standing by the door and he started it up and it almost blew my eardrums. You dont realize how huge that prop is until you stand right next to it. Its a monster. Hell of a plane.

 

[zuggerat]

"And here we have a beautiful fully restored COOOORRSAIIIIIRRRRRRR... With tweed upholstery! And a bbrraaannnnndddd new altimeeeetttttteeeeerrrrr!"

it was so cool looking, a really menacing plane just to look at. the sound was great too a nice throaty growl, they dont make em like they used to, haha

 

[xmid]

I saw Yeagar speak to a small group at Oshkosh many years ago. I too thought of him as the second coming until I met him. He was an a$$hole to everyone there even the little kids, but then again he didn't seem quite "all there" to begin with. He spotted my dad in his whites in the crowd (he was there for USNA recruiting) and spent a good portion of his time cracking on navy pilots, which I'll have to admit was pretty funny.

 

[ChunksJR]

Accident at Oshkosh

Didn't see anything about this...did you hear?!

Accident at Oshkosh 2006


Passenger Killed In Taxi AccidentShortly after noon as this year's AirVenture was nearing its close, a passenger in an RV-6 homebuilt was killed when a Grumman TBM Avenger ran into it from behind while taxiing at the Oshkosh airport. Both the Avenger (a very large WWII taildragger with limited forward visibility) and the RV were in line for departure at Wittman Field, on the taxiway on the west side of the airport's main runway, 18-36. The propeller of the Avenger sliced into the RV and passenger Gary Palmer, 63, of Nepean, Ontario, was killed. Palmer was president of EAA Chapter 245 in Ottawa. The pilot of the RV, Donald Reed, 58, of Carp, Ontario, was unhurt, as were the two on board the Avenger. "It's always a very difficult situation when there is a loss of life," EAA President Tom Poberezny said in a statement on Tuesday. "Our sincere sympathy goes to the families and to all involved." The NTSB is continuing its investigation into the accident.

 

[MasterBates]

Ouch.

 

[zuggerat]

Probably wasn't the funnest event at the airshow...

Note: Not my photo

 

[A4sForever]

Right ...maybe it wasn't the "funest" part of the airshow ... but don't sweat it, guys ... people die every day .....

When it's YOUR time .... it's YOUR time ... i.e., it's over ... Believe it.

Until then ... enjoy.