Random Griz Aviation Musings

[Griz882]

I used to talk my VFR nav students onto a MiG-23 in somebody's front yard. It was an old gate guard at a base, the base was getting rid of some stuff, and the guy apparently got it towed to his place out in the sticks. The funny thing was there are some impressive junk piles of old cars and stuff on the guy's property.

In the brief I'd say something like "intel has something they want us to look at along this road, we'll get a bit more information once we're in the air" hehehe.

View attachment 26857


Oops, looks like I blurred out the name of the road that google put on there. Guess that's cuz it's classified.

The things people collect are amazing. There is someone south of Richmond that has a sailing ship in his yard (not a boat, a ship) but is about a mile from the nearest water.

 

[Griz882]

The things people collect are amazing. There is someone south of Richmond that has a sailing ship in his yard (not a boat, a ship) but is about a mile from the nearest water.

Correction...he is northwest of Richmond. I used your advanced technology and found it.


On further inspection it looks like his house is ship-like as well. Probably some FOS Captain who calls himself “Commodore.”

 

[Pags]

I used to talk my VFR nav students onto a MiG-23 in somebody's front yard. It was an old gate guard at a base, the base was getting rid of some stuff, and the guy apparently got it towed to his place out in the sticks. The funny thing was there are some impressive junk piles of old cars and stuff on the guy's property.

In the brief I'd say something like "intel has something they want us to look at along this road, we'll get a bit more information once we're in the air" hehehe.

View attachment 26857


Oops, looks like I blurred out the name of the road that google put on there. Guess that's cuz it's classified.

There's an old jet in the tidal marshes near Pax. I used to take the new check ins and do SAR flights giving a rough lat long and the appropriate SAR TACAID type info so they'd stumble across it during their pattern. Was always fun to have guys go "uh, there's actually a jet over there!"

 

[Jim123]

There's an old jet in the tidal marshes near Pax. I used to take the new check ins and do SAR flights giving a rough lat long and the appropriate SAR TACAID type info so they'd stumble across it during their pattern. Was always fun to have guys go "uh, there's actually a jet over there!"

Same as the crashed drone near one of the Whiting OLFs, resulting in many a dumbfounded helo student on the SAR flight over the years.


(How... did... my... instructor... do... that??!?)

 

[jmcquate]

Ages ago, when I was in the museum world, I got a tour of Walter Saplata's collection in NE Ohio. He had a B-36 (in pieces) an F-82 (the one that's now flying) and a couple of F2Gs of which both were restored to flying condition but one crashed. Those were just the highlights, he had many more.

 

[jmcquate]

Here's some pics
https://www.google.com/search?sxsrf...qAhU-lXIEHW-mAzgQ7Al6BAgBEDg&biw=1600&bih=757

 

[Griz882]

Here's some pics
https://www.google.com/search?sxsrf...qAhU-lXIEHW-mAzgQ7Al6BAgBEDg&biw=1600&bih=757

Amazing.

 

[ea6bflyr]

Correction...he is northwest of Richmond. I used your advanced technology and found it.

View attachment 26858
On further inspection it looks like his house is ship-like as well. Probably some FOS Captain who calls himself “Commodore.”

What's the LAT/Long?

 

[GroundPounder]

Amazing.

https://www.airspacemag.com/history-of-flight/the-soplata-airplane-sanctuary-22000009/

Article attached that gives the story. I would love to have been able to walk through that property.

There used to be a big field of S2s and other Grumman aircraft near the airport in St. Augustine, that I got to climb around and check out. The last time I was through there, it was overgrown and only 1 or two could be seen through the jungle.

 

[Griz882]

What's the LAT/Long?

(37.6398307, -77.8605265)

If it’s your house I apologize for the Commodore crack. ?

 

[Pags]

There's an old jet in the tidal marshes near Pax. I used to take the new check ins and do SAR flights giving a rough lat long and the appropriate SAR TACAID type info so they'd stumble across it during their pattern. Was always fun to have guys go "uh, there's actually a jet over there!"

For those interested the base rag did an article on it awhile back that I was able to find. Looks like it was a T2V (USN P-80 derivative):

Mystery solved surrounding downed naval aircraft on Wroten Island

The mystery surrounding an old downed naval aircraft, observed in late October 2018 by a helicopter news crew from the Eastern Shore, has been solved.

www.dcmilitary.com

 

[jmcquate]

I would love to have been able to walk through that property.

I went through it in the early 90s. He didn't let outsiders on the property. He was very difficult to deal with. I only got to go through the negotiations of a third party whom he trusted. Our museum was trying to acquire his F2G that was flown by Cook Cleland at the 49 Cleveland Air races. We eventually got the Corsair, but only after he died.

 

[JTS11]

The H-34 is an attractive helicopter and I have always loved the classic lines (although the turbine nose is ugly). I have only seen them in museums or on sticks as gate guards. A flight in one would be very cool.

Got the chance to fly one for about 15 mins when I was stationed at New River. A group of old Vietnam era Marines maintained and crewed it. I believe they were associated with Pop-A-Smoke.

Anyways, it was a pretty cool experience. I let the other guy work the dual-throttle twist grip on landing, not having experience flying non-governed helos. Interesting perspective with that elevated cockpit.

 

[Pags]

Got the chance to fly one for about 15 mins when I was stationed at New River. A group of old Vietnam era Marines maintained and crewed it. I believe they were associated with Pop-A-Smoke.

Anyways, it was a pretty cool experience. I let the other guy work the dual-throttle twist grip on landing, not having experience flying non-governed helos. Interesting perspective with that elevated cockpit.

USMC Museum at Quantico has a real nice H-34 display.

 

[skybert]

Pretty day for goofing off in Michigan