At the Marana Airport with the Collings Foundation Bombers

[rixm37]

WOW did I ever have a fun time last week end. I got to camp on the airport grounds with the other vehicles of the SAMVCC. The bombers and a P51C Mustang were there on display and selling rides. The whole experience was great. The vets, the airplanes, the smell and sound of radial and Merlin engines was almost tooooo much. Being right on the active ramp only a couple of hundred feet from the planes and being able to walk up and through them was just amazing for me.
The planes are owned by the Collings Foundation the web address is
http://www.collingsfoundation.org/menu.htm
Check it out.
They let me take my truck up to the bombers and pose for pictures early on Sunday morning. That was my cap on a great weekend.
OK here are a few pics

Me and my truck with the B24J Witchcraft.

The B17G Nine O Nine

The truck in line with a 5 ton and a Pinzgaur. Ya that's me in a WW2 USAAF tropical uniform, talking to a visitor.
The pith helmet was part of Air Force uniforms until 1962. Protection from the intense sun out here is one reason I chose this uniform plus it is out of the ordinary.
Here are a few pics of the other goings on.

The Mustang coming in over the tents

Night shot of the maintenance tent done by the living history group called the Ground Crew from Phoenix.

The Ground Crew doing a night maintenance pose for a pro shoot that the Collings Foundation was doing.

It was one of the best times I have ever had with both my truck and airplanes. I couldn't have asked for more !!!

[m-37Bruce]

You lucky dog, I have had the pleasure, but never when my truck was available for the display, good show, fer sure!
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The Dragon & His Tail, my favorite Liberator!

[cuz]

Rick,

The M37 looks good there. I worked at Marana in 1989 and 1990. The area looks awful clean. I recall Evergreen had a large boneyard of DC-8's and 707's next to the runway. I also recall the owner of Evergreen Del Smith's son had a P51 and a T-6 stored there that he would occasionally fly down with his MU-2 and exercise them a bit. There was also a B-17F being restored and converted to a G there as well. There always seemed to be a lot of interesting things going on there. There was also a lot of warbird and skydiving activity at the airport in closer to Tucson.

[rixm37]

Hi Wes I was here in Tucson at that time. Heck except for about 7 years in the 70's I have been here since 1967. Evergreen is the next airport out going towards Phoenix. There are still many parked planes there that you can see from I-10.
A few years ago, more like 15, Evergreen had 2 airshows in two years, then never again. The rumor around Tucson was that one of the owners had a son who was killed in a flying crash and he was the one who did the war birds and the shows.
At the first show I saw my first B-17. It is the one you speak of. Somewhere I have pictures. It taxied right up to the crowd. I could have reached out and touched the prop, oh ya I knew better. I had never been at a show where I was that close to a running plane or spinning prop.

The Marana airport has lots of interesting planes. I wish I had taken my camera to dinner. We ate in a hanger across the airport from where the bombers were and it was full of war birds. The most interesting to me was an F4M Wildcat being restored. The company is ATW and they set up tables around the planes, that was a hell of place to eat a hamburger!!!
Here is I think a Mig 17 that was flying around there during the day. That is Kitt Peak Observatory on the mountain in the background.

Or how about this nice Spitfire.

Or a , I think, a Pitts

It is a really neat place I had never been to until last weekend !!!

[rixm37]

Hi Bruce so you have seen them. Isn't it just great to be able to walk around them and in them and watch them fly? Not to mention the talks I had with some vets who flew both types. I love the Dragon and his tail. Never seen that one in person. OH don't forget the SOUNDS and SMELLS of piston engines. And the owners were so nice to let me drive up to them. I can't say enough about them Heck, when I was getting ready to leave those guys came over and thanked us for being there. WOW. I can't wait until next year.

[HingsingM37]

Looks like a swell time. Great pics. The Collings group is always fun. They come my way in August. I had the privlidge of helping them swap out number one engine on the 24 about 10 years ago when it was painted as the "All American". It earned me a ride which I took in the 17. I was on cloud nine

[HingsingM37]

Oh and by the way, the pic of the 37 in front of Nine-O-Nine is suitiable for framing

[rixm37]

Hi David
WOW a cool fun time that had to have been. Changing out one of the engines and then a ride OOOHHHH YYYAAA !!

I am definitely going to get a few in 8x10 for the garage wall.