2015 Airshows
Titusville (Tico), FL   Virginia Beach, VA   Seymour Johnson AFB, NC   Halls, TN   Warsaw, IN   B-29 Air Power Tour Fort Wayne, IN   Thunder over Michigan, Bellevue MI

CAF Air Power History Tour Warbird Photo Review
Warbirds at the Fort Wayne International Airport - August 25-26, 2015 (Photos taken 8-25-2015.)

It has been a long time since the B-29 has had the opportunity to stop in Indiana and while we have had several B-17s come through the state in the past couple of years, it has been probably thirty years since the last time "Fifi" was here.  As an added bonus the Cavanaugh Flight Museum's FG-1D was part of the tour, along with the newest warbird in the state of Indiana, Tim Savage's Douglas A-26B "Silver Dragon".  Tim purchased the Invader in 2014 and this has been the first opportunity for me to see it.

While this is the first time I have seen this aircraft in this paint scheme, it is not the first time I have see this particular A-26.  For several years it was located at the Historical Aircraft Squadron in Lancaster, OH where museum volunteers spent 12,000 hours restoring the Invader which was at the time owned by David Tallichet.  When the restoration was complete and the aircraft had completed its test flights, it was moved to Geneseo, NY by the Tallichet Group in 2009 for storage.  Hopefully the volunteers that worked on the A-26 got rides in it before it left Ohio for New York. 

The aircraft markings represent the 386th Bomb Group, 552nd Bomb Squadron that was based at St. Trond, Belgium in April and May of 1945 and due to the fact it was not surplused after WWII but continued in military inventory and then having last served with the Nicaraguan Air Force in the 1960s, it is one of the most original of the remaining A-26s. 

It is always good to see a Corsair on display.

This C-45, "Bucket of Bolts" accompanies the B-29 to all events and carries extra crew and supplies for it.

The cost to get in was $10 and during the 45 minutes I was at the display there was a constant flow of persons coming in to see the B-29 and then stand in line to take a tour.  I was too late to see "Fifi" fly as the two ride flights that were given were complete by the time of my arrival, but I was not concerned as I knew I would see her fly the up coming weekend in Michigan.  Having flown on her in 1980, I was not really interested in standing in line to tour the cockpit. 


On the east side of the Fort Wayne Airport is the 122nd Fighter Wing of the Indiana Air National Guard that several years ago moved all its display aircraft off of the base out to where the public can view them.  The five aircraft here, F-84F, F-100, F-4, F-16 and A-10 represent the aircraft with the exception of the P-51 the unit has flown since World War Two.  The 122nd Fighter Wing was formed after WWII and its parent group from the war was the 358th Fighter Group that flew P-47D's in Europe. 

Luck was with me because as I headed back west from the aircraft display two of the A-10's taxied out to the active runway.  The Fort Wayne Airport, unlike many airports, has a designated observation area, from which I took these photos.  Actually due to the configuration of the field the airport has no choice but to officially have the observation area as it is part of a public entrance to some of the local businesses located at the field.  But it is nice as one knows he will not be harassed by the authorities for parking and taking photos.

The Warthog is most likely on his way to the Atterbury Air to Ground Range in southern Indiana.  The A-10s have changed their low level route to and from the range, as in past years it took them within a mile plus or minus of my house, with many times them flying directly over my home.  I have not seen or heard them since 2015.

Currently the 122nd Fighter Wing is planning an airshow for the second weekend of September 2016 .  With the re-born Indianapolis Airshow also tentatively scheduled for September of next year, that could be a great airshow month for Indiana. 

Titusville (Tico), FL   Virginia Beach, VA   Seymour Johnson AFB, NC   Halls, TN   Warsaw, IN   B-29 Air Power Tour Fort Wayne, IN   Thunder over Michigan, Bellevue MI