Warbirds and Airshows- Youngstown Ohio Air Reserve Open House 2008

Tico-Titusville, FL Cincinnati Lunken, OH Duxford, UK Reading, PA Akron, OH Niagara Falls, ONT Dayton, OH Willow Run, MI
Lancaster, OH Indianapolis, IN Marion, IN Youngstown, OH Middletown, OH Parkersburg, WV El Paso, TX Jacksonville, FL Pensacola, FL

Youngstown Air Reserve Base Open House 2008
September 13, 2008
The photos below indicate the rain that proceeded the event and caused the cancellation of several of the warbirds scheduled along with some of the modern military aircraft. It then proceeded to rain all day on Saturday. However, the crowd's enthusiasm was not at all dampened by the weather by the constant precipitation that fell during the hours of the open house. I arrived on site at the published time of opening on the Saturday morning and by the time I was parked I had to be put in the overflow lot. And the crowd kept coming all day, as when I left at 3 PM there were still lines of vehicles waiting to enter and see the display.

This was the first open house at the base since 1986 and it was really evident in the way the population of the Warren Youngstown area turned out in force. I spoke with several members of the 910th Airlift Wing that hosed the event and this was a test to see whether there was enough interest to stage an airshow with a military team in the near future at the base. I think that the photos below are a positive indication that there will be another event soon at Youngstown Air Reserve Station. I have also included photos of some of the current military aircraft to show the length of the lines to see the planes and the crowd's enthusiasm.

Youngstown Air Reserve Station is home for the 910th MAW.

B-17G Yankee Lady

A soggy but enthusiastic crowd queuing up to tour the Yankee Lady. This B-17 has become a staple of many warbird displays and airshows in the Midwest and east coast.

The Berlin Airlift Association was on display in the main hangar and had a line all day waiting to walk through the C-54.

A view of the line waiting to visit the the C-54.

C-17 from Dover Air Force Base in Delaware. This photo was taken at noon time and the line was still this long when I left at 3 PM. The line actually turns away from the camera on the left hand side of the photo.

A C-5 from Wright-Patterson Air Force Base at Fairborn Ohio.

Raincoats and umbrellas were the rule of the day, but if you didn't have those crutches would suffice. The rain was not going to deter an enthusiastic crowd from attending the first base open house in 22 years.

To the right is the end of the crowd line that runs all the way to the C-5 Galaxy on the left. The bigger the aircraft, the longer the line.

PT-19 on display in one of the hangars.

Part of the line waiting to visit the KC-135 that came in from Tinder AFB in Oklahoma.

One of two C-130's belonging to the 910th MAW that was on display.

The second of the C-130's belonging to the 910th Airlift Wing that was on display.

This F-15 came from Langley AFB in Hampton, VA for the event.

The Yankee Air Museum also had its C-47 at Youngstown.

B-25D Gallant Warrior

Newly installed package guns on the B-25. This is the first time I have seen these on the Yankee Warrior.

Being located inside, the Berlin Airlift Association was able to set up display outside of the aircraft but in the hangar that was superb in explaining to the public the Berlin Airlift.

One of several display stands set up in the hangar relating to the Berlin Airlift.