2014 Airshows
Titusville (Tico), FL   Spirit of St. Louis, MO   Youngstown Air Reserve Station, OH   Central Indiana Warbird Event Trilogy   Evansville Normandy Re-Enactment, IN   Dayton Airshow, OH  Thunder over Michigan, Belleville, MI   Warsaw, IN   Richmond, IN   WWI Dawn Patrol Rendezvous, Dayton, OH

Central Indiana Early Summer Warbird Trilogy Photo Review
Indianapolis AOPA Regional Fly-in, Indianapolis Regional Airport, IN - May 31, 2014
Warbird Expo, Indianapolis Metro Airport, IN  - June 7, 2014
Aviation Day 2014, Columbus, IN - June 7, 2014
 

This is a combined review on three aviation events that took place the past two weekends here in central Indiana.  While it is not officially summer yet, these events did take place after Memorial Day which defines the start of the unofficial summer that then ends with Labor Day in early September.  For third and fourth time this year I was able to see and photograph B-17s. 

Indianapolis AOPA Regional Fly-in
This is the first time the AOPA has had the fly-in in the area.  B-17s usually are at the Indianapolis Regional Airport once a year or so.

Giving rides at the Indianapolis Regional Airport during the same weekend as the AOPA Fly-in was the EAA B-17 "Aluminum Overcast" that was not part of the fly-in.  I was able to see this aircraft fly at St. Louis earlier in the month of May.

While waiting for the B-17 to start up three T-28s arrived in formation.

Here they are taxiing towards the ramp.

Lots of smoke when the B-17 started up.

Taking off.

Most of the local warbirds were on display at the event, but while I waited for the B-17 to return I took photos of the four T-28s that were not local.

Twenty minutes after departing the B-17 was on final.

 Note the small puff of smoke from the right tire.  The riders on this trip got two landings for the price of their tickets as the B-17 landed twice.


The pilot got a nice bounce.

Here he gets it back down for the second time.
 

Warbird Expo, Indianapolis Metro Airport, IN  - June 7, 2014
This is the second year in a row that the Indiana Wing of the Commemorative Air Force has put on this event.  I did this event early in the morning before departing for my second event of the day in Columbus, IN.  Here are just a few of the many warbirds that were on display.

This Bell OH-13G was purchased two years ago by Indiana Search and Rescue (IASAR) located at Metro and I first saw the aircraft was at the 2012 Indianapolis Air Show.  Since then it has been repainted into military colors.

Jordon and Nicki Brown came over from Terre Haute with their pristine C-45.

Inside the Tom Wood Aviation hangar was the Tom Wood Warbird collection.  The aircraft were inside as part of the setting for the evening party.

Aviation Day 2014, Columbus, IN - June 7, 2014
This is the first Aviation Day in Columbus in a number of years.

When I arrived my first stop was at this collection of fully restored military vehicles.  The owner, who looks to be texting on his phone at the right of the photo, allowed persons to get in and on the vehicles.  Normally owners do not allow this.  Note the young man with the .50 caliber M2 machine gun on the 1944 GMC "Deuce and a Half.

I arrived just in time to see two AH-64s arrive.  Here one taxies into position in front of the crowd.

At the same time the Hooligans Flight Team did several formation passes in their T-34s.  This is the first time I had seen the group fly.

And then the IASAR Huey, which was giving rides, came back in. 

The Huey was kept busy all the time I was at the event giving rides.  Here it departs on another trip.

The B-17 "Sentimental Journey" was doing a good business with persons wanting to tour the aircraft. 

The last time I saw "Sentimental Journey" was in 2010.

This gives a better look at the persons that are waiting to do an inside tour.  "Sentimental Journey" was going to fly later in the day but unfortunately it was not in my time schedule to wait and see that happen.  At this airport and on this ramp I did my first airshow as a member of the Indiana Wing of the CAF in 1981.  "Sentimental Journey" was one of two B-17s we had at the event in 1981.

Next I visited the Atterbury-Bakalar Air Museum which just doubled its size this past winter. (The Columbus Municipal Airport started as Atterbury Army Airfield during WWII and then became Bakalar Air Force Base.)  Out in front on display was a 1948 Crosley station wagon.  Crosley vehicles were built in Richmond, IN before WWII and in Marion, IN after the war.  I will publish a page on Museum at at later date.

Just as I was getting ready to leave the military vehicles were being loaded onto trailers for the trip home.  This is a very rare 1942 Ford 1.5 ton 4x4 truck known as a "Burma Jeep.  This the first time I had ever seen one and then getting to watch and hear it drive by was a bonus.  Note that the passenger seat faces the driver, not forward.

Titusville (Tico), FL   Spirit of St. Louis, MO   Youngstown Air Reserve Station, OH   Central Indiana Warbird Event Trilogy   Evansville Normandy Re-Enactment, IN   Dayton Airshow, OH  Thunder over Michigan, Belleville, MI   Warsaw, IN   Richmond, IN   WWI Dawn Patrol Rendezvous, Dayton, OH