Warbirds roadshow: The Planes of Fame Midwest WWII Fighter Tour - the start of a great adventure

Air Classics, Jun 2003 by O'Leary, Michael

From Oklahoma on, the landscape began to change - becoming more hilly with lots more trees. Skirting under the clouds, it was time to refuel (the P-40 had the shortest legs - about two hours flying time) and we landed at Pine Bluff, Arkansas. During the war, Grider Field (named after a World War One pilot) was a PT-19 training base and a small museum is maintained inside the main airfield building.

After fueling, we once again checked the weather and were assured that we could make Middlesboro with little to no problem. However, about 15 minutes after taking off we ran into a huge storm cell that blocked our way east. A decision was made to track north and perhaps get past the cell so we could then turn east. The cell turned out to be really huge! After deciding that going north was a no-go, we headed back south (the plus to all this is that we flew over Walnut Ridge the site of a huge surplus military aircraft storage yard after the war and the ramp areas were still visible from the air) and this took up the best part of an hour before a large hole in the weather pointed us east and we went roaring over the Mississippi River at 500-ft. I have to wonder what the few people below thought of these aeronautical ghosts crossing the sky.

It soon became evident that we weren't going to make Middlesboro on this leg and we opted for landing at Muscle Shoals, Alabama. After the customary orbit and break for landing, we were on the ground and being refueled by the very cooperative FBO (Muscle Shoals Aviation) who also found overnight accommodation for the fighters in a large hangar on the other side of the field.

As the sun set, the unmistakable sight and sound of a Nanching CJ-6 entered the pattern, landed, and taxied up to the fighters. Out came pilot B.J. Kennamore who commented, "I was over at my grass strip mowing the field when all of a sudden there was a P-38, then a Corsair! I've never even seen a P-38." Turns out B.J. is a big Warbird fan so he pulled his CJ-6 out of the hangar and flew the couple of miles to the main field to see the fighters.

DAY FOUR

Next day, it was back to the field to work on the planes. Once again, the O-rings needed replacement while various small leaks had to be rectified. B.J. was back at the airport and a big help as we drove around to find O-rings and a few other bits. Steve had a decision to make, it was now Friday morning, the 19th, and the planes had to be at Columbus, Georgia, by the afternoon to make their airshow commitment. "I need a full day to inspect Glacier Girl, run the engines, and make a couple of flights," said Steve. "I think we have run out of time." Steve called Bob Cardin and told him we would not make it on this trip.

Around noon we were back in the air and heading for Columbus. As luck would have it, the skies suddenly cleared and we arrived at Columbus in bright, sunny weather! Michelle and Mint Moore were on hand to greet us and after a debriefing, Steve, Kevin and myself headed out in a rent-a-car to Atlanta for the flight back home. Ray was staying on and would be joined by Mike DeMarino and Chris Fahey for the weekend airshow flying.