Schellville New Years Day Pictures

Some great pictures have been posted on the Society for Aviation History web site from the Schellville airport in California. This small airfield is just packed with some amazing vintage aircraft. Check out the pictures here.

B24 & B29 to base in Addison

Great news out of the CAF and CFM!

JOINT NEWS RELEASE
COMMEMORATIVE AIR FORCE HEADQUARTERS
Midland, TX
CAVANAUGH FLIGHT MUSEUM CONTACT: Autumn Esparza
Addison, TX Director of Membership and Public Relations

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Jim Cavanaugh to Sponsor CAF B-29 Bomber - FIFI

The Cavanaugh Flight Museum (“CFM”) and the Commemorative Air Force (“CAF”) announced today a Cooperative Agreement that will put the world’s only airworthy B-29 back in the air. Jim Cavanaugh has pledged $1.2 million sponsorship for the re-engine project of FIFI, the CAF’s world famous B-29. “This sponsorship, together with additional donations from CAF members, should go a long way towards completing the project of putting FIFI back in the air again,” said Stephan Brown, President / CEO of the CAF. “Fundraising for FIFI by the CAF will continue, as we still have other restoration maintenance to perform, but Jim Cavanaugh’s generosity will get us a long way down that track,” Brown continued. Cavanaugh is the main financial support for the CFM and has been a long time benefactor of warbird projects and the CAF. “The B-29 played such a significant role in history that it is important that this airplane be preserved. Because of my close relationship with the CAF, I felt the need to get FIFI flying again,” said Cavanaugh.

Additionally, the B-29/B-24 Squadron Staff of the CAF, which has been assigned with the responsibility of operating the B-29 and the B-24A, voted unanimously to base these two airplanes at the CFM. According to Lyn Fite, CAF B-29 / B-24 Squadron Leader, “Up to now, these aircraft were based out of Midland, but this unit move will be beneficial to the Squadron in many ways,” said Fite. “We will reside in Addison Texas, at the CFM, for six months, while we perform annual maintenance and we will tour on behalf of the CAF, by our crews, for the other six months.” Steve Sheridan Director of Maintenance of CFM exclaimed, “We have the facilities and resources to assist the volunteers of the B-29/B24 and look forward to helping in any way we can.” According to Doug Jeanes, Director of the CFM, visitors of the museum will be able to view this spectacular aircraft during its annual maintenance, at no additional cost.

The Cavanaugh Flight Museum is a non-profit 501(c)(3) educational organization devoted to promoting aviation studies and to perpetuating America's aviation heritage; the museum fulfills its mission by restoring, operating, maintaining and displaying historically-significant, vintage aircraft, and by collecting materials related to the history of aviation.

The Commemorative Air Force is a nonprofit aviation association dedicated to Honoring American Military Aviation, through Flight, Exhibition and Remembrance. The CAF has more than 8000 members within 75 units worldwide, flying and restoring 171 vintage Warbirds.

For more information of the Commemorative Air Force or the Cavanaugh Flight Museum, go to www.commemorativeairforce.org or www.cavanaughflightmuseum.com

Images of Light and Lift

Scott Germain's new aviation photography site is now up. Scott is the host of WarbirdAeroPress.com and has been published in Warbird Digest. Amazing photography! Be sure to check out his aviation sunsets!

Images of Light and Lift

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to my friends and fellow vintage aircraft enthusiasts! Fly safe, fly vintage! Wanted to start the new year out by posting this awesome shot of a Mustang flying off into the sun. Thanks to Trey Carroll for permission to post the pic he took at the Mustang Gathering.

Constellation for Christmas

News reports are hitting the aviation press that the German airline Lufthansa has purchased THREE Lockheed Constellations! Here is the link to one article.

A quote off the Starliner web site - "The Starliners have now been sold to Lufthansa. Plans are to start work on N7316C, one of the Starliners in Maine. The plan is to get this one operational and FAA certified for flight. The other two Starliners may or may not become operational in time."

Great news that another Connie will take to the skies! (Photo from Aerofiles)

Vintage SNJ Photo

This photo comes from my personal collection. A family friend said her father was a photographer in the Navy and gave me copies from his collection. Look forward to posting photos from my vintage collection on a regular basis. Check back to see more!

Longnose 190 in FL

A Flug Werk built "Longnose" Fw190 now resides in FL! Thanks to Chuck Gardner for the photo of the amazing machine sitting in the FL sunshine. One of the unique features of this scratch built replica is its American Allison V-12 engine... that is running in an upright position where the original German engine was running inverted! The owner recently imported the 190 from Germany to add to his impressive collection of Spitfires and other Warbirds.

Running of the Bulls

OK... odd headline... but another great picture came through from Steve Dickey that I just had to post. The Red Bull P-38 during a recent engine run. Nice shooting Steve!

38 Shines

The Red Bull P-38 is now showing its shine! Thanks to Steve Dickey for the photo from the recent work on the rare fighter. The machine is not too far from its first flight.

Mustang Gathering Video

Just watched this great clip filmed at the Mustang Gathering.

Check out the video titled Once In a Lifetime Event! It is 10 minutes of amazing footage!

AAA - Air Mail Days

News release from the AAA...

"The Antique Airplane Association and the Board of Directors of the Air Power Museum are excited to announce that the 2008 AAA-APM Fly-In will commemorate the 90th anniversary of air mail service in the United States. The 2008 Fly-In theme will be Air Mail Days, to honor the pilots and airplanes of the early air mail service. The dates for the fly-in are August 27 to Sept. 1, 2008, at Antique Airfield near Blakesburg, Iowa."

See more here.