The Sound of Freedom Thunders On....
By Rob Milford
“If things go well, we should break the 400 mark for
warbirds this year.” With those words, Warbird Chairman Bill
Fisher has a smile on his face, knowing he’s got his work cut
out for him this week. “We will have an amazing variety of
warbirds… it will literally be a step back in
history.”
Wearing the other hat as Executive Director of the
EAA’s Warbirds of America, 7,100 members strong,
Fisher says “This is real solid…encouraging…a
good mix of fighters and trainers and bombers.” As
we talk at the Warbird Café, a steady stream of T-6’s
taxi in, followed by a Beech SNB-1 (think AT-11 in Navy
colors).
The warbirds represent a very popular part of the airshow, with
Fisher pointing out “They bring back a lot of
memories…and there’s a soft spot in people’s
hearts for these aircraft.”
The “featured” aircraft, one’s
that have really gotten attention so far, include the Polikarpov
I-16, from the Commemorative Air Force, on display at Aero Shell
Square, Dick Hanson’s P-40 Warhawk, and a “good
contingent” of P-51 Mustangs. A clinic for Mustang drivers
has been held at Kenosha the weekend of the 26th-27th, and
Wednesday the 30th will feature an “All Mustang
Airshow.”
You should also notice a larger contingent of Jet warbirds:
“We have L-39’s BAC Provosts, and of course, the
Classic Jet Aircraft Association here” says the 43 year old
Fisher, who’s been on the EAA job a little more than a
year.
For the Warbirds of America group, there is a general membership
meeting Thursday night at 8, and all members are invited to be
there for their annual gathering.
Warbird lover and CAF Colonel Larry Flynn from San Antonio, TX was
spotted digging through the gift shop “ This is absolutely
fantastic” he says “This is my favorite place at
Oshkosh, I could come here and never leave.” Flynn knows his
warbirds, as a veteran of two tours with AC-130 Spectre gunships in
Southeast Asia.
And how does Bill Fisher wear both hats, and make sure things go
“just right” at the warbird center of
operations? “Checklists” he says,
“Lots and lots of multi-tasking checklists.”
“It’s been non-stop prep for the last three months, but
we’ve been working hard to put together a great show.”
He
has more than 300 volunteers on the Warbird flightline, including
some who have been working 20+ years.
The Warbirds will be in the air every afternoon, EXCEPT Thursday
the 31st and Monday the 4th.
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