Wings Over Houston - October 19th, 2019
The girls attend their first Wings Over Houston Airshow
They walk through the cavernous Lockheed C-5 Galaxy
The cargo hold is 13 feet high, 19 feet wide, and 143 feet in length!
The C-5 can carry more cargo father distances than any other aircraft
A 1974 Beech C23 is being raffled off to raise funds for the 1940 Air Terminal
The girls are ready to buy a ticket and try their luck!
Daddy needs this to get League City drivers to drive the speed limit
Polish PZL Warszawa-Okecie Wilga 35A carries 1 pilot & 3 passengers
Used for glider towing, parachute training and bush flying
French 1959 Avions Max Holste Broussard fought in the Algerian War
Used as aerial artillery observation, air supply and air ambulance
The Lone Star Flight Museum's very own Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress
Having crawled through it several times, pass on today's $5 entry fee
The wartime Thunderbird flew 112 missions over Europe from England
Douglas A-4 Skyhawk fought in Vietnam, Yom Kippur War & Falklands War
Skyhawk replaced the AD1 Skyraider and was replaced by the AV-8 Harrier
The tough little Skyhawk served the US Navy over 45 years
McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II supersonic interceptor & fighter-bomber
F-4 entered service in 1960 and was retired as a US combat aircraft in 1996
F-4 still remains in service with Iran, Japan, South Korea, Greece & Turkey
The girls are excited to discover a North American F-100 Super Sabre
Introduced in 1954 & phased out of active service by 1972, replaced by F-4
Raytheon T-6A Texan II trainer was introduced in 2001 & still produced
Future military pilots with start their Phase 1 training in the T-6A
Rutan homebuilt two seat inline (John Denver) aircraft
A second Rutan homebuilt has two seats side by side . . . comfy!
Northrop T-38 Talon, the world's first supersonic trainer, introduced 1961
Hughes TH-55A "Osage" training helicopter, produced 1961-1983
Several homebuilts on display of varying cost and complexity
Four can fly for a little over a $100,000 and whole lot of hope & trust
The homebuilt price goes up as goes the stream lining
This million dollar aircraft has aerodynamic wheel covers & a 3rd propeller!
Do it yourself to save $ and know who to blame when the wings fall off
Hughes OH-6 Cayuse, introduced 1966, still produced as MD 500
It's not a Hummer, its a High-Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle
Boeing Vertol CH-46 Sea Knight, introduced in 1964 & retired 2015 (USMC)
Climb inside and checkout the cockpit of the CH-46 Sea Knight
CH-46 provided all-weather, day-or-night assault transport of combat troops
MV-22 Osprey replaced the CH-46 in 2010 but a few are still in service
Army's new Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle on display
Several heavy duty trucks parked nearby
2nd MRAP is always close behind to pull soldiers out of the first MRAP
Battleship Texas display with a refurbished 20mm Oerlikon gun
Battleship Plate souvenirs raise money to support the ship's refurbishment
Vehicles from the Sixth Calvary Historical Association on display
Association members in time appropriate uniforms outside of Headquarters
A collection of RV warbird aircraft on display next to the 6th Calvary
You can tell the A-1 Skyraiders apart by how many blades on the propeller
The USAF Thunderbirds will perform long after we depart, maybe next year
WOH attendees are already claiming their spot along the runway for the airshows starting after 11am
Get a closer look inside a Thunderbird F-16 cockpit
2006 Waco Classic four seater, just bring your goggles
Is this a business aircraft or a no marking spy plane?
Finally, we get to the AT-6 Texans converted into Japanese fighters
A Nakajima B5N "Kate" made for the 1970 movie Tora Tora Tora
A two prop Texan torpedo bomber, this one with torpedo!
Also a faux Nakajima B5N "Kate" made from an AT-6 Texan
A Curtiss P-36 "Hawk" made for the 1970 movie Tora Tora Tora
Made from an AT-6 Texan, or is it a Canadian AT-16 Harvard (same thing)
Another AT-6 Texan made into a Mitsubishi A6M "Zero" over 40 years ago!
Another B-17 at the airshow, and the first to be purchased (1967) by the Commemorative Air Force (CAF) for the purpose of preservation (for $50K)
Texas Raiders B-17G has been flying in airshow for over 50 years now
Alex has always been a fan of B-17 Flying Fortresses!
A Beech 18 (D18S) painted as a JRB-6 Expeditor
Other designations were C-45 Expeditor, AT-7 Navigator, & AT-11 Kansan
Another Beechcraft 18 painted as a C-45 Expeditor light transport
The Model 19 "Twin Beech" first flew in 1937 & was produced until 1969
This Fairchild M-62 (PT-19) completed the first acrobatic display today
The only flying B-25 painted in the colors of the Doolittle Raiders
B-25J Devil Dog was given her current named when restored in 1981
Delivered June 1945, placed in Storage then surplused in 1958
Lewis Air Legends' North American B-25J Mitchell
Delivered January 1945, stored during the war, used as a trainer until 1959
Purchased by Lewis Air Legends in 2002 and restored to airworthy
862 Lend-Lease B-25s were supplied to Russia . . . Russian Ta Get Ya
Nearly 10,000 B-25s were produced from late 1939 through 1945
Grumman F7F-3P Tigercat heavy fighter first flew in 1944
Failed carrier suitability trials so only used as land based night fighters
Here Kitty, Kitty! also maintained Lewis Air Legends
Production of the F7F ended in 1946 and it was retired in 1954
Back to the lineup of T-6J Harvard Japanese conversion aircraft
The Commemorative Air Force's FG-1D Corsair (built July 1945)
Built by Goodyear so its a FG-1D, not an F4U Corsair (Chance Vought)
Lone Star Flight Museum's Douglas SBD Dauntless dive bomber
Built as an A-24 Banshee dive bomber (it has no tailhook)
Lewis Air Legends' Grumman F8F-2 Bearcat - De-Chrome Cat
Smaller than the Wildcat but more powerful than the Hellcat
1263 F8Fs were built between 1944 - 1949
MiG-21 Fishbed interceptor, with 11,496 produced between 1959-1986
North American T-28A Trojan built in 1950 to replace the T-6 Texan
The 1st production Sud Aviation Fennec T-28S conversion for the French AF
T-6 Texan painted in US Navy colors
T-6 Texan painted in Naval Air Station Pensacola colors
Lone Star Flight Museum's Chance Vought F4U-5N Corsair
Bell P-63 Kingcobra ground support fighter bomber
Produced 1943-1945 and deployed by the Soviet Union during WWII
Commemorative Air Force's Grumman F8F-2 Bearcat
Commerative Air Force's Grumman F6F-5 Hellcat
Made w/F6F-3 fuselage w/many F6F–5 parts & brakes from a F4U Corsair
Warbird wide shot with FG-1D & F4U-5B Corsair, A-24 Banshee, two F8F-2 Bearcats, P-63 Kingcobra, and F6F-5 Hellcat
Lone Star Flight Museum's Republic P-47D Thunderbolt Tarheel Hal
Privately owned (!) North American P-51D Shangri-la
North American P-51D Nervous Energy from Wilmington, DE
Texas Flying Legends Supermarine Spitfire Mk IX
Wideshot of warbirds F8F-2 Bearcat, F6F-5 Hellcat, P-47D Thunderbolt, and two P-51D Mustangs
A Polish-manned 302 Squadron Royal Air Force combat veteran
Colorful camo AT-6D Texan painted to be a Nakajima B5N "Kate"
AT-6 Texans painted be to four white Mitsubishi A6M "Zero" fighters and a colorful Aichi D3A "Val" dive bomber
1972 Cessna T337G Super Skymaster based at Ellington Field . . . short trip
Spanish Air Force North American T-6D Texan
Behold, the inspiration for the name of the local area NFL football team . . . the Texans!
1943 Consolidated Vultee BT-13A
1941 Consolidated Vultee BT-13A, can you tell the difference?
The Texans have a very strong lineup today with over twenty aircraft present for the airshow!
German Fieseler FI-156 Storch can take off in 200ft
The girls pose with a 1953 Beech A45 (Beechcraft Bonanza)
General Chennault would smile posing with this aircraft as well
Next up is a newer & less dramatic 1955 Beech A45 (T-34A)
North American L-17A Navion built in 1947
1950 built MiG-15 that flew for the Chinese Air Force
Acquired in 1993, rebadged as Russian, & now operated by Wings of Hope
Take several wide shots of the parked warbirds from the T-6A Texan II, to the F6F, P-47, P-51s, and the Supermarine Spitfire
Wide shot of the AT-6 Texans converted into Japanese aircraft for the 1970 movie Tora, Tora, Tora
Depart the warbird zone with a final shot of the torpedo-less Kate tailing the B-17G . . . the "real" B-17 is much more appreciated
The Coast Guard's 1967 Piper PA-28 Cherokee, still produced since 1961
Erin is reluctantly rescued midshow by a Coast Guard Helicopter
Alex gets rescued next, being secured and raised up via the basket
Both girls are safely brought up to the rescue helicopter
Checkout the cockpit of the Eurocopter HH-65 Dolphin
Alex makes egress after the copter safely lands back at the airshow
The Coast Guard has over 100 HH-65 Dolphins, introduced in 1985
Girls check out a USCG small response boat seen around Kemah Boardwalk
The RB-S II performs Ports, Waterways, and Coastal Security
Alex poses with bow M240 machine gun
Erin knows the M240 can fire 650 NATO 7.62mm rounds per minute
Oklahoma National Guard F-16 Fighting Falcon with the 138th Fighter Wing
An old favorite, a Grumman HU-16C Albatross search and rescue aircraft used by the US Air Force, Navy and Coast Guard, produced 1949-1961
N1954Z was built in 1954, the US Military retired them in the mid 1070's
Love how the main wheels fold up into the fuselage
Operated by Albatross Adventures in Kingwood, Texas
Next up is a Boeing AH-64 Apache advanced attack helicopter
Introduced in 1986 to improve upon the 1967 AH-1 Cobra
Armed w/Air to Surface Hellfire & Hydra70 rockets plus a 30mm chain gun
Still in service, Apache production planned to continue through 2026
You're not often allowed to photo the exhaust ports of the Stealth Fighter!
Beyond the Apache and Stealth Fighter is our last static aircraft, C-17A
But first, we stop and listen to the US Army Band (not the marching band!)
Imagine enlisting and being assigned to rock band lead singer!
Alex enjoys the performance & nachos, Erin stays back w/her ice cream bar
With snacks consumed and rock band gig over, we head to the C-17A
Step inside the smaller (than C-5) cargo hold of the C-17
It is a little warm without the front end pop top of the C-5
The smaller C-17 was introduced in 1995 while the C-5 came out in 1970
Egress the smaller front exit of the C-17A and capture a photo
The landing gear of the C-5 supports 90K lbs than the C-17
The C-5's front end lift and overall size is so impressive
Alex takes one more walk through the C-5 before heading on
The girls point out the skull in the intake of the LTV A-7 Corsair II
Pass by the B-17 on the way back to the far end of the event area for the girls to play some games
Pass by the F-4 as we continue our trek southward
The F-100 could get us there in a second with afterburner on
The Re/Max Balloon is inflated but not going airborne during the airshow
The program begins with The Star Spangled Banner and the Stars & Stripes
Erin climbs the rockwall and gets halfway up twice
Alex wants the wind in her hair and takes a few laps
Team Oracle takes to the sky and blows much smoke
The Hammerhead maneuver is the best but smoke looks better in still shots
The VIPs are slowly making their way to the covered viewing area
Many fans have already staked their claim to watch the show, just bring shade and pleny of water
Alas, it is time to depart and right when the Zeros are forming their attack
I had hoped the show was starting an hour earlier
Head back to the parking lot past the B-17 still with a line still waiting to walk through her for $5/person
The Zeros form the into their attack formation
And bombs away right as we reach the car in the parking lot
The sounds of explosions and climbing aircraft fill the air
We got to see the static displays and a small taste of the air show
We definately need to come back next year with no afternoon plans
The girls can both get in free two more years so come back soon