Rarely does something get me out of the house this quickly (pic heavy)

[draggar]

Last night I was walking Luna and I heard a rumbling like a propeller plane. Living near the landing path for FXE (Fort Lauderdale Executive airport) this is nothing new.

Except the rumbling didn't sound right. It sounded like this bomber that flies over a few times a year but it it wasn't just right.

It got very loud. I look up just in time to see a B-29 bomber and 3 fighters (one later turned out to be a P 51 Maverick D) flying information. Of course, I curse myself for not having my camcorder ready. I go back in and take Pollux out and notice they're circling FXE - I figured they must be landing.

I finish with Pollux and decided to head over to FXE (its a 5 minute drive) to see if I can get some pictures. I drive there and I spent about 20 minutes circling the airport - I expected to have the police pull up behind me (but they didn't). I found an observation area so I swung in there - no WWII planes visible. I see someone else sitting there so I asked him if the bombers and fighters landed here - he didn't see them but told me where they'd be.

I thanked him and hopped in the car and headed over to where they were and I was able to get some nice pictures though the fence. Then an airport worker came up to me (he was inside). "You know you can go inside and tell them you'd like to take some pictures of the warbirds, just show them your ID and they'll let you in here". :eek:

It took a couple of minutes but they got the pilot's OK to take pictures of the planes. I head out and got some really good pictures. BSO was there (perhaps watching them?) and they let me go underneath to take some pictures of the bomb compartment on the bomber, too.

Enjoy the pics.

http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o86/draggardevir/Warbirds/HPIM1256.jpg

http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o86/draggardevir/Warbirds/HPIM1248.jpg

http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o86/draggardevir/Warbirds/HPIM1259.jpg

http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o86/draggardevir/Warbirds/HPIM1260.jpg

http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o86/draggardevir/Warbirds/HPIM1261.jpg

http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o86/draggardevir/Warbirds/HPIM1267.jpg

http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o86/draggardevir/Warbirds/HPIM1270.jpg

http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o86/draggardevir/Warbirds/HPIM1280.jpg

And, the BSO K9 officer let me take a few pictures of his partner, too. :)

http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o86/draggardevir/Warbirds/HPIM1286.jpg

Full album here:
http://s118.photobucket.com/albums/o86/draggardevir/Warbirds/

[surreal20]

That has got to be one of the coolest random encounters i've ever read! Sweet picks too!

[Squeaksmyalias]

Oh...wow * drools*
You have NO idea how jealous I am of you right now. The malinois is gorgeous, of course the corsair isn't so bad, you were lucky to see that, they are fantastic planes and not too many left still flying. Btw are you calling Betty's Dream a B-29? It's a B-25J and the one below it is a P40. Sorry :o , I hope you don't mind me correcting you, my big brother is a bad influence and it seems him doing that has rubbed off on on me.

Hopefully they (and I) will be in Lakeland the weekend after next * crosses fingers*

[Salted Grump]

Yeah; Sadly, there's only something like 26 B-29 Superfortresses left in the world, And less than a handful are airworthy.

[Crossbow]

Oh, you are SO lucky. I'd love to get up close with a Corsair. It's my favorite warbird.

Last bird I saw in the air was a P-51D doing an airshow flyby wing to wing with an F-15. I wish I'd been at a better vantage point for it, but having them buzz a Cleveland Indians game was really cool.

[Chromatix]

Yes, I was thinking B-25 as well - I figured with that un-aerodynamic top turret and that many forward guns, it wouldn't be a B-26 (well known as a fast strike bomber). The B-29 is much bigger with 4 engines.

I couldn't identify the P-40 - it's a bit of a generic shape for a WW2-era fighter, and it's not so well known - but the Mustang and Corsair are very distinctive.

At one point I had a Lancaster bomber fly over my house - probably the only one still flying. It can move incredibly slowly when unloaded, and four Merlins make an amazing racket at low altitude. It had visited the area for a re-enactment at Morecambe, and there were some fighters flying mock dogfights as well.

[Frantic Freddie]

I'd have to dig up the pics (35mm) but just off the top of my head I think I've seen that same Corsair in Galveston a number of years ago.

One of the CAF B-17s was here a few years ago & they were selling rides,damn I wish I could've afforded it at the time.

[ApolloSZ]

Dragger - I hate you. In a nice way ofcourse :P

That corsair does indeed look beautiful. An a Mustang, well is a Mustang. No bling needed lol.

Oneday I'll get to the boneyard. Dunno if I'll enjoy it or be depressed seeing all those planes deaded.

[draggar]

Oh...wow * drools*
You have NO idea how jealous I am of you right now. The malinois is gorgeous, of course the corsair isn't so bad, you were lucky to see that, they are fantastic planes and not too many left still flying. Btw are you calling Betty's Dream a B-29? It's a B-25J and the one below it is a P40. Sorry :o , I hope you don't mind me correcting you, my big brother is a bad influence and it seems him doing that has rubbed off on on me.

Hopefully they (and I) will be in Lakeland the weekend after next * crosses fingers*

I don't mind being corrected, I don't know these things. Another friend said it was a B29 - maybe he didn't see the pictures too clearly.

[Dave1982]

I find it interesting that the machine gun ports on the F-4U Corsairs are faired over, but the ones on the P-51 are not. :headscratch:

Cool pics though! :D

[Frantic Freddie]

Betty's Dream (http://www.warbirdregistry.org/b25registry/b25-458835.html) she never saw combat :(

Just 'cause worthless trivia is fun: 8 .50 cals in the nose equals a little over 100 rounds per second,guaranteed to ruin your day.

Of course that led to the A-10, but instead of attaching a gun to a plane,they attached a plane to the gun :D

[ApolloSZ]

A-10 -Ah yes. The butt ugly (but exceedingly awesome) plane that has to throttle up to fire the cannon XD

Frantic - I'd say 4 is a ruined day level. 8 is "destruction on the level of a deitys "Smite" button" lol.

[Salted Grump]

Of course that led to the A-10, but instead of attaching a gun to a plane,they attached a plane to the gun :D

Now, where's that quote I had regarding the A-10... Oh yes.

"This is the kind of gun they used to put PLANES on. It wasn't a case of 'Oh, we got this jet fighter, it kinda needs something besides missiles and bombs and shit, let's strap this thing on'.

NO. It was a case of a guy making a gun SO awesome, that he just stepped back, and said, "This shit needs to fly'. And everyone else is like, 'You can't make a gun fly!'.

And the first guy is all like, 'Fuck you, yes I can. I will strap a PLANE to this GUN.'

And everyone's like, 'You mean strap the gun to a plane?'

And the first guy is like, 'No, man. I am strapping the plane to the gun. The plane is an ACCESORY.'

And then everyone's minds were blown. Like, there was some serious mind blowing going on there. Ears were bleeding. Synapses just went and committed suicide because it was so awesome."

[Ironclad Alibi]

I look up just in time to see a B-29 bomber and 3 fighters (one later turned out to be a P 51 Maverick D) flying information.

That is fantastic.

I had something similar happen to me once. I was on my deck and heard an airplane approaching. As I looked up, a B-52 flew overhead at about 200 feet. It was very impressive.

I live about 4 miles from Arlington Cemetary, and the flight path for the ceremonial flyovers goes right over my area. I see lots of military planes if I look quick enough. Those fighter planes are fast, but the missing man formation is impressive.

[Squeaksmyalias]

I have the autograph of a retired A-10 pilot, cause I'm a complete and utter dorky fan girl. He was a teacher at a school I was at, I made his day and the day of my supervisor who from what I understand still laughs at my reaction at meeting the pilot. It's my favorite plane *bounces and squeals* still haven't gotten over it apparently.

Ironclad, at my first airshow I planned on photographing it, first half an hour it took me a bit to figure out how to get ready for them, after that I got some fantastic shots but its killer to try and get a clean shot sometimes, they are there and gone before you know it.

[draggar]

Betty's Dream (http://www.warbirdregistry.org/b25registry/b25-458835.html) she never saw combat :(

.. it was still cool. :)

I had something similar happen to me once. I was on my deck and heard an airplane approaching. As I looked up, a B-52 flew overhead at about 200 feet. It was very impressive.

B-52's and B-17's are the most impressive aircraft in my book. I grew up near Portsmouth, NJ here Pease AFB was. As a kid, my family often went to the Newington and Fox Run malls (closest malls to us in NH (no sales tax). One day I was in the back of the station wagon going home on Rt 33 and all of a sudden this HUGE plane flew over us.

It was a B-52. Had never seen one before and my exposure to airplanes in action was limited to small personal craft that landed on an airstrip behind an ice cream parlor we used to go to (I think it was in Haverhill, MA?).

Pease also used to have a bomber parked in front, I think it was also a B-52 but I'm not sure. You could see it from Rt 4 just before you get off to get to the malls.

More pics incoming..

These are of a bomber that flies overhead a few times a year, next time 'll try to head over to get better pics:

http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o86/draggardevir/Warbirds/bomber1.jpg
http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o86/draggardevir/Warbirds/bomber2.jpg
http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o86/draggardevir/Warbirds/HPIM0844.jpg
http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o86/draggardevir/Warbirds/HPIM0845.jpg
http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o86/draggardevir/Warbirds/HPIM0846.jpg

[Salted Grump]

I'm fairly certain that the bomber in the second set 'o snaps is a B-17, though it's a bit too blurry to get the numbers off of the Fuselage for further investigation. ;)

[draggar]

I got some (not so great) videos of the Warbirds flying:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJXlr_lNaII

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZHcOlVW2PM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLQlNo6-FzA

Salted Grump - of you're talking about post #16, those are all the same plane and it is a B-17. :)

[Mel]

Wow! Neat pictures! Thank you for sharing them. :D

[protege]

Nice pics! I've always been a fan of WWII-era (and earlier) aircraft. Locally, quite a few show up in July, for the Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix shows. They'll hold fly-bys all afternoon. There's nothing like a B17 being followed by a crapload of fighters--Spitfires, P40s, Mustangs, etc.

[Kara]

That's great. My grandpa was a side-gunner on a B-29 (shot down and held in a German POW camp for about 8 months until they were liberated by the Allies). I've always had an interest in WWII aircraft because of him. We had one land one time at our crappy little airport where I grew up, and we got to go see it and take pictures. It cost to get inside it though, and I didn't have any money.