Vintage Visitors at SSI

[SSI01]

The Collins Foundation's B-17G and B-24J are both at McKinnon Airport at SSI today. Came in last night, I suspect they'll be here thru the weekend. Today I had the pleasure of witnessing a silver P-51B (WWII markings, red spinner, diagonal red stripes on vertical stab and rudder) make a circuit and join the crowd. That's a nice morale booster, something to be thankful for seeing.

[rdaniell]

That trio was here in Tifton earlier this year. This past Sunday, I was given a matted and framed print of the P-51 that a friend had taken while they were here. You do know that for a "modest" sum you can get a ride in that baby. Did I say "modest?"

RD

[Daveroo]

its a two seat P-51C isnt it?

[Daveroo]

is this the plane?...this came from flying magazine,was taken at a reunion at Randolph Air Force Base

[SSI01]

It was a "B" or "C," no mistaking that, but I saw it some distance away, taxiing in. I can tell you the national markings, the star and bar, are what I saw, along with the red spinner. Too far away to see if there was a yellow-red check band behind the spinner. I can tell you it did not have a solid red vert.stab/rudder, it had multiple red stripes running chordwise on both the stab and rudder, leading end higher than the training end (i.e., stripes slanted down toward the rear). The basic bird looked like a new half dollar - obviously someone dotes on it.

[SSI01]

rd, I forgot to include I heard someone later this evening at the airport, when I swung by for a look at the two bombers (the P-51 was nowhere in sight), it was $2,400 for a hop in the Mustang's rear seat, and $1,000 for a ride in either bomber. I had to pass, I left the dough in my other shorts back at the house.

[rdaniell]

Daveroo...the aircraft that was here in Tifton and the one SSI is referring to is not the one in your photo.

SSI....Only one person bought a ride in the P-51 while it was here in Tifton.(And it certainly was not me.) Nobody purchased a ride in the bombers. Unfortunately, there was not much of a turnout here. I'm not really sure why the tour was even here in Tifton as there's not many aviation enthusiasts around. Our local airport has very little activity. That's pretty much the situation at all the smaller airports here in South Georgia. I can remember reporting in to Albany, Georgia, tower when returning from Tifton with my friend's Cessna 140 and being told to enter a right base for 34 and cleared to land at the same time.

RD

[Daveroo]

thanks but i was just askin,as i stated in my first post,the collings is a P51C 2 seater,and it is with the two bombers all the time,so i assumed it was something else.

[Victory103]

I'm going to try to make it out to see "Aluminum Overcast" here in TX if the weather holds.
https://www.eaa.org/en/eaa/flight-ex...ast-tour-stops

A note on the Collins folks, I booked a 'Stang ride as a late birthday/post-deployment present to myself earlier this year as their tour came through TX. The plane broke, but they offered to fly to my home airport and conduct the ride. Weather didn't hold out, but it would've cool to fly over house!

[Daveroo]

thats pretty awesome of them to offer,shame it didnt happen,did they refund your money?..or did they offer you to wait a year?

[Victory103]

Daveroo, they only hold the flight on your cc to reserve. I'm trying to set something up with Cavanaugh in Dallas as they have both a P-51D and FG-1 Corsair.