Sun 'n Fun

Bob Axsom · #1 04-16-2005, 04:14 PM

My wife and I flew back home from Sun 'n Fun today (4-16-05). It was disappointing that the races were cancelled this year but we enjoyed it anyway. RV's DOMINATED the big show. I briefly met Danny King who was tied down behind us and a lot of other nice folks that are interested in building an RV. Being an old McDonnell Aircraft Company employee I was thrilled to see the F-4 low pass and pull up. I had no idea that any were still flying in the U.S. - now if someone would restore an F-101 (any model) I would make a special trip to Florida to see that fly. I don't suppose it is possible to have a Confederate Air Force like organization for the early jet age but those were exciting times. I wrote down a lot of You may be a RV builder if jokes to kill time in the evening at Sun 'n Fun that I may share to start a thread someday. For example you may be an RV builder if:

You gave your spouse a monogramed bucking bar as a Birthday present.

or

You think the USAF Thunderbirds fly RV-16s.

Bob Axsom
N710BJ

DeltaRomeo · #2 04-16-2005, 06:38 PM

Sounds like you had fun, Bob. Thanks for the report. If you ever want to shoot the bull about F-4's, RV-6 owner Ross 'Scorch' Burgess drove 'em in the Navy and later in the reserves. 'Ross at vansairforce.net' will deliver to him....

Again, thanks for the writeup,

txaviator · #3 04-17-2005, 07:32 AM

Doug,

Forgive my "slipping brain" in my old age

, however, is Scorch the other gentleman who had lunch that day (@ the mexican restaurant) with me, you, my dad, Jay, (San Antonio) Bob, and your kiddo's?

DeltaRomeo · #4 04-17-2005, 08:16 AM

Yessir, Gary. That's Scorch.

Bob Axsom · #5 04-17-2005, 04:08 PM

That's a nice thought Doug but people who built them and people that flew them have virtually nothing in common. When we worked at MAC in the 50s and 60s when J.S. McDonnell who founded the company, still ran the company it was a special privilege to work there. I started on the F-101 line after getting out of the Air Force and begging for a job for 5 months before I was hired. At my last base we received the first RF-101s (Shaw AFB) which replaced RF-84Fs. It was an awesome airplane to this AACS Airman Radio Mechanic and I really wanted to work on it. When I was finally hired ... well no one can ever know how it felt and the feeling never faded. Old man MAC would address all the team on the PA system anytime a significant event occurred or a special visitor stopped in - we were truely a team and we did everything we could to produce the best fighter airplanes ever made. When you walked into Building 1 at Lambert Field in the morning and saw the long line of perfectly aligned aircraft in the production stations sitting at an angle to maximize the production space it was inspiring. At lunch time I went outside and sat on the ramp and ate my peanut butter sandwich and watch the finished aircraft taxi and prepare for flight test. It was a special time for me but it is not something anyone privileged to fly them would understand - different worlds.

Build9A · #6 04-17-2005, 04:56 PM

Bob: I saw your airplane on friday at Sun N Fun, but you must have been over in one of the display areas buying a bunch of new fangled avionics. Sorry I missed you. Would have liked to say hello. Great weather and great military airshow. There is way too much to see in one day. Hope to see you at another flyin someday. Jack

here's another "you may be an RV builder" joke:
your may be an RV builder if your wife thinks the FAA "requires" you to have an auto pilot and the newest EFIS on the market.

N62XS · #7 04-17-2005, 08:13 PM

Did any of you see the 16 ship Team RV formation? I got to watch it from the Vans Tent with Van. Great job. The P38/P51/F4/F16 closing flyby was purdy good, too.

Did not get to see much in the RV-8 area, but did see the RV-8 "Wild Streak". Great wing root fairings.

Thanks,
Robby Knox

Bob Axsom · #8 04-17-2005, 09:40 PM

In my photographs of them there were 15 and one had ugly looking tapered wings (kidding!) . The formations were set for 16 I'm sure but on that flight at least they improvised well with 15. When they came in from the flight the Red Shirted volunteers parked then on the edge of the exit row behind my plane. They looked like a proud group - and rightly so.

rv6rick · #9 04-18-2005, 05:36 AM

Let me shed a little clarity on the RV formations :^). The formation on Friday was indeed a 15 ship and was briefed as a 15 ship because we had 15 RV's......not 16. If we had 16 RV's we would have briefed a 16 ship.
In addition, the flight was 'Falcon Flight'. Falcon Flight was led by Stu 'Falcon' McCurdy from Texas who runs FFI (Formation Flying Inc). The flight consisted of members from Falcon Flight (Texas), Team RV (mostly Georgia), and Buckeye Flight (Ohio Valley RVators). Each of the Flight Leads and Wingmen hold FFI Formation crudentials that enable us to fly in the waivered airspace such as S/F and Osh.
Thank you for the compliments on the formations....we all appreciate it! It's nice to know that folks enjoy the hard work that goes into making this happen.
Rick Gray - Buckeye Flight Lead and proud member of The Ohio Valley RVators.

N62XS · #10 04-18-2005, 10:55 AM

Next time, I'll keep my other shoe on. Still was a **** good sight to see.

Thanks,
Robby Knox