Joe..........

[Dave Parks]

These are some of the birds besides the pheasants that Judy and I are interested in raising & selling.

Huns:Hungarian Partridge



Regular Chukar and Judy wants to raise some of these White Chukar:


I'd like to raise some Valley and Mountain quail as well as a couple species of Barbary Partridges like these from North Africa.


They are a beautiful Partidge and do very well breeding in captity.



This is another of the four species of Barbary Partidge that I like. It kinda reminds you of a Chukar with a fancy paint job!


I'm sure Mac will eventually get me into some exotic ducks and geese for the lower pond which can easily be fenced in to keep the predators out. Bob Hill is finishing off the flight pen pad today and back filling the 600 foot trench. I made up treated 4x4's cut into 4' lengths to be used as hose bib support posts and that will finish the water system for now. Mac called and said he'd be here this weekend to set the posts for the flight pen. So, things are coming together nicely.

Dave

 

[Joe O]

Yea,I like all those birds.The exotic birds will be a nice addition to the flock.Nice mounts,probably good eating,if prepared properly.The main thing,good flyers,(we hope).Sounds like the pens will be ready in another week.Good deal.Nice pics.Sold my P-16 and equipment last night.

 

[wis boz]

Joe O
A P-16 is a WWI two seater fighter plane. It was retired in 1940. Don't tell you owned one? It has to be some kind of gun, Right?
wis boz

 

[Joe O]

Naw,I sold a Para-Ordinance 40 S&W.The Souwhip Camel and P12,(Spad)I sold after the guns jammed,some years ago.My first assignment was at Selfridge Field (AFB).Eddie Rickenbacker's old "Hat in the circle " squadron,the 94th fighter was there, flying F94Cs,later F86 Ls.Big air show in Detroit in 52, brought 5-6 old WW1 planes out for a spin around the patch.The Neport was something.The rotary engine was bolted to the prop and rotated around the shaft.It ran wide open at all times and to keep it from overheating they had a blip switch that the pilot pressed every few seconds to keep it cool.A crazy sound and strong smell of castrol oil are still memories.They all used the grass next to the ramp.(tail skids only).Had a Jenny there.Top speed 72,stall 60.Wow a whole 12mph to play with.WHen I hit the Mega Million look for me in a Waco or rebuilt Stearman to take you up.

 

[wis boz]

Joe O
I will ride in your Waco or your PT 17 only if I can fly it. You have to keep hard right rudder on take off or was it left?
wis boz

 

[Joe O]

Hard right Jim.You can imagine the tourqe on that Newport with the engine mass turning,you had to stand on the rudder.I would love to give you the chance to fly either one of those nice old planes.I'm always ready to learn.Course the Waco would be a new airplane,with instruments.How fun could that be????Just got off the lawn mower,again,but first I got my 45ACP revolver cleaned up and 22 moon clips filled for a IDPA match tomorrow.Haven't shot pistol in over four years.Why does time go so fast when you get older??Bad forcast for rain,so may get washed out.Was going to make a day of it and shoot some trap and skeet,in the afternoon.

 

[Wispete]

Your right Joe when I win the power ball. My dream Airplane is the Spitfire Mark 1V I might even have to get a license.( : )

 

[Dave Parks]

I always liked the Spitfire F VB Super Marine.........SWEET!


A quick story for you and Joe. In 1991 I met a guy from Grants Pass, Oregon and after one chat we became good friends. Back in the late 30's when he was in high school in Long Beach, California he would walk past the Long Beach Airport on his way to and from school everyday. He was always late to school and late coming home because he would sit and watch the small planes taking off and landing everyday.

There was an airplane mechanics shop that he started hanging around asking endless questions about flying. The mechanis liked him and gave him a job sweeping the floor and cleaning parts. He eventual talked them into teaching him to fly in exchange for teh work he did.

The long and short of it was he leaned to fly in no time, got his license and was a damn good pilot. This was back about the same time Emelia Earhardt was on her trip around teh world and flying was what thousands of kids were getting into.

One day there was a guy looking around the airport, a scout looking for volunteers to fly Curtiss P-40 Warhawks for Chenault's AVG. He was asking the mechanics who around there was the best pilot and they all told him it was my friend. About a month later he signed up and flew for Chenault until Chenault could not come up with the promised $500 bucks for every Zero he shot down over China.


So, after six months of no pay in the Flying Tigers, he caught a flight back home to Long Beach, joined the Army Air Corps and off to England he went. When he got there he was immediately handed a shiny new North American P-51 Mustang. He said that he thought he'd died and gone to heaven the first time he settled down in the cockpit of that gorgeous bird!


He soon had the P-51 mastered and was spoiling for a fight with one of those damn ME-109's. Most of his runs were bomber escorts for the 8th. They had the new drop tanks and could fly cover for all but the furthest bombing runs. In the Spring of '45 he was returning to base with his flight group. They were over the Channel just a few miles from Dover when all of a sudden his P-51 started shaking violuntly as if the plane was coming apart.

For a minute he thought he'd been hit, but when he yelled to his wingman......his wingman said there were no bogies in sight. The wingman asked him what was wrong? My friend yelled back.......I don't know but I've got to bail-out beforte this thing comes apart. His wingman stayed with him until they got down to about 1500 feet and that was when his wingman saw the SECOND blade on the prop fly off and shoot into the water below.

At that point my friend bailed out, but the canopy did not eject as fast as it was supposed to and he hit his head on it hard enough to knock him out. His Chut opened O.K. and his wingman circked around him after he hit the water, then radiod the location in.

Lucky for my friend there was a local fishing boat heading back to Dover and picked him up within lest than 5 minutes. All he remember when he woke up was that he was on a smelly fishing boat with some bloke asking him of he wanted a spot of tea! By the time he had recoved it was nearly VE day.

The best thing I rememebr about my friend was him proudly showing me his great looking Flying Tigers AVG leather flight jacket with that great emblen on the back of it and a cast metal model of a P-40 Warhawk standing on his desk. I lost track of him when his wife talked him into selling everything and moving back to Thailand where she was from. I'm sure with all his money he has/had a good life in Thailand. Men like that are few and far between today.

Dave

 

[Joe O]

Nice tale.I was stationed with a fella that flew Hawkers for the Britts before we entered the war.They all had to smuggle through Canada as they were prohibited to go over and fly for England.When we got in,after Pearl Harbor,they all came into the USAAC and flew Jugs, (P47s).Glide ratio of a rock.The P51 is a great plane.Not many around today.Many were used up in air races.At one time you could buy one surplus for $1500.I love the sound of that engine,same as the Spit.Worked many P51s,my early years in the service.Never got the chance to fly one as there were no 2 seaters at the ops squadron 51st FIS Selfridge AFB.Last time I saw one, was a pair flew over My wife's, Uncle's house in Ontario CN from an air show in Hamilton.Talked to the pilot the next year when I briefed him on a flight up the east coast from the Sun and Fun, Florida fly in.He confirmed that he was in that flight the previous year.

Pete.......Only a few Spits left in the world,but there are some neat scale replicas that I've seen with a converted Buick V6 engine.Can't get the same sound but they look great painted up in WWII colors.

 

[wis boz]

Dave:
What was your friends name? That pic of the P-40 brings back many memories having been there.
wis boz

 

[wis boz]

Joe O
You can't beat the whistle of a P 38--my favorite airplane. We had one converted to a photo recon which came in after a bombing run for photos of the damage done. The main targets being the bridges from Burma to China and India---very difficult to hit. Skip bombing was developed on those raids and we lost brothers coming in too soon on one raid. The only time brothers flew pilot and co pilot that I had heard of.
wis boz

 

[Joe O]

Never had the pleasure of hearing that whistle on the P38 engines.What powerplant did they use.Not too many flyiing today.The Air show in Florida or Oskosh would be the lace to see one flying.I think they have one in Cico CA.
Dave,were still talking about birds,only the kind that shoot back.He He

 

[wis boz]

Joe O
Sorry to break into your bird stories but Dave can't put up a pic of a P 40 with out me responding. The P 38 had Allison engines if I remember correctly also the early P 51's had Allisons also. Okay, I'll get out of here
wis boz

 

[Joe O]

Stay right in there Jim.Dave loves it too.Allisons,I knew I heard that before.All the 51s had the merllins, when I knew them.Many decades ago I read the Biography of Tony Lavere (SP),the chief test pilot for Lockheed.They had a problem with the early planes dive bombing.They lost a few,and modified the dive flaps with large holes that cured the problem.That's what I remember.Perhaps you have read that book.

 

[wis boz]

Joe O
The Navy flew TBF's(senior Bush was shot down in one from ground fire)and after the big bomb we flew into Peiping with the Japs surrending to our CO when we came in. We set up radio communications at North field outside the forbidden city and had a Mag 25 come in off a carrier with their TBF's. They had the outlines of a carrier runway on the field and were practicing carrier landings. I conned a Marine pilot for a ride in his TBF and riding in the ball turret he gave me a ride I'll never forget. Screaming dives and all the airobatics the ship was made for ending with a carrier type landing. He dropped that TBF like a ton of bricks within the carrier's markings and with a shit eaten grin said "how'd you like it". That was some airplane.
wis boz

 

[Joe O]

The TBFs were a big rugged plane.Some tale of your flight in one.I have a friend that flew turret gunner the latter stages of the war.He switched over to the Air force after the war and became a controller.

 

[Dave Parks]

It's been 17 years since I met him and he and his wife moved to Thailand about six months after I'd met him. His name was Chuck Danials (sp) if I remember correctly. He was into Ham Radio (that's how we originally met) and before he moved I bought a military radio receiver from him that came out of a B-17. He'd converted the 24v supply with a converter so it could be powered with 110v. I had it for several years until a WWII collector offered me about ten times what I'd paid for it. I was telling Joe about that radio today when he called me.

Fine business on getting a ride in a TBF Avenger, you've got bigger coconuts than me, I don't want nothing to do with the G-Forces of a dive, especially facing backwards in the rear of a TBF!

I had enough of that kind of crap when I was guiding on Santa Cruz Island. The flight company we contracted with were all ex-vietman pilots and whenever they did not have anyone in their planes and Bell Jet Ranger choppers they would try and show me what hot dogs they were with their crafts.

More than a dozen times I almost lost my lunch when the pilot would take off in the chopper and just as we would get over the cliff at the end of the runway.......he would drop like a rock towards the ocean 250 feet below and then pull up again.......all the time grinning at my reaction.

And landing on SHORT muddy dirt strips in winter would always leave me with white knuckles. There were several times we should have crashed but didn't and the fog was always difficult to drop into. You could see the tops of the mountains on either side of you and you knew where you were in relation to everything, but it took guts to get lined up, drop into that fog just knowing that the ceiling at ground level was 200 feet max. But after what seemed like hours, we'd drop out of the fog and see the runway ahead of us a mile or so. Enough time to make last minute corrections and get down safely.

Not all our planes and customers were so lucky. One time one of the planes in the fog did not get his bearings correct and went right into Diablo Mountain midwa down the Island. After an hour they sent out a search plane and damned if it didn't crash into Diablo Mountain about 2,000 yards from where the twin engine went in with the 9 hunters and pilot. The search plane had two abourd. Nobody made it in either crash.

In 1982 My Partner Jarret Owens and I decided to hike the high ridge that ran across the east end of the island. We were sitting down taking a break when I looked down a canyon just below us. I could see a lot of shiny things reflecting sunlight. We hiked down and we could not believe what we saw, it was hundreds of small pieces of 1/4" thick cockpit window plastic. We stated looking around and saw that a plane had gone in at a very high rate of speed by the way it broke up.

It covered over an 1/8 of a mile down the canyon and the biggest piece we found was the radial engine that was ripped to pieces it's self. It was if the plane had gone through a shreder, bits and pieces no bigger than a foot square were all over the canyon. No wings no tail just little pieces. No clue as to what it was except for the engine.

I was poking through the stuff when I heard Jaret call me, I went over and there he was looking down on the bent barrel and action of a .50 machinegun. By the time we finshed searching we had fown 2 more and a week later we had out chopper pilot land us as close to the spot as he could and we recovered those 3 .50 cal. Brownings and we put them in the rock garden at our hunt club.

I called Point Mugu Naval Air Station which was the closest base around back in WWII and talked to the Base Historian, but after he looked at my photo's & pieces of the plane I brought back he said they were most likely from a P-47 due to the size of the engine, etc. and that their records showed no loss of one during WWII. We never found any bones at the crash site, but with thousand of wild boar on the island at the time you'd be lucky to find a single hair a week after the crash. I really hoped to settle the matter, but all I could do was leave the pilot with a little prayer the last time I was at the crash site. I'm sure he never felt a thing at the speed he must have been going the way that plane went to pieces.


Dave

 

[Joe O]

Nice tale of Santa Cruz Island.I hope that JUG pilot was able to bail out.


That trick about alignment with the mountain tops,and letting down through the cloud,can be fatal.This Book,"The last of the Bush Pilots ",by Harmond Helmericks,tells a tale about the pilot doing the same thing landing on a long lake,he was very familure with.He never saw a thing,but heard the water whistling past his floats.This book was written in the 50s,I believe,describing the early days up to that time.When Mary Anne flew Medical rescue with Bush pilots,she thought she would die every day she flew.They would dump into eskimo villages,miles from nowhere.They probably use a gps approach now,(not published),to get into remote locations in low weather conditions,but it catches up to a few dozen a year in Alaska.

 

[wis boz]

Dave:
They had pulled the guns out of the turret and placed a bench and safety harness in to practice carrier landings so I could see that big Texan pilot smile at me everytime he made a different manuever. There was no Jack Daniels, there was a John Dean but he was killed flying the HUMP. Must have gotten the name wrong.
You don't get me in a chopper for every hour in the air there was 3 hours ground maintenance in the early ones.
wis boz

 

[wis boz]

Joe O
You mentioned the P 47 thunderbolt and I almost got killed by one in the States. I was crossing the end of the runway at Scott Field and the pilot came in too hot overruning the pavement. He hit the left brake and ground looped with the right wheel throwing a large piece of sod just missing my head. My brother -in-law flew the P 47 in Europe and tells about his first mission. There was a German currier riding a motorcycle and the squadron leader says to Bob my brother-in-law He's all yours Tuck". He dove down and hit him with all his guns leaving just pieces. Maybe this isn't the place for these stories?
wis boz