POFE 1997
IntroductionIt turns out that 1997 was the last year of operation for the Air Museum. It was also one of the most fun years at the museum with lots of interesting people and aircraft passing through over the year. The majority of the pictures here were taken at the annual Memorial Day Air Display. |
Douglas A-26C InvaderMr. Pond’s other Douglas A-26C Invader–freshly resurrected after a 2-1/2 year hiatus from flying. This invader is actually a combat survivor from the 9th Air Force in World War II. She also served in Korea before military retirement in 1956. For the next sixteen years, she served with Conair as a fire bomber. She was added to the Planes of Fame collection in 1987 and moved on to Palm Springs when Planes of Fame closed. Sam Korth and Kevin Eldridge took turns piloting over the weekend. |
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| A view from the side. |
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| A view from the front. |
Bell P-63 KingcobraMr. Pond’s Kingcobra is one of the last few flying in the world. Over Memorial Day 1997, she was flown several times by Apollo 8 Commander Frank Borman to get his Letter of Authorization to fly his own nearly complete Kingcobra. Randy Sohn and our Chief pilot Tim “Action” Jackson also took a few turns flying. |
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| A side view of “Pretty Polly” |
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| A picture of Polly in the hangar. |
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| Former Astronaut Frank Borman is seen here getting ready to fly the Mr. Pond’s Kingcobra. I had the fun job of driving around Mr. Borman all weekend. There’s nothing like spending some quality time with one of your childhood heroes! |
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| Here’s me and Frank posing for a quick picture during the weekend. |
North American P-51D MustangPlanes of Fame East operated two mustangs. The most well known is Sierra Sue II, the mount of Doctor Roger Christgau. Sierra Sue II is a combat survivor of World World II. Postwar she was flown by the Swedish Air Force and the Nicaraguan Air Force before ending up back in America. Despite the closing of the museum, Sierra Sue II is still based at Flying Cloud. The museum’s own (well Bob Pond’s anyway) “Mighty Moose” is a former Kentucky Air National Guard mustang. |
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| Sierra Sue II glimmering in the morning sun. |
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| Mighty Moose and Sierra Sue II sharing the taxiway on Memorial Day. |
Supermarine SpitfireMr. Pond’s Supermarine Spitfire took to the air again after a 1-1/2 year wait on the ground. The lucky pilot was Mike DeMarino. The Museum’s spitfire is actually a composite spitfire with the wings from RM694 (a spitfire with a V-1 kill) and the fuselage of NH904. |
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| The spitfire the morning after her flight. |
Republic P-47D ThunderboltThe Jug returned from a warm winter at the new Palm Springs Air Museum in —you guessed it—Palm Springs. Piloting the rather large bird home was Kevin Eldridge. |
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| The Jug on the ramp. |
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| The Jug on the ramp #2. |
B-17G Flying FortressAlso returning from the winter in Palm Springs was the museum’s largest aircraft, “Miss Angela”. Piloting duties went to Steve Hinton for the trip home from California. Visitors to the museum on Memorial Day were treated to Steve Hinton making the Fortress “bow” to the crowd by raising the tail up while the aircraft was stopped on the taxiway after landing. |
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| Miss Angela from the left. |
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| Miss Angela from the right. |
F6F-5 HellcatThe Hellcat was flown by several pilots over the weekend. Here’s Randy Sohn taking it for a spin. |
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| Hellcat on the taxiway. |
B-25 MitchellC & P Aviation brought out their B-25 Mitchell from Anoka County airport. Piloting the bird was former Planes of Fame Maintenance Director Jim Dale. |
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| Getting ready to start. |
Goodyear FG-1D CorsairBlake Middelton takes Bob Pond’s Corsair to a mid-summer airshow in Muskegon, Michigan. Blake even donned a Mae West for his flight over Lake Michigan. |
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| Engine start. |