The Avro Anson is a mystery to many; however, with over 11,000 built for British Commonwealth service during the 1930s and ‘40s, it was a common and reliable platform for everything from coastal defense to light transport. Largely disappearing from the skies in the 1940s, a beautiful early model Anson has returned to the skies in New Zealand, thanks to Bill and Robyn Reid and their many.
Drawing on years of experience with warbird ride tours, the CAF applied their knowledge to develop a new, winning strategy. The synergy that exists when the “big iron” comes to town to support smaller CAF units ensures that everybody wins.
One of the great warbird collectors to appear from the genesis of the “Warbird Movement,” who now maintains one of the most significant collections in the world, is Jack Erickson, Founder of the Tillamook Air Museum. Holding strong to his business philosophies helped him succeed while his passion for aviation drove him to build a warbird dynasty. The story of how this unassuming man achieved such success is a must read.
World-class warbirds drew worldclass photographers to the West Coast’s premier warbird air show. Warbird Digest was there with some of the best photographers in the business to capture the action. Taking center stage was a gathering of five of the seven airworthy Lockheed P-38 Lightinings. For those who weren’t at the Planes of Fame’s “Lightning Strikes Chino,” this will make you eat your heart out!
Ask anyone between 40 and 50 years old who has a passion for warbirds, “What was your favorite childhood television show?” Odds are most will exclaim, “Baa Baa Black Sheep!” Steve Chapis delves into the history of the Corsairs used in the filming, and shares some thoughts from the warbird pilots who flew them to bring history to life for a whole generation.
If you’ve experienced what it looked like from the trenches along the Western Front of the Great War, to look skyward and watch aerial knights in wood and fabric chariots engaged in battle, you were probably enjoying a performance by the men and machines of the Great War Flying Museum.