Me too! You, however, have made your own memories. You're the only guy I know who would drive a BMW Mini almost completely cross country and arrive home still married to the same wife. She's a winner with a boatload of patience.
Kind of like Burchinal's strip in Texas with all the warbirds available, Aero Sport is one of those mystical places that sort of came and went before I came along, and I have to live with that. The stories from there, however, are gold, and thanks for putting them out for us.
Jim Moser's Jungmann lives on — Gordon Clement bought it, brought it to Georgia and opened up the front cockpit so he could share the fun. Cancer claimed Gordon a few years back, but his son, Zak, is a fine caretaker and I've flown with father and son in the Jungmann that factors into a lot of stories from Aero Sport. I grew up reading your PIREPS and I mourn their absence in the magazines we have left today. Glad to find you here on substack and looking forward to much more.
Too bad you missed Aero Sport but there's a big difference from them and Junior Burchinal's place. His maintenance was marginal at best. I had more energies down there in the five or six trip I made than I've had in the 50 years since. But, I was young, wanted to fly warbirds and his place was the only place you could do it. And I did. Lots and lots of stories/adventure/lessons learned.
Jim's Jungmann, that we called the Mosermann, was a real kick to fly!
BTW - on of my Thinking Out loud a month or so ago was titled Where Have all the Pireps Gone? I really miss the days when magazines gave their readers the ability to at least fly exotic airplanes in their minds.
My earliest memories of the Blues are the Phantoms. The A4's were a really nice show.
Never been a huge fan of kerosene into noise, so I always gravitate to the recip warbirds.
Watched the Bear fly in 2011 at Reno and just fell in love all over again. All you heard was Prop until it went by you and then a throaty growl. I was having a wonderful trip until the unthinkable happened.
When I first saw the Blues they were flying F9F Panthers, not the swept wing F9F-6 Cougars. First time I saw the Thunderbirds, they were flying F-100s. Even I'm not old enough to have seen either with props.
To guys like Carl Pascarell inverted flight is no different than normal flight and the same applies to formation flight. He is just one of "those" kind of guys.
I don't actually get envious over anything. I look around at my life and feel so frigging lucky in so many ways, I know I don't have any reason to be envious.
FYI - close to a life time ago I flew with the Blues at Pensacola. You can tell how long ago that was, they were using A-4s. :-)
Any story that includes Jim and Carl brings a cheerful tear to my face.
Jim and I were like brothers. When he got sick, he asked me to chair his board and steer the place until it could be sold for his girls’ maximum benefit. There has been no greater honor in my life.
Exact same story here. We got to spend some time with him the Saturday before he passed. When finished, we went out to the car and I sat there and sobbed like a kid for at least half an hour. I'm choking up as I type this.
I went through a really nasty period that my kids dubbed the DP. The Dark Period. Divorce, business went to hell, yada yada. The usual stuff. I came out here and coupled up with the AZ Redhead and Jim was central to us getting back on our feet. Jim and Jim Clevenger. He worked a deal with Walter Extra that gave me a bunch of air-to-air photo assignments on his various airplanes and that's how we were able to get this house. As a brother, he was always looking out for us. He shot a beautiful sunrise photo at the St. Augie beach that hangs in our dining room. He's never more than a shoulder width away from us.
I seriously doubt that anyone in the town of St. Augustine realize how pivotal, Jim and Ernie were to making the airport what it is. The first time I was down there, probably'72 it was essentially an abandon airport with birds flying through the broken windows of the old Fairchild plant. The big hangar was in the same condition and Ernie had a trailer-like office parked on the side of the ramp. They started from less than nothing and created an airport asset any city would be proud to own.
I wish I could click that heart ten times. The story got me thinking of the Madera tales I could tell, and do tell, and have told, and will continue to tell. I didn't know you were a member of the "Land a Cub on a moving truck" club. Those are some golden years indeed! So cool to see that shot and know that I got flight training in the lead aircraft from the legendary photographer. Yeah... so, so cool. Thanks, my friend. This made my night!
Glad you liked it! You need to tell some of the Madera tales. If nothing else just hearing yourself telling them will remind you that you actually lived them. Me doing this blog, or whatever it's call each week, reminds me of a lot of stuff I've forgotten. It's worth the effort.
I know what you mean. I recently revived my "How I Did It" presentation on building the RV-8 for EAA Chapter 333 last Thursday. I'd created it for Chapter 113 in 2022 (right before first flight) and had to add a coda and other revisions. I rehearsed it a lot and most of those were disasters, but the actual presentation went well. It does me good to remind myself what I was able to accomplish because it already feels like a dream I had. Reviving Madera would be harder, but it's a good idea. Every time I see a warbird post on Facebook that includes planes I've ridden in, I have to chime in with my stories and photos of those good times.
I flew a trip with Carl Pascarell and had a slow awakening during the trip that he is something special. I learned more later and am glad I had a chance to sit as his FO.
He is that and then some. He's one of my closest friends and hands down the best pilot I've ever been privileged to know. He has the ultimate combination of mental and physical capabilities. He's also a helluva wordsmith and has written a book that is fun reading as it chronicles a lot of his many "interesting" episodes.
Thanks, but I'm from Nebraska so I'm not sure how to define classic. However, I'll take it as a good thing. :-)
If you look up Carl Pascarell Aerobatics on You Tube you'll see some amazing flying but St. Augustine AP is right there in your face all the time. Just another day at St. Augie
I hope it's not wallpapering your bathroom. It's not really humidity/moisture proof. And, if you use it, be sure to use Gorilla's crazy glue. works best.
COOL!I'd love to have a poster of this. Lots of fun memories flying that Pitts with you Bud.
Me too! You, however, have made your own memories. You're the only guy I know who would drive a BMW Mini almost completely cross country and arrive home still married to the same wife. She's a winner with a boatload of patience.
Kind of like Burchinal's strip in Texas with all the warbirds available, Aero Sport is one of those mystical places that sort of came and went before I came along, and I have to live with that. The stories from there, however, are gold, and thanks for putting them out for us.
Jim Moser's Jungmann lives on — Gordon Clement bought it, brought it to Georgia and opened up the front cockpit so he could share the fun. Cancer claimed Gordon a few years back, but his son, Zak, is a fine caretaker and I've flown with father and son in the Jungmann that factors into a lot of stories from Aero Sport. I grew up reading your PIREPS and I mourn their absence in the magazines we have left today. Glad to find you here on substack and looking forward to much more.
Hi, Jeremy,
Too bad you missed Aero Sport but there's a big difference from them and Junior Burchinal's place. His maintenance was marginal at best. I had more energies down there in the five or six trip I made than I've had in the 50 years since. But, I was young, wanted to fly warbirds and his place was the only place you could do it. And I did. Lots and lots of stories/adventure/lessons learned.
Jim's Jungmann, that we called the Mosermann, was a real kick to fly!
BTW - on of my Thinking Out loud a month or so ago was titled Where Have all the Pireps Gone? I really miss the days when magazines gave their readers the ability to at least fly exotic airplanes in their minds.
Thanks for the note.
bd
My earliest memories of the Blues are the Phantoms. The A4's were a really nice show.
Never been a huge fan of kerosene into noise, so I always gravitate to the recip warbirds.
Watched the Bear fly in 2011 at Reno and just fell in love all over again. All you heard was Prop until it went by you and then a throaty growl. I was having a wonderful trip until the unthinkable happened.
When I first saw the Blues they were flying F9F Panthers, not the swept wing F9F-6 Cougars. First time I saw the Thunderbirds, they were flying F-100s. Even I'm not old enough to have seen either with props.
bd
Amazing! Have tried flying inverted on a wing, taint easy. The stories that go with boggle the mind. Envious.
I always enjoy this "whatever it is" on my first day back to work. Makes my "Monday".
Mark
To guys like Carl Pascarell inverted flight is no different than normal flight and the same applies to formation flight. He is just one of "those" kind of guys.
bd
Don't those guys make you envious?
It is a joy to watch, emotional for me. Have watched the Blues fly Annapolis from the middle of the river and I'll get weepy.
I don't actually get envious over anything. I look around at my life and feel so frigging lucky in so many ways, I know I don't have any reason to be envious.
FYI - close to a life time ago I flew with the Blues at Pensacola. You can tell how long ago that was, they were using A-4s. :-)
Any story that includes Jim and Carl brings a cheerful tear to my face.
Jim and I were like brothers. When he got sick, he asked me to chair his board and steer the place until it could be sold for his girls’ maximum benefit. There has been no greater honor in my life.
Exact same story here. We got to spend some time with him the Saturday before he passed. When finished, we went out to the car and I sat there and sobbed like a kid for at least half an hour. I'm choking up as I type this.
bd
I can remember the date my father died in 1965. The other date is June 26, the day Jim passed.
I went through a really nasty period that my kids dubbed the DP. The Dark Period. Divorce, business went to hell, yada yada. The usual stuff. I came out here and coupled up with the AZ Redhead and Jim was central to us getting back on our feet. Jim and Jim Clevenger. He worked a deal with Walter Extra that gave me a bunch of air-to-air photo assignments on his various airplanes and that's how we were able to get this house. As a brother, he was always looking out for us. He shot a beautiful sunrise photo at the St. Augie beach that hangs in our dining room. He's never more than a shoulder width away from us.
bd
I seriously doubt that anyone in the town of St. Augustine realize how pivotal, Jim and Ernie were to making the airport what it is. The first time I was down there, probably'72 it was essentially an abandon airport with birds flying through the broken windows of the old Fairchild plant. The big hangar was in the same condition and Ernie had a trailer-like office parked on the side of the ramp. They started from less than nothing and created an airport asset any city would be proud to own.
bd
Exactly!
WOW!
Coming from you, that means something! Thanks!
bd
I wish I could click that heart ten times. The story got me thinking of the Madera tales I could tell, and do tell, and have told, and will continue to tell. I didn't know you were a member of the "Land a Cub on a moving truck" club. Those are some golden years indeed! So cool to see that shot and know that I got flight training in the lead aircraft from the legendary photographer. Yeah... so, so cool. Thanks, my friend. This made my night!
Glad you liked it! You need to tell some of the Madera tales. If nothing else just hearing yourself telling them will remind you that you actually lived them. Me doing this blog, or whatever it's call each week, reminds me of a lot of stuff I've forgotten. It's worth the effort.
bd
I know what you mean. I recently revived my "How I Did It" presentation on building the RV-8 for EAA Chapter 333 last Thursday. I'd created it for Chapter 113 in 2022 (right before first flight) and had to add a coda and other revisions. I rehearsed it a lot and most of those were disasters, but the actual presentation went well. It does me good to remind myself what I was able to accomplish because it already feels like a dream I had. Reviving Madera would be harder, but it's a good idea. Every time I see a warbird post on Facebook that includes planes I've ridden in, I have to chime in with my stories and photos of those good times.
I flew a trip with Carl Pascarell and had a slow awakening during the trip that he is something special. I learned more later and am glad I had a chance to sit as his FO.
He is that and then some. He's one of my closest friends and hands down the best pilot I've ever been privileged to know. He has the ultimate combination of mental and physical capabilities. He's also a helluva wordsmith and has written a book that is fun reading as it chronicles a lot of his many "interesting" episodes.
bd
That is classic!!!
Thanks, but I'm from Nebraska so I'm not sure how to define classic. However, I'll take it as a good thing. :-)
If you look up Carl Pascarell Aerobatics on You Tube you'll see some amazing flying but St. Augustine AP is right there in your face all the time. Just another day at St. Augie
bd
It was absolutely a good thing!😎
Then you made my night. Thanks.
bd
Amazing! Thanks for the new wallpaper.
I hope it's not wallpapering your bathroom. It's not really humidity/moisture proof. And, if you use it, be sure to use Gorilla's crazy glue. works best.