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P-51 REUNION HIGHLIGHTS EAA AIRVENTURE OSHKOSH 2019 SALUTE TO WORLD WAR II ACE BUD ANDERSON
P-51 REUNION HIGHLIGHTS EAA AIRVENTURE OSHKOSH 2019 SALUTE TO WORLD WAR II ACE BUD ANDERSON
EAA invites all flying P-51 aircraft to Oshkosh for this summer’s activities
EAA AVIATION CENTER, OSHKOSH, Wisconsin — (April 27, 2019) — World War II ace Clarence “Bud” Anderson, a National Aviation Hall of Fame member who was a triple ace during World War II, will be saluted during warbirds activities at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2019, which is July 22-28 at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
The program will be highlighted by a reunion of North American P-51 Mustangs, the aircraft flown by Anderson in his “Old Crow” markings during the war. EAA has invited all flying P-51 aircraft to Oshkosh for the event, particularly for a salute to Anderson during the Thursday, July 25, afternoon air show. Those flying demonstrations are part of AirVenture’s “Push to Victory” theme for World War II anniversaries, which also encompasses the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landing in Normandy.
“Bud Anderson is well known and lauded for his courage and abilities as a flying ace from World War II, so EAA wants to bring together as many P-51 Mustangs as possible to salute him,” said Rick Larsen, EAA’s vice president of communities and member programs, who coordinates AirVenture features and attractions. “His entire aviation career is also one for the record books, deserving of recognition at the World’s Greatest Aviation Celebration and another ‘Only at Oshkosh’ moment.”
P-51 Mustang owners interested in participating in this year’s activities can pre-register at the EAA.org/MustangsForBud website. EAA AirVenture is the world’s largest gathering of warbird aircraft – former military aircraft now privately owned – with more than 300 aircraft participating in displays and flying activities each year.
Anderson, who earned more than 25 awards during his military career, served with the renowned 357th Fighter Group based in England during World War II and totaled 16¼ air victories. His unit was credited with more than 600 air victories in 15 months – the highest pace of victories during the war. Following the war, Anderson flew and led flight test programs in Ohio and California, and also led fighter squadrons during post-war Korea and in Vietnam. He retired from the U.S. Air Force in 1972 and worked for more than a decade in flight test operations for McDonnell Aircraft.
About EAA AirVenture Oshkosh
EAA AirVenture Oshkosh is “The World’s Greatest Aviation Celebration” and EAA’s yearly membership convention. Additional EAA AirVenture information, including advance ticket and camping purchase, is available online at www.eaa.org/airventure. EAA members receive lowest prices on admission rates. For more information on EAA and its programs, call 1-800-JOIN-EAA (1-800-564-6322) or visit www.eaa.org. Immediate news is available at www.twitter.com/EAA.
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Simulator or stimulator
I’ve always felt that flying was very stimulating. I think that most pilots feel the same way. It brings out another side to the personality that a pilot craves. And one way to fulfill that desire is to use a PC Simulator. One of the simulator programs that I have is the Microsoft Flight Simulator Professional. I know there are other systems, but I have had this for years and it has always worked great.
This version offers me a chance to actually download weather from the Internet and overlay it in the simulation I’m in. Another neat thing is that I can use the simulator program to pick a city and plan a cross country flight, before I make the flight. And many times the airport in the simulation has many of the topographical things to give me a perspective of the area. No, it is not the same as being there. But I’m not there! I’m pretending to be there. And that makes it fun. I can pretend to be almost anywhere. And I can fly aircraft I don’t own or can’t fly in real life. My desire has never been to fly an airline, but I can, on the simulator.
And if I want, I can make the flight, shoot a couple of approaches (and I’m not even instrument rated) and be prepared for the trip. It’s a rehearsal for the actual flight. And the old line “practice makes perfect” has never been more accurate than in aviation. The more you fly the better it is. And that doesn’t mean just flying in an aircraft.
Want more? There are lots of extras in today’s flight simulators such as real time weather, lots of cool visual effects and quite an assortment of airplanes. One of which is my dream aircraft, the Cessna Caravan on amphibious floats. I have always felt that the Caravan on amphib’s could replace a fifth wheel travel trailer, a testosterone filled truck and my airplane.
And when it came time to refuel…I shut the program off and didn’t have to worry about paying for the hundreds of gallons of fuel that I burned during the flight. My Discover card thanked me. Kind of a nice thought.