About an hour ago I was in the back yard when I heard an unusually loud steady engine sound. It was louder and more of a rumble than most light piston aircraft, but without the whop-whop-whop of the helicopters that frequently operate out of Manassas Airport (HEF), the direction from which it was coming. I re-positioned until I could see it, expecting to see something with a large radial engine.
What I saw was two radial engines and a Merlin ... A B-25 being escorted by a Mustang, at about 1500 ft, en route in the general direction of Dulles Airport. I'm missing something I'd like to see.
We get this kind of treat around here occasionally. Last year I got video of four WWII bombers that gathered at HEF in preparation for a major DC warbird flyover. When there is an airshow, we frequently get WWII fighters coming in. Some years back I had guard duty in advance of a Manassas airshow, and spent the night under the wing of a Mustang.
Checking around, they are probably gathering for an airshow at Leesburg, VA this Saturday. A Mustang is a listed participant, although there is no mention of a Mitchell. They have a fake Kate, and SNJ painted up in Japanese colors. One presumes it has the required smoke generator. Maybe the Avenger will shoot it down. The Avenger looks as much like a Dauntless as the SNJ looks like a Kate, so maybe they'll re-enact an dogfight involving a Dauntless that made the history books because the Dauntless was a dive bomber, not a fighter.
And I didn't have my camcorder with me ...
Re: And I didn't have my camcorder with me ...
I got to see stuff like that about once a year when I was stationed at Langley AFB (or back when I was a dependent there). Always fun to see those old birds still flying.