cafsocal

We always look forward to the airshow at the El Centro NAS.

Usually, its the Hellcat that puts on the fireworks display!

 
As well as being the inaugural airshow of the season for us, El Centro is the winter home to the Navy’s Blue Angels and a big supporter of the Wing.

We are thrilled to be back to El Centro for 2017 and arrived in style, bringing the F6F Hellcat, F8F Bearcat, B25-PBJ, A6M3 Zero and the YAK3, jus to name a few of the warbirds representing CAFSoCal.

A few images from the show with our aircraft and the Blue Angels:

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As a bonus, this year’s event included a photo session with a Blue Angels F18 and our Hellcat and Bearcat. This image represents 71 years of Blue Angel’s history, with the F6F Hellcat having been the Blue’s first mount in 1946 before they quickly transitioned to the F8F Bearcat, their last prop driven aircraft. Below are a few images captured by our own Russ Babbitt who was aboard the PBJ for the flight:

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The appearance of the Zero represents days of hard work by a dedicated ground crew, installing an overhauled engine in time for the show. We were lucky to have Frank Mormillo present at the show who shared the following images with us showing the Zero along with the P51 from Palm Springs:

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Truly and exceptional airshow for us in 2017!

Most of our aircraft will be departing Camarillo today, Thursday March 9th for the airshow at El Centro Naval Facility this weekend and will not return until after the airshow in Yuma on the weekend of March 17th.

The museum will still remain open with normal operating hours. Your visit will allow you to see the exhibits and any of the aircraft undergoing maintenance, such as the P51 Mustang, the SNJ4 “Bluebird” and the Navion and C46 Commando.

Happy to report the Mitsubishi A6M3 Zero is back in flying condition and at home in the CAF hangars in preparation for departure to El Centro Airshow later this week.

As you can see, we worked late into the night to get the job done, and enjoyed a well deserved high speed flyby as the Zero was flown home the next day.

This month’s edition of the Dispatch – CAF’s monthly magazine, features an article on the CAF SoCal wing’s B25 PBJ.

You can bet a few of us are busting our buttons around here! Well done guys!

Despite the recent winter storms and accompanying travel difficulties, the Presentation on the Grumman Bearcat conducted at the CAFSoCal hangar was well attended and much appreciated.

Unfortunately, maintenance and inclement weather prohibited the scheduled flight demonstration.

The following playlist shows the entire event in three parts: Development of the Bearcat, Q&A with CAFSoCal pilots about the aircraft and the history of the particular airframe in operation at CAFSoCal wing.

Join us on March 15th for a similar presentation on the unit’s P51D Mustang.

The New covering is being applied to the fuselage of the PT19.

Looking like a cathedral, this view shows the inside of the PT19 after about 30 work hours on the Poly Fiber fabric so far. Next step is heat shrinking, dope, paint and fly! We can’t wait to have this gentle flier back in the air! Thanks for all the hard work by our volunteers!

The Smithsonian Channel will air the following two shows this month featuring two of the SoCal Wing’s aircraft.
The Weapon Hunter: “Big Bad B-25” premieres Sunday, February 19 at 9PM.
This  show was filmed last summer, featuring our friend and biggest fan (or is it the other way around?) WWII veteran Vern Horten, and our B25 Mitchell PBJ. Several wing members are also in the production.

Also on Sunday February 26 at 9PM, Weapon Hunter: “Pearl Harbor Payback” will be aired with scenes of our Mitsubishi A6M3 Zero flown by our Operations Officer Jason Somes.

The camera/chase plane used for the show was the SNJ “290”, piloted  by wing member Rob Hertberg.

Last week the Curtiss C46 Commando, the wing’s first and much loved aircraft was rolled into the hangar for the first time in many years.
It was a breath taking sight to see the huge aircraft fit the hangar so well.
Although the move was a temporary provision for a special project, many at the wing were awed enough that there are discussions about making the move permanent.