WIX Archives
George Bush Sr. joins the CAF hall of fame
Posted by Tony on Sat Nov 10, 2001 06:43:59 PM
In reply top null posted by null on null
So lets see that bill make it now......
American warbird owners..........lobby the man!
Tony :0)
Air show a tribute to victims
Thousands gather for warplane flybys
Associated Press
MIDLAND -- The nostalgic drone of World War II aircraft filled the West Texas skies on Saturday as the Confederate Air Force kicked off its 2001 air show.
The annual show was expanded to pay tribute to Americans affected by last month's terrorist attacks on the East Coast.
Organizers had planned to focus on the 60th anniversary of the Dec. 7, 1941, Japanese attack on American forces at Pearl Harbor, but it was revised to "Pearl Harbor and New York City: A Sleeping Giant Awakens."
The Fina-CAF AirSho 2001 at Midland International Airport attracts about 30,000 spectators and more than 100 World War II-era warplanes.
"It's a major tourist attraction. It's the reason I came here. And it's much better than the British air shows because you can get right up close to the aircraft, which you can't do over there," said Alwyn Boulbey, who lives in England.
Saturday's events included flybys of the world's only B-29 Superfortress, a German Heinkel, the CAF's B-24 LB-30 Liberator, two B-17 Flying Fortresses, five B-25 Mitchells, SBD Dauntless and Ju 52 Junkers.
Another rarity was a restored P-51C Mustang that flew in the colors of the 332nd Fighter Group, 15th Air Force -- the Tuskegee Airmen, the first unit of black fighter pilots in the U.S. military.
The precision flying Thunderbird air team, idle since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, requested an invitation to the air show for weekend performances. The show ends today.
On Friday, former President George Bush, seven other World War II veterans and the 19th Bombardment Group were inducted into the CAF Combat Airman Hall of Fame.
Midland-based CAF has more than 10,000 members and is responsible for operating a fleet of more than 140 airplanes.
In its general-membership meeting Friday, the CAF voted on changing the group's name. The results will be announced Dec. 7, and adopted Jan. 1, 2002.