WIX Archives
Re: WIX er WARBIRD PARTICPIATION
Posted by Cees Broere on Sat Jan 17, 2004 09:31:08 AM
In reply top WIX er WARBIRD PARTICPIATION posted by JACK COOK on Fri Jan 16, 2004 06:31:15 PM
Well, having read the various messages regarding this thread a lot of you across the pond are involved in flying and maintaining warbirds and so it should be. Guys like you keep these birds flying and give enthusiasts the chance to see what those aircraft from five decades or more
looked and sounded like.
Speaking for myself, I have been an enthusiast ever since I can remember but what really started me is FlyPast magazine in the early eighties. I never could have imagined that aircraft could be recovered from crashsites. A whole new world was discovered as well as the need to learn english otherwise it would be a bit difficult to read the captions and the articles. You know everytime you get some information you get hungry for more. When I found out in 1989 that a newly formed group of enthusiasts were recovering aircraft wrecks very close to where I lived at the time (Amsterdam) I immediately went to see for myself and applied for membership. I was number three, with the nubmers one and two having formed the group so I was right on time. Since then I have learned an enourmous amount of information about aircraft types, structures you name it, even that an aircraft had crashed only hundreds of metres from where my parents still live.
Also this on the job training/learning has made me realise what an enourmous amount of effort went into the airwar of WWII and even more important the sacrifices those youg men gave. This I will never forget and makes it even more important to hunt for missing aircrew who deserve all the admiration and respect for what they did. Also by recovering aircraft wrecks this is the only way to be involved with those famous aircraft types and this has progressed into my own project to recreate a Halifax cockpit. This project also has the benefit that you meet a lot of friends and contacts that makes the hobby so enjoyable. And since WIX this has increased this even more.
Thanks guys and Scott especially for bringing us all together to help and learn from each other all over the globe. Come on Europeans let's even out the responses on this thread.
Cheers
Cees