News

On October 22nd, CAFSoCal presented the third installment of the Fighter Plane series at the museum.

Previous presentations had covered the Mitsubishi A6M3 Zero and the Grumman F6F Hellcat aircraft. The latest installment was about the museum’s Supermarine Spitfire Mk. XIV and was by far the best attended event of it’s kind at our facilities – a testament not only to the popularity of this warbird, but also the to the ever improving efforts of the museum’s volunteer staff in organizing and conducting events such as this.

Many thanks to Rob Hertberg to organizing the program, to Steve Barber for his presentation on the flight characteristics of the Spitfire as well as his flight demonstration at the conclusion of the event, and to Ron Fleishman for speaking about the history of the specific aircraft that is part of the Wing’s cadre of warbirds.

Lastly, thanks to all the many tireless volunteers who worked behind the scenes to contribute to the success of this event, with special mention to Gene O’Neal for providing the following video and still shots for those of us who missed it.

The 2nd annual Mentor West Fly-In gathering will take place at CAFSoCal hangars in Camarillo followed by a Veterans Salute flyover in Santa Barbara. The event will take place over four days with aircraft arrivals starting on Thursday November 11, a mass formation fly-over of Santa Barbara for the Veterans Parade on Saturday afternoon and departures on Sunday.

Saturday’s mass formation will be the largest fly-over for a Veterans Day parade anywhere in the United States. Last year over 20 aircraft participated in the event, including Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Helicopters, a P-51 Mustang, an F6F Hellcat, multiple T-34’s, Nanchang’s, Yaks and a B-25.  This year we expect multiple B-25s, C-47s, T-34s, CJs, Yaks as well as other aircraft.

Come by the museum to watch our very busy ramp full of T-34 Mentor and other aircraft departing the airport for this  event.

Our Museum will be closed on Sunday, October 16th, due to a private event being hosted here.

We will resume normal operations on Tuesday October 18th.

The PBJ and SNJ “290” have been in Sacramento for the 2016 California Capital Airshow as part of the Air Power History Tour along with the B-29 FiFi.

Both aircraft are busy giving rides to warbird enthusiasts.

You can book a ride HERE.

The PBJ will also be participating in the airshow with other WWII vintage aircraft as part of “warbird alley” .

We will be posting photos and videos to this news item as the show proceeds.

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Sacramento ABC10 News Spot

of our comrade CAF – So Cal Wing member, James Paul Corcoran.  
Paul was a docent at our wing for the past 2 years; since he moved from Buffalo NY.

Paul is survived by his beloved wife, Mary Elizabeth Toth, loving daughter, Lisa Marie (Eyal) Erez and adored grandsons, Eli Zvi and Liam Jacob; siblings Martin (Faye) Corcoran of South Africa, Mary Elizabeth (late Patrick) Henry, Padraig (June) Corcoran, Gerrard (Anne) Corcoran, Anne (Joe) Gilmartin, Thomas Corcoran, Claire (Eugene) Reynolds, Joseph (Chris) Corcoran, Catherine (Don) Brosnan and many nieces and nephews in Ireland.

Funeral Services will be held:

Thursday, Sept. 29, 2016

10:00 a.m.

Padre Serra Catholic Church

205 Upland Road

Camarillo, CA 93012

Our condolences go out to his wife Mary and their family

The PBJ will be at Sacramento from September 26th to October 3rd. It will be part of the B-29 tour during that time.  You can schedule a ride while it is on tour by going to the Air power History Tour Page.

Enjoy the ride!!

As most of you know the Mustang’s engine is being repaired.  Our latest estimate of when it will be flying is now December 1.

All of our Fighters, save the Mustang (Engine Repair) have left for Reno.  They will return next Monday the 19th of September.

We are busy prepping the PBJ for an expected 1330HRS departure today, September 3rd, from Camarillo for a flyover at 1400HRS over LA Fleet Week in San Pedro. 

Come to the museum to see her take off and return to base, or just look up if you are in her flight path and you hear those sweet radial engines purr overhead.

We couldn’t be more proud of this warbird and its crew!

Here’s a report from Dan Newcomb along with a couple of images from the flyover:

This Labor day weekend ends the first L.A. Fleet Week ever. I found it hard to believe and somewhat sad that Los Angeles had never had a Fleet Week considering that before the war the Pacific Fleet battleships were home ported in Long Beach and that the navy had docks and other facilities in San Pedro for decades.

This flight was a sentimental journey for me. I grew up in this area and I worked at Douglas Aircraft just to the north. As we flew along the cliffs of Palos Verdes I remembered “Marine Land of the Pacific” now long gone and the derelict hulk of the ex-Liberty ship S.S. Dominator when it ran aground in ’61. When I was a kid the Navy was a big deal in the port. Destroyers, carriers, mine sweepers, and subs were based there. Just about every weekend there was a ship open for tours. Sailors were everywhere down town and at the Pike. The Long Beach Naval Shipyard was one of the biggest employers in the area. I even took my Private Pilot check ride over Long Beach Harbor 40 years ago.

We were due over the target at 1400hrs. Hohls was flying left seat and he blew it! He was 55 seconds early! With Fort MacArthur and Point Fermin off our left wing we turned north and headed up the main channel to over fly the battleship Iowa. Since the Navy left Long Beach in 1991 what used to be a home for the Pacific Fleet has been obliterated. The 17,000 employees and 38 ships based there at the time are history. The docks and piers and infrastructure is now one of the largest container ports in the world and the largest in North America. What used to be one of the biggest ships in the world, the battleship USS Iowa, is dwarfed by some of the container ships. As we made several passes over the harbor coming in low over the water, bomb bay open, I couldn’t help but think of the Doolittle Raid. I thought of this harbor during WWII and what was produced here for the war effort. My thoughts were of dedication and hard work and sacrifice made in a just cause. I reflected on how much has changed over all these years. How America has changed. After our multi-pass performance we turned south and headed out to sea like a phantom from that long gone epic moment in our nations past. A loud, blue, twin engine, attention getting flying reminder of a time when a nation stood together for the greater good. As we flew back to Camarillo I felt very satisfied and proud to have been able to take part in this special and long over due event. Flying low over the water along the beach at Malibu I saw…well that’s another story!

San Pedro California. LA Fleet Week 2016 PBJ flyover

Birdseye view of USS Iowa from aboard the PBJ during LA Fleet Week 2016 flyover

George Sands sent in these breath taking images from the rear gunner position aboard the PBJ during the overflight:

Long Beach as seen from the PBJ rear gunner position – photo by George Sands

Battleship row at San Pedro! -George Sands

Thanks to PBJ crewman Russ Babbitt for sending in this video of the view from the nose of the PBJ during the flight over San Pedro: