[Leica] IMG: WAS Another Mustang, NOW Aardvark and Vimy

[hoppyman at bigpond.net.au (G Hopkinson)]

Thanks, Ira. Great stuff. I should be in California next year; I shall have 
to look into this collection. Australia still operates
the F111 in two main variants. Eventually, they'll be replaced by the JSF. 
However our Defence Minister just decided to buy some
Super Hornets in the meantime.

Cheers
Hoppy

-----Original Message-----
From: lug-bounces+hoppyman=bigpond.net.au@leica-users.org 
[mailto:lug-bounces+hoppyman=bigpond.net.au@leica-users.org] On Behalf Of
ISILVERMN@aol.com
Sent: Monday, 2 April 2007 04:25
To: lug@leica-users.org
Subject: [Leica] IMG: WAS Another Mustang, NOW Aardvark and Vimy

On Sun, 1 Apr 2007 18:43:55 +1000 "G Hopkinson" _hoppyman@bigpond.net.au_ 
(mailto:hoppyman@bigpond.net.au)  wrote:

"I recognise the tail end of an F111 in the background there (I spent  quite 
some time around these). We call them pigs over this way. Where is this  
facility? Is it like the boneyard at Davis-Monthan, or a display area?"
 
Hi Hoppy,
 
It's the March Field Air Museum, set up alongside the old March Air Force  
Base in Riverside, CA.  Very nice collection of close to 100 aircraft in  
various stages of restoration.
 
Here is the FB-111A you saw earlier, taken from beneath the tail of a  B-52.
 
_http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Ira+Silverman/Aircraft/GD+FB-111A+Aardvark.j
pg.html_ 
(http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Ira+Silverman/Aircraft/GD+FB-111A+Aardvark.jpg.html)
 
 
I also thought you might enjoy this one.  It's the replica Vickers  Vimy 
that 
flew from England to Australia in 1994.
 
_http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Ira+Silverman/Aircraft/Vimy+in+flight.jpg.ht
ml_ 
(http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Ira+Silverman/Aircraft/Vimy+in+flight.jpg.html)
 
 
At the time I took the picture in 2001, it had been re-engined  wiith BMW 
V-8s, and scheduled to duplicate the Alcock and Brown Transatlantic  Flight 
of 
1919.  The next day, it flew to Arizona, where BMW had it  grounded for 
insurance reasons.  It eventually was re-engined again, and  duplicated the 
1919 
flight in 2004.
 
Best regards,
 
Ira