This past summer I saw Matt Younkin's Beech 18 air show event at the Traverse City air show. In the early 40's the Beech 18 was used as light transport, light bomber (for China), aircrew trainer (for bombing, navigation, and gunnery) and photo-reconnaissance. As it turns out, I would become interested in the air crew trainer portion. And I'll talk about that later.
Back to the summer's air show. The Traverse City Air Show is over water, which is a really interesting perspective.
And of course a tangential story. Short version - I was looking for an air show at the airport. You can fill in the blanks from there.
But an over the water show is interesting. There is an 'air strip' marked and the area is cleared. The best place to view would be a boat. But as I am a land lubber, my seat was far away. Safe from the fresh water sharks. No excuses for the photos, just reality.
Because the Beech 18 is prop driven, a slower than normal shutter speed was used. On some photos, I was lucky enough to match the aircraft speed, but the stationary environment around the aircraft has the blur thing going on. Interesting effect.
This is the Beech 18 on approach. It is a far as I can reach, plus f/16. Not a place I like to be, but when in Rome....
Beech 18 Water Approach
NIKON D500 Ver.1.15/70.0-300.0 mm f/4.5-5.6
600 mm, 1/125 sec, f/16, ISO 125 (AUTO)
MANUAL Mode, Size 1.3
This water Fly-by is one of those that sort of sneaks up on you. The subject is about as clear as I can get it. That is, it is in focus. Everything else is the blur. Story telling time. The photo is at the end of the reach for DX (450 mm) and lightly cropped. It will will make the screen savers.
Beech 18 Water Fly-by
NIKON D500 Ver.1.15/70.0-300.0 mm f/4.5-5.6
450 mm, 1/125 sec, f/16, ISO 125 (AUTO)
MANUAL Mode, Size DX
One of my favorite things to see at an airshow is an inside loop with smoke. Usually this is never done close to show center but at the end of the show performance box. And usually at a high altitude, So it is far away. When a relatively slower aircraft does this, like a T-6 or the Beech 18, the photo can turn out OK. (Hopefully with the new lens, I'll be able to get some that are screen saver quality.)
Beech 18 Inverted Loop
NIKON D500 Ver.1.15/70.0-300.0 mm f/4.5-5.6
450 mm, 1/125 sec, f/16, ISO 125 (AUTO)
MANUAL Mode, Size DX
The connection of the military version of the Beech 18 and me is via a story told to me by my father from his days in the Air Force. In college, my father took part in the ROTC program for the USAF. At graduation from Allegheny, as a non-rated (non-pilot) cadet he owed the USAF four years with two years being active. If he was to go in as a pilot, he would owe six active years. The family Ford store would never allow that. My father wanted to be a USAF pilot, and had inquired after his initial tour was over if he could get back in and go to pilot training. He could, but during the Cold War, all he could be promised after graduation was Thule (Greenland). And yet he still considered it. Back to the initial commission, he was stationed at Tyndall Field. At the time Tyndall was among other purposes, a pilot instructor school. While he was there, he often accompanied pilots on cross country training flights.
During one of these flights, in a Beech 18, about 90 minutes from landing at Tyndall there was an odor of gas in the cockpit. There was the option continue, bail out or ditch. The two of them decided to continue. Minimal use of the radio. No switch movement. But the decision to bail out was revisited when it came time to lower the landing gear. One spark would end it all. Short version, all three of them, the pilot , my father and the aircraft all survived the adventure.
The pilot in the story stayed in the USAF, retiring a general and remaining a life long friend to my father. Military bonds, eh?
I recently learned of this story during a talk with my father. I have been talking to him every day for a few weeks. As a private pilot, he logged many hours. We share a common love of the aviation adventures and our time in the service. We really enjoyed sharing our adventures. Both of us have plenty to tell. That is our unique bond. Military and paternal.
But as I write this, he is doing a pre-flight check for his last solo flight. I'd like to think the final destination are the White Shores.
My father has been a loyal and faithful reader of this blog. Always there with photo and grammatical 'suggestions'. And encouragement. This will be the first post he will not read.
Al and Kurt - 1959
God Speed Dad
Kurt, this has moved me to tears. Thank you for posting. I think he knows you wrote it.
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