Globe with the words Around the Pattern cured around the top half.

No Aviation Links the Week

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Sorry folks, I just couldn’t find any worthy flying article links this week. Maybe all the usual writers were out on vacation or something. P-51 Mustang

I do have a few photos for you though. One of the many fun things about being based at Reno-Stead Airport is that it is often a fuel stop for some interesting planes.

In the past couple of weeks we have had visits from two very nice warbirds.

This Mustang arrived from Chino Airport in Southern California. The owner down there had sold it and the pilot was on a long round-robin flight to deliver it to the new owner – somewhere in the Midwest.

P-51 Mustang at Reno-Stead Airport.

It was a beautifully polished version of the Mustang. That day the winds were blowing at about 25 knots, luckily close to down the runway.  They were forecast to increase to the 40-know range, so the pilot was not dragging his feet getting the refueling completed.

He was nice enough to do a fly-by on his way north. That really is a nice sound.

We had another arrival from Chino late last week.

P-38 LightningThis time it was the Planes of Fame P-38, flown by John Maloney on it’s way to an airshow in Idaho.

There were 10,000 of these made and, as best as I can determine, there are only 10 airworthy examples left. The P-38 is the only American WWII fighter that was being produced when Pearl Harbor was attacked and continued to be produced until the end of the war.

P-38 Lightning at Reno-Stead Airport

I looked at the meter on the fuel truck when they finished refueling. It said they had put 160 gallons in to the plane. At Stead’s current price (self-service, not full service truck price, which they used) they fill-up was a bit over $900.

Just one more reason why I don’t own one – though it sure would be nice, wouldn’t it?

Here’s a short (90 sec) video I took as John was leaving.


Comments

2 responses to “No Aviation Links the Week”

  1. Cedarglen Avatar
    Cedarglen

    Perhaps no links this week, but one of your best posts. Thanks Tracy.
    -Craig

  2. Tracy Avatar

    Thanks, and it was fun to be back out at the airport for a few days. I even managed to get back in the air for about 40 minutes. Flew five patterns and renewed my landing currency. Hardly even bounced!

    Tracy