On Sun, 30 Jul 2006 20:37:10 -0700, "RST Engineering"
wrote:

I'm prejudiced. Of course I'm prejudiced. In 5000+ flight hours, I've
never come as close to a midair as I did at Oshkosh 1999. Oshkosh Tower:
"BlueOnBlue Cessna, number three for runway 27. Ercoupe put it on the
numbers. Flight of three T6s, cross over runway 27, right downwind for
runway 27, caution the Cessna at the gravel pit."

(Warbird flight leader) "OK fellers, let's show them what a warbird arrival
is like."

The Cessna is looking, looking, and turns downwind. The copilot screams,
"Oh, my God " and the pilot turns hard left, only to see two wings perhaps
fifty feet below. Tower tells warbirds that they nearly had a midair with a
Cessna. Warbird flight leader, "Then tell tell the little b@$+@rd to get
out of our way."

I've about had it with the arrogant warbird *******s. The only reason that
there are warbirds at Oshkosh is that Pope Paul flew a warbird and wanted to
invite his cronies.


I agree. It seems the most arrogant fly the least little airplane
who's only association with the war was as a trainer. The AT-6 was
a trainer flown by "student" pilots. Their current owners, in some
cases, are not much better pilots than raw students.

The flip side of that coin is that not all AT-6 drivers are
arrogant. I've run into several at air shows who were most polite
and considerate of others. Answering endless questions during
static displays and in one case, performing a really amazing
aerobatic demo flight that really explored the limits of the AT-6.
Of course this guy flew a solo performance. It seems they only get
really obnoxious in groups of three or more.

Ron