Aircraft

[Texas Lawdog]

When I worked the west side of Fort Worth, I saw one of those 747's like you saw up there land at Carswell in Fort Worth. I also saw a SR71 and the NASA 747 with a shuttle on its back land out there also.

[Delmonico]

When I worked the west side of Fort Worth, I saw one of those 747's like you saw up there land at Carswell in Fort Worth. I also saw a SR71 and the NASA 747 with a shuttle on its back land out there also.

With Offut about 50 miles away, we get all sort of stuff in now and then.  They used to practice landing with the Looking glass planes also.  Had a U2 drop in on 9-11.

[Texas Lawdog]

When that SR71 landed, he had an SP escort to separate hangar with an armed guard in front of it.

[Texas Lawdog]

We saw that stuff out there all the time when Carswell was still a SAC base.  It's a joint reserve base now, everybody but the Coast Guard is stationed out there.

[Leo Tanner]

When that SR71 landed, he had an SP escort to separate hangar with an armed guard in front of it.

Ya sure that weren't Roo?

[Russ T Chambers]

I imagine they do carpet bombing when the bars close on Saturday night

Leo
This is Nevada!!!!    The Bars never close!!!!

[Leo Tanner]

Leo
This is Nevada!!!!    The Bars never close!!!!

Mebbe the crew sign waivers an fly over the boarder.  Been known ta happen.

[Texas Lawdog]

Speaking of Nevada, Does anyone live in Sparks?

[Russ T Chambers]

Speaking of Nevada, Does anyone live in Sparks?

Is Reno close enough?  Sparks and Reno are so co-jioned you can't tell which one you're in.  I'm in Northwest Reno.

[Arcey]

Lookin' like I'm goin' be seein' 'n hearin' a l'il more of the Hornets............

I LOVE jet noise. GO NAVY!


Navy flight training to temporarily increase next month

By Lauren King
The Virginian-Pilot
© January 28, 2009

VIRGINIA BEACH

U.S. Navy squadrons will be conducting heavier than normal day and night flight operations beginning in early February.
The operations, including Field Carrier Landing Practices, are to support future deployments and training, a news release from Oceana Naval Air Station said.

Initially these operations will be conducted at Fentress Naval Auxiliary Landing Field in Chesapeake, but when it closes for routine maintenance Feb. 22 through early April, the day and night operations will move to Oceana in Virginia Beach.

These operations are expected to continue through mid-April.

[Texas Lawdog]

During WW2, the school children of Sparks saved enough money to buy a B25 bomber. This plane named "The Spirit of Sparks" was assigned to my Dad's Squadron in the Med. It flew over a 100 missions and never lost a crew member. It crash landed in Italy and was scrapped.

[Leo Tanner]

Is Reno close enough?  Sparks and Reno are so co-jioned you can't tell which one you're in.  I'm in Northwest Reno.

There's an old saying, "Reno is so close ta hell, you can see Sparks

[Texas Lawdog]

I was out at Reno about 20 years ago on an extradition. I got woke up by sirens sometime in the early morning. They had a tornado come through while I was in the hotel and didn't even know. I coulda used a couple shots of Bushmillas to settle my nerves.

[Russ T Chambers]

TLD
I found this, and I'll have to go over to the Museum (haven't been there in more than 5 years) and try to get a picture of it.  Have always liked the Mitchell, so close to the Fortress in my esteem, it's hard to pick a favorite!

January 11, 2005

Spirit sparks Sparks City Council Meeting
A replica model of the "Spirit of Sparks," the Mitchell B-25 bomber manufactured by Boeing, was presented to the City of Sparks in honor of the Sparks Centennial. Doug Summers, president of the local society of International Plastic Modelers Society, and Neil Hulse, the secretary, made the presentation. Hulse assembled the model.
The model is 14 inches long, 5 inches high and has a wingspan of 16 inches. Mayor Pro Tem presented the model to Dick Dreiling, president of the Sparks Heritage Museum board of trustees. It will be displayed in the Military Exhibit at the Museum on Victorian Avenue at Pyramid Way.
History
Several thousand citizens in Sparks began raising money to purchase a bomber for the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II in June 1944. Sparks Tribune Editor Edwin C. Mulcahy brought the idea to a meeting of the Sparks Bond Campaign Planning Committee. A fund raiser rally was held at the "B" Street Park (now the south side of Victorian Square). Women's groups, church and labor organizations assisted. Tobacco heiress Doris Cromwell, made a significant contribution.
Bond sale tables were setup at the rail yard on payday with Southern Pacific officials contributing. Local merchants contributed and every church in town passed the hat. Children went door-to-door soliciting donations.
By mid-July, with prospects for reaching their goal appeared likely, city officials contacted Boeing Aircraft in Seattle to arrange for the purchase. Workers on the line at the factory christened the plane as the "Spirit of Sparks" and painted the name on the fuselage before it was sent off to Europe in July 1944.
It's traditional for bomber crews to rename a plane for luck. Because the "Spirit of Sparks" was named at the factory for the efforts of the citizens of Sparks, the crews didn't change her name and never tampered with the luck. The "Spirit of Sparks" flew 112 combat sorties and never lost a crew member. The plane took a hard landing and had to be scrapped in Italy in late 1944.

[Russ T Chambers]

TLD
Went over to the Sparks Museum today and found the model.  Sorry the picture of the nose art on the right side didn't show up(not sure if it was the shaky hand or the glass case), but it did say "Spirit of Sparks".
I did have to give the docents a history of the aircraft and why it's there!!!!!  I'll be dropping off a copy the article I posted, just to keep them up to snuff!

[Leo Tanner]

Nice pics Russ.  Beats the heck outta goin to a casino.

[Texas Lawdog]

Russ, Thanks for the pictures. For some reason after about 43 they quit painting the planes OD and left them shiny.  My Dad took a lot of pictures over there. I can remember looking at them as a kid. He even had a picture of the Sprit after it crashed landed. I wish I knew what happened to those pictures. Dad and Mom are both gone now.

[Leo Tanner]

I'm in the same boat with the old pictures Pop.  Dad's the only one left an he has no idea what happened to the bulk of them.  I know of some pictures floating around out there that are hopefully being well taken care of.  Several were taken through the drivers peep hole of a tank from North Africa, to Berlin and on into Poland.  Wish I had em

[Texas Lawdog]

Leo, North Africa was the first place my Dad was deployed overseas.

[Leo Tanner]

Think we mentioned it bafore, but there is a strong possiblilty that your dad and my uncle ran across eachother over there.  He was a B-17 tailgunner over Africa.  HIs brother Nick was the tank pilot.