Historic “Warbirds” to Invade Watervliet Airport; Flight of AT-6 Texans to Visit Fly-In on Sunday
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[email protected] TRI-CITY RECORD Our 129th Year Issue #40 October 6, 2011 Seventy-five Cents Historic “Warbirds” to invade Watervliet Airport; flight of AT-6 Texans to visit fly-in on Sunday By Grant Griffin munity and airport again this year. action in World War II, Korea, and Middle East and throughout Latin Despite its impressive war record, the The skies over the Tri-Cities will be There are very few grass runway air - Vietnam, as well as dozens of brush- America. More than 15,000 AT-6’s “Texan” is best known as a fighting busy Sunday with flights of historic ports in the country that these pieces fire wars around the world including were built and many of the well cared trainer, and is affectionately know by aircraft arriving at the Watervliet of living history wish to visit. There Algeria, Congo, Biafra, and the for ones are still flying today. its pilots as “THE PILOT MAKER”. Municipal airport for a public show - may be no other place in Michigan ing of classic aircraft. you can see, hear and feel the sound of The Experimental Aircraft Associ- these amazing, and, of course…loud, ation (EAA) chapter 585, based at the aircraft as they flew during the Watervliet Airport, (located at Airport “Greatest Generation”! Road, M-140, 1.5 miles north of I-94, More than likely, this Fly-In is the exit 41) is hosting the second annual only place you will see a flying exam - and rare Midwest WWII Warbird ple of these airplanes. You probably gathering on Sunday, October 9, from won’t see another example of these 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Lunch will be Warbirds unless you visit a museum or available from 11:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. national air show. Even then, you The Warbird gathering will feature won’t be able to get as close to these the famous AT-6 “Texan” as well as aircraft as you can at our Fly-In, the giant Stearman bi-plane Warbirds please remember, these aircraft cost an interesting general aviation aircraft between $250,000 and $3 million, so from around the Midwest. All aircraft look all you want but please, don’t arrivals are based on safety factors touch. It’s all about safety.” and weather conditions. Event Chairman and pilot Al Hartline The local Experimental Aviation of Benton Harbor said, “These aircraft Association chapter 585 will offer are the last of their kind; it is living lunch for sale, consisting of sandwich - history from an age of heroes. These SPECTACULAR SKIES... is the order of the day, Sunday, October 9, as historic aircraft will be flying in and es, hot dogs and hamburgers. There is pilots are keeping alive, at their own over Watervliet Municipal Airport. Last year these “Warbirds” displayed red, white and blue smoke, as they no cost for parking or admission. This expense, Warbirds that flew and flew over the airport. (Trentis Bush is the second Warbird Fly-In at the air - trained the likes of General (and actor) port after last year’s successful event Jimmy Stewart, President George H. Coloma Township continues court hosting more than 1,000 spectators W. Bush, the Tuskegee Airmen and and many Warbirds. nearly every aircrew member serving fight to halt gun club expansion; Police Last year’s event hosted not only the in WWII. The best part, I believe, is AT-6’s, SNJ’s and Stearmans but a that we’ll be seeing them fly in and Judge to rule on case in 30 days & Fire very special and rare WWII fighter, out of a real grass runway as they flew By Annette Christie week to present their cases. the F4U Corsair of which only about a during the second World War. Unsuccessful attempts to reach an Published reports state that the town - dozen remain flying in the world! I hope that parents and teachers will Reports agreement on the use of shooting ship’s attorney, Kevin O’Dowd told This year’s Warbird Fly-In is expect - bring their children to see this family lanes built at the Coloma Rod and the court that the club did not meet ed to host even more of these rare air - oriented event and experience these By Annette Christie Gun Club, have sent the civil case township zoning requirements and has planes. The Corsair is expected again aircraft as they were nearly 70 years back to the Berrien County Trial gone from a small local operation to a this year along with (hopefully), an ago. These aircraft and their crews Court. tactical training facility for police and additional surprise fighter or two. made a giant contribution to the WWII Counterfeit money Coloma Charter Township and the a place for national shooting competi - Last year’s special visit of the F4U war effort. When they land and open Coloma Rod and Gun Club had been tions. The township not only wants to finds way to area Corsair, a 2,450 horse power single their canopies, give them a round of trying to reach some sort of a compro - permanently halt the club’s members seat fighter saw U.S. service in the applause to say ‘thanks’!” Coloma Township Police Officers mise since the fall of 2010 when the from using the new ranges, it also WWII Pacific Theater, the Korean The featured Warbirds (the AT-6 and responded to the Coloma Marathon case started in a courtroom, but the wants to put an end to law enforce - War, and was based both on aircraft SNJ) are circ. between 1940 to 1945, Gas Station, located at 111 St. Joseph judge ordered the two groups to sit ment shooting according to published carriers and land-based Marine units. single-engine planes advanced ground Street, for a report of receiving coun - down and try to reach an agreement. reports. It was made popular in the 1970s tele - support for fighter aircraft, and were terfeit twenty-dollar bills and a coun - Several documents later the Coloma The club’s attorney Craig Rolfe has vision series “Bah Bah Black Sheep” widely used in air battles and in the terfeit five-dollar bill. The bills Township Board approved one in June argued all along that the berms put in with the “Blacksheep Squadron” in training of fighter pilots of the United appeared to be legal, however, the tex - and offered it to the gun club howev - place for the six new ranges are legal the Pacific. States Army Air Corp, United States ture and weight do not match the real er, it was refused. and were within the protection of the Among other famous statistics, the Navy, British Royal Air Force and tender. The agreement accepted by Coloma Sport Shooting Range Protection Act. Corsair is the only piston-powered other air forces around the world. Those bills were passed sometime last Township would have restricted the Published reports state that on the fighter to shoot down a MiG-15 jet A pilot’s airplane, at over 200 miles week during normal business hours. use of the previous shooting ranges first day of the trial, the township’s during the Korean War. per hour, could perform maneuvers An older white male driving a dark and prohibit use of two of the six new attorneys presented evidence to show In WWII, the Corsair flew over such as the Immelmann, loop, spin, colored vehicle was reported to be shooting ranges erected by the club, the township enacted zoning ordi - 64,000 combat sorties claiming 2,140 snap, and vertical roll. involved. Local business and mer - located on Angling Road. nances earlier than first realized, in Japanese combat aircraft while losing In the U.S., it was used to train pilots chants are being warned to watch for Coloma Township took the Coloma 1945 and 1957. Under them, the entire only 189 Corsairs; almost an 11 to 1 in all aspects of tactical fighter opera - the fake bills. Rod and Gun Club to court in the fall gun club property would be out of “kill ratio”. On a “low-power” setting, tions, such as dog fighting, ground of 2010 after they constructed six new compliance. Domestic violence the Corsair cruises at over 300 miles strafing, carrier landings, and aerial shooting bays on the premises without During the second day of trial, testi - per hour while burning around 100 bombardment. the proper permits. The club then mony from current and former club being investigated gallons of aviation fuel for those 300 It also included the capacity for fixed applied for a special land use permits, members was given stating that the Coloma Township Police Officers miles. At today’s prices, the fuel costs and flexible guns, cameras, and just but later withdrew it citing the Sports property where the six shooting bays were dispatched to McDonald’s on alone are about $550 per hour. about any other device that the mili - Shooting Ranges Act covered the were built had long been used for club Ryno Road and Friday Road, for a According to Loui Nordell, President tary required.