Airport Adventure

Unlike a number of airports and military air bases here in Southern California, the Santa Barbara Airport doesn't have a full-up airshow. Don't know the reason for this, but our airport does have what they call Airport Adventure, consisting mostly of static display of aircraft and airport equipment. This year's was held last Saturday, and I stopped by, as I'm always interested in seeing historic aircraft.

I was pleasantly surprised to see the F6F Hellcat pictured above. It was the first one I had ever seen in flying condition. This was the US Navy's front-line carrier fighter in WW II from early in 1943 until the end of the war. Though my references tell me something like 12,800 were built there aren't very many around anymore, even non-flyables in static display.

Here is the obligatory P-51 Mustang, arguably the finest ground-based fighter of WW II. If you exclude the Nazi jet fighters that is, but the Mustang certainly had more effect on the outcome of the war. In contrast to the poor Hellcat, there are many of these around in flying shape. Lots of enthusiasts and racers maintain and fly these planes. The father of a friend of mine made his living as a used aircraft parts broker, specializing in P-51 components. My friend has a funny story he tells about how back in the 1960s, his father once bought half the Nicaraguan Air Force for parts. This P-51 really looked cherry.

The Marine Corps brought up two CH-46 Sea Knight helicopters from San Diego. They were from Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron HMM-163. These helicopters have been in the inventory since 1964. I don't know when these two were built, but I shudder to think how many thousands of hours are on these airframes. They looked tired.

This squadron's nickname is the "Evil Eyes" and all their aircraft have these eyes painted on the front, a tradition beginning in the Vietnam War.

Finally, the Coast Guard came by with this search and rescue helicopter that they base in Ventura. Afraid I don't know the model on this guy. They did a simulated over-water rescue and here you can see their simulated rescuee being winched up into the cockpit. Anybody who goes to the beach much around here has seen this helicopter zipping along the coast.