I was thinking this evening about life up here at the Forever Home, and while we’re truly loving it, there are things that we gave up in moving out of the west San Fernando Valley area where we lived for almost 35 years. One of those would be my involvement with the Southern California Wing of the Commemorative Air Force.
Granted, after eight years on staff there as the Finance Officer and finally giving up that position three years ago due to the time it involved and my new (at the time) position with ALS Network, I hadn’t been out to the hangar that often. But I still stay in contact with many friends there on social media, I’m still a member, I still get all of the emails and publications, I still get to the odd airshow here and there. But now that 30-minute drive from West Hills to Camarillo is a 3-hour drive from Hesperia. Not doing that a couple of weekends a month! (There’s also that whole lack of time thing with my work schedule, but if I don’t have time for a short drive each way, I really, REALLY don’t have time for six times longer drive each way.)
It does occur to me that it would be a relatively simple 30-40 minute flight (we’re only four miles from Hesperia Airport, maybe ten miles from Apple Valley Airport) if I had my own plane or even if I was renting one, and that would be an excellent “excuse” (i.e., motivation) to keep flying and stay current. That all is, of course, dependent on getting current again. It’s been a while since I’ve flown. So maybe we’ll table that thought for the moment and look for a more simple solution.
Then it occurred to me that I might be an idiot (this is not news) and that I had completely forgotten that the CAF has OTHER Wings, and I was pretty sure that at least one was out here somewhere. A quick search shows that the Inland Empire Wing flies out of Riverside Airport, which is less than an hour away. They’re not as big and don’t have as many planes as the SoCal Wing, but that’s not a deal breaker in any way. It’s most certainly worth checking out.
Meanwhile, here are some plane pictures from 2013 when the CAF’s B-29 “Fifi” and other planes came to visit in Camarillo. This is what I’m missing!
“Fifi,” at the time the one and only airworthy B-29, still one of only two.
Our F-8 Bearcat.
Our Zero.
The P-51 we had at the time, since gone and with a different owner. She might be out at the Palm Springs Air Museum…
Our Spitfire.
One of our two SNJ’s.
One of several C45 transports owned by the CAF, this was “Bucket Of Bolts.” I haven’t had a chance to ride in her … yet.
“Fifi” and “Bucket Of Bolts” came in from the previous stop of their tour, our aircraft went up to greet them, and they all did a couple of passes over the airport in formation.
Not one of ours, this is a Mark I turkey buzzard. Fairly large bird, will ruin your day big time if you meet it in the air and take it in the windshield or prop on short final.
We Love The Stars Too Fondly 