January thru June  2009

33 Coupe Having Fun 20       4/07/09

One of the shows that I really like is held at the Riverside Municipal Airport which was on Saturday, March 28 and ran from 9am to 4pm. The show is known as The Riverside Air Show or 'Wings and Fins' and is an annual event.

This show is unique because it combines hot rods and aircraft of all types, like vintage airplanes, Military aircraft and vehicles, R/C model demos, air show with aerobatics, carnival, food and souvenir vendors and a police demonstration. The weather was perfect that day and with it brought a record crowd of 90,000 people. And with over 300 hot rods and some kind of aircraft flying all day, their was something for everyone to enjoy.

If you were an early bird, the pancake breakfast started at 7:00 am. or you could choose from over a dozen food vendors for something to eat. The admission to the show is free but parking was five dollars and all the proceeds went to Cystic Fibrosis and other charities.

If you remember from a year ago, I had been working on my car in preparation for this very show but unfortunately things didn't go as planned. But this year things went nice and smooth and we had a great time.

I didn't take as many pictures as I should have but I did take a few so let's get started.

This bi-plane was one of the first aircraft that I came across that morning and had a great paint scheme on it.
 

 

 
This is the A-10 Thunderbolt which is a single seat, twin engine, straight winged aircraft developed for the U.S. Air Force. Don't be fooled by the strange shape of this tank killer because it's very agile and has excellent maneuverability at low air speeds.
 


 
The A-10 is more commonly known for it's nickname "Warthog" and was primarily used for close air support. It can carry a wide array of weapons but is really known for it's nose mounted 30mm Gatling gun which some say the aircraft was built around. And the pilot is literally surrounded by a titanium bathtub that is 3/8" thick in some places to keep him save from ground fire. With that said, the A-10 is known for being able to take a hit and still bring the pilot home to safety.
 

 

 
This F-86 Sabre was best known for its roll in the Korean war and went up against the MiG-15 but has a long list of operational history. If you look close you can see three of the six .50 caliber machine guns mounted just ahead of the pilot.
 

 

 
This is a C-53 Skytrooper which was a troop carrying transport plane. With it's side seating for 28 troops and a port-side passenger door, but no large cargo door. The nose art says "D-DAY DOLL" with a picture of girl dressed in a small green outfit.
 

 

 

Here is one of the advantages of getting to the show early, not many people yet but a few hours later this place was packed.
 

 
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