Potomac Flight 2014

[Bluerauder]

My son George had a great opportunity to see the World War II vintage planes take off from Culpepper, VA airport on Sunday morning (12 October 2014) enroute to a flyover of the Pentagon and Arlington Memorial Cemetery to honor all Veterans of the Armed Services. Special permission was granted by the FAA for entry into the restricted airspace over DC. Following take-off of the planes, he was then able to drive north and be at Vint Hill Farms to see the formation on return trip. The planes flew over our area and we could hear them inside church. About 25 planes flying in formation that appears to be the "ribbon" that symbolizes support the Armed Services and other causes. Most of the planes were AT-6 Texans. Some pics below ---

http://www.mercurymarauder.net/gallery/data/500/medium/Potomac_Flight1.JPG

http://www.mercurymarauder.net/gallery/data/500/medium/Potomac_Flight2.JPG

http://www.mercurymarauder.net/gallery/data/500/medium/Potomac_Flight3.JPG

http://www.mercurymarauder.net/gallery/data/500/medium/Potomac_Flight4.JPG

http://www.mercurymarauder.net/gallery/data/500/medium/Potomac_Flight5.JPG

[Bluerauder]

More pics .....

http://www.mercurymarauder.net/gallery/data/500/medium/Potomac_Flight6.JPG

http://www.mercurymarauder.net/gallery/data/500/medium/Potomac_Flight7.JPG

http://www.mercurymarauder.net/gallery/data/500/medium/Potomac_Flight8.JPG

http://www.mercurymarauder.net/gallery/data/500/medium/Potomac_Flight9.JPG

http://www.mercurymarauder.net/gallery/data/500/medium/Potomac_Flight10.JPG

[Bluerauder]

And the final batch of pics .....

http://www.mercurymarauder.net/gallery/data/500/medium/Potomac_Flight11.JPG

http://www.mercurymarauder.net/gallery/data/500/medium/Potomac_Flight12.JPG

http://www.mercurymarauder.net/gallery/data/500/medium/Potomac_Flight13.JPG

http://www.mercurymarauder.net/gallery/data/500/medium/Potomac_Flight14.JPG

http://www.mercurymarauder.net/gallery/data/500/medium/Potomac_Flight15.JPG

[fastblackmerc]

Nice pictures!

I miss the yearly airshows that used to happen at RDU.

[Roadwarrior]

Nice pictures. :up:

[Bigdogjim]

Thanks for sharing! :up: Would have liked to have seen that:)

The AT-6 was a trainer IIRC?

[HammerDown]

Cool pics, Charlie
thanks for sharing!!!

[Bluerauder]

Thanks for sharing! :up: Would have liked to have seen that:)

Me too Jim. But I am afraid that I would have thought we were under attack :o since there was virtually no notice of this in the local media about the event. My son knew about it from his job at Dulles Airport.


The AT-6 was a trainer IIRC?

You are correct. Here are some of the basics ..... AT was the designation of the "Advanced Trainer". I believe the ones in the photo are AT-6C and 6D.

The North American Aviation T-6 Texan was a single-engined advanced trainer aircraft used to train pilots of the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF), United States Navy, Royal Air Force and other air forces of the British Commonwealth during World War II and into the 1970s. Designed by North American Aviation, the T-6 is known by a variety of designations depending on the model and operating air force. The United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) and USAAF designated it as the AT-6, the United States Navy the SNJ, and British Commonwealth air forces, the Harvard, the name it is best known by outside of the US. After 1962, US forces designated it the T-6. It remains a popular warbird aircraft used for airshow demonstrations and static displays. It has also been used many times to simulate the Japanese Mitsubishi Zero in movies depicting World War II in the Pacific.

[Mebot]

Very cool pictures Charlie, thanks for posting