Slaton Air Show 2011

Rarely now days does anybody take any pictures of yours truly. So it came as a surprise that fellow WINGs Miniature Aircraft Society (WINGS MAS) club member Tom asked me to join him on a walk down the flight line - where we took each other's picture standing next to some warbirds.

Every year, the Slaton airport holds a airshow fly-in. This year, Wings MAS had a charity booth spot in the north hangar to hold a raffle of a ready to fly Hangar 9 P-51 PTS trainer with a transmitter, that was won by a young boy. The star attraction didn't show up -

a FW-190. Something to do with a broken cooling fan. Instead, I got to finally see a Hawker Sea Fury in the flesh (so to speak)! There was a fly-over of a C-47 done up in D-Day paint scheme. Turns out the the Silent Wings Museum at the Lubbock International Airport was holding a event the very same weekend!

Of course, no airshow with Warbirds is complete without a Tora, Tora, Tora re-enactment. So, I had my picture taken with both the Japanese Zero and the Japanese Kate Torpedo bomber. There was also the big yellow T-28 Trojan in US Navy paint scheme and carrying the noseart of "Maid in the USA."

When I get around to it, I'll update this posting with some additional pictures that I took of the Sea Fury.

UPDATE June 6, 2011: Here are the pictures that I took of the Airshow.

The Man With The Little Blue Box poem

Looks like I have a theme running here for this month...

I got into this hobby back in 1997. In the beginning, I just could not get the hang of it even on the buddy box system. In fact, I lost my trainer on its very first flight when the elevator separated in flight. I had several flight instructors until I hooked up with Robert Masten-owner of the local hobby shop. Finally, the first generation Real Flight Flight training software came out and something finally clicked in my mind after using it for about six weeks. Pictures to the left are of Robert and friends and of him working on his T-28. He is the one wearing the blue Wings And Things ball cap.

Over the years, sitting around in the hobby shop B'S'ing with other modelers, Robert would entertain customers by telling jokes or reciting a particular poem that was published back in the 1960s (at least). You see, a 'future' RC pilot want-to-be comes into the store with his wife and they are looking around. The wife usually will have a bored expression on her face as her husband walks around the shop with his tongue hanging out.

Well, Robert will zoom in and talks with the hubby and the wife and then ask the lady if she wants to hear a poem. When told 'yes,' he would recite "The Man With The Little Blue Box."

It was part of an ad campaign from a radio company known as F and M Electronics of Albuquerque, New Mexico. Back then, their trademark was a blue metal transmitter box.

Nowadays, the radio transmitter case will 9 times out of 10, be black in color with a few silver cases floating around. F and M Electronic, Inc.'s tag line was "Our business is little blue boxes..." F and M (going by the ad I have a copy of and the reason for this post) seems to mean "Fore Most." The author of this poem is unknown to me-it wasn't included on the copy that I managed to get recently.

Well, after telling that poem, the husband more than likely will become a new member of our flying club and the wife doesn't mind coming into the hobby shop anymore because she knows that Robert will have a new joke to tell or recite that poem again to a new 'want-to-be."

Here is that poem...

I married a guy with his mind in the sky

And a heart full of wonderful plans.

But now I am told that these plans are controlled

By the little blue box in his hands.

He belongs to a group, a most curious troup,

Whose principal purpose, it seems,

Is to gather a crowd, and then gaze at a cloud

While clutching a box full of dreams.

They work night and day, but to them it is play;

They would rather fly airplanes than eat.

The weather won't stay them, winds merely delay them,

For their stuff is too stern for defeat.

The planes that they pilot are prone to run riot,

If it crashes they don't seem to care.

With some balsa and glue, and a gadget or two,

They soon have it back in the air.

Some planes have been known to take off on their own,

Sending pilots in hot hurried chase.

It's a school of hard knocks, but they don't blame the box,

And the wreck is brought home in disgrace.

But I'll stick by the man with the box in his hand,

Though it may put grey hairs on my head.

I will not complain; if it weren't for that plane

He'd probably chase women instead.

There you go.

___

Ref. From this website, I found some old rc model magazines ads. (http://www.airplanesandrockets.com).