WARBIRDS OVER MARYLAND

by Jean Luc DUBERT

Mission Militaire, Washington DC

Every year, the famous and now known as Commemorative Air Force (CAF) participate in many air shows all around the United States, in addition to its own in Texas. The Maryland Wing, better known as Stars And Stripes Wing, organize & produce with the CAF support, the Frederick airshow, in a small Maryland town, 1 hour & a half road trip North-West from Washington, DC.

This meeting is traditionnaly organize in august, on the city airportl. As it is close to my home, i had the opportunity to go there in 2001 & 2002. The 2001 edition has taken place during august 18&19 under the sign of the Flying Tigers & Commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Korea War, commemoration which in fact had started in 2000 in all the country, to finish in 2003. This was on this very occasion that i first met Robert MORGAN, Memphis Belle's pilot (see the picture of JL Dubert with Robert Morgan on JL Dubert bio page). In 2002, for its 9th edition, the meeting has taken place on august 17&18, to celebrate the 60^th anniversary of the 8th Air Force (which still exist today), the Doolittle raid & the Battle of Midway. Each time, the CAF has presented a set of aircraft accordingly to these themes.

The program is the same & is repeated during the 2 days.

Since 08:00 AM, the grounded aircrafts are accessible to the public until around 11:30 AM.

Everyone can walk around these aircrafts, take pictures as much as they want, come aboard of some aircrafts, like the B-17 G, for a little $ fee.

Pause to admire this proud gunner (in fact the one who give me birth, as passionnate as your servant of this still flying veterants) which had to contortionnate despite his age (79 springs) to come aboard a "warbird" for the 1st time in his entire life. While we walk between this metal wonders, others, just arriving, majesticly pass in front of our mystified eyes to join their fellows on the ground.

Here are some grounded aircrafts shot, mostly taken in 2002.

Since noon , the aerial activities start & then succeeded some reconstitions which have sometimes more than 20 inflight aircrafts. A very realistic pyrotechnic (mutliple explosions of petrol barels, straffing impacts on the ground, allied to a sound system which restitued the machine gun burst & the yellings of the pilots on the radio),

		attack the on ground german motorised elements or the japanese aircrafts which withdraw in smoke to make you relive the best Hollywood production.

Once landed, the pilotes let their aircraft wheel in front of the public to salute, to let hear the soft sound of their engines or simply to let the public take pictures of their aircrafts.

it is true that publishing in december an article on an august event does not really look like a something new, but during this cold winter, there is no shame to warm you up.

Club du Theil | 2001 - 2004 | Contact : club-du-theil@tiscali.fr

Text & photos : Jean-Luc DUBERT