CAF's B-17 'Sentimental Journey' coming to the AV area

[MatthewPHX]

I received another update to my official tour schedule today (locations could still change):

• Thurs. Sept. 17 - KVIS - Visalia Municipal Airport, Visalia, CA
• Fri. Sept. 18 - KVIS - Visalia Municipal Airport, Visalia, CA -> KSMX - Santa Maria Public Airport, Santa Maria, CA
• Sat. Sept. 19 - KSMX - Santa Maria Public Airport, Santa Maria, CA
• Sun. Sept. 20 - KSMX - Santa Maria Public Airport, Santa Maria, CA
• Mon. Sept. 21 - KSMX - Santa Maria Public Airport, Santa Maria, CA -> KMHV - Mojave Air & Space Port, Mojave, CA
• Tues. Sept. 22 - KMHV - Mojave Air & Space Port, Mojave, CA -> KWJF - General William J Fox Airfield, Lancaster, CA
• Wed. Sept. 23 - KWJF - General William J Fox Airfield, Lancaster, CA
• Thur. Sept. 24 - KWJF - General William J Fox Airfield, Lancaster, CA
• Friday Sept. 25 - KWJF - General William J Fox Airfield, Lancaster, CA -> KFFZ - Falcon Field, Mesa, AZ

UNOFFICIAL Tour Stop
CANCELLED: Gillespie Field (KSEE), El Cajon, CA
CANCELLED: Shafter-Minter Field (KMIT), Shafter, CA

We're cutting this tour short and heading back to Falcon Field, Mesa, AZ three days early.

[MatthewPHX]

I received an official update to my tour schedule today from the Arizona Wing's Wing Leader, the info came right out of Sentimental Journey's Tour Book (locations could still change):

• Thurs. Sept. 17 - KVIS - Visalia Municipal Airport
• Fri. Sept. 18 - KVIS - Visalia Municipal Airport -> KSMX - Santa Maria Public Airport
• Sat. Sept. 19 - KSMX - Santa Maria Public Airport
• Sun. Sept. 20 - KSMX - Santa Maria Public Airport
• Mon. Sept. 21 - KSMX - Santa Maria Public Airport -> KMHV - Mojave Air & Space Port -> KWJF - General William J Fox Airfield
• Tues. Sept. 22 - KWJF - General William J Fox Airfield
• Wed. Sept. 23 - KWJF - General William J Fox Airfield
• Thurs. Sept. 24 - KWJF - General William J Fox Airfield
• Fri. Sept. 25 - KWJF - General William J Fox Airfield -> KMIT - Shafter-Minter Field
• Sat. Sept. 26 - KMIT - Shafter-Minter Field -> KFFZ - Falcon Field

Mojave Air & Space Port is now OFFICIALLY an afternoon stop, and Shafter-Minter Field is back on the schedule for one night.

[sr-aeronut]

Hey Matt-

Give us Lancaster Guys a Heads up for Mojave and Fox arrival times-- Looking forward to meeting up with you!!



The Fire Tankers are pretty much gone now-- sorry


Michael

ChrisMichaelstudio-- on flicker

[MatthewPHX]

Hey Matt-

Give us Lancaster Guys a Heads up for Mojave and Fox arrival times-- Looking forward to meeting up with you!!



The Fire Tankers are pretty much gone now-- sorry


Michael

ChrisMichaelstudio-- on flicker

I'll do my best, but I won't have any Internet access while I'm out there (other than my BlackBerry).  Alan has his finger on the pulse of Mojave, he seems to know more than even the CAF's Arizona Wing on that stop.

It's too bad the tankers are almost gone.  Anyone got a match? 

Oh well, you got a Space Shuttle now!  What are the chances of that departing the area while I'm there?

[sr-aeronut]

Hey Matt-- you might get really lucky on the shuttle--- keep your fingers crossed!!

[MatthewPHX]

Hey Matt-- you might get really lucky on the shuttle--- keep your fingers crossed!!

I've had my fingers crossed since I found out about STS-128, but I thought it was launching too early.  Now it seems like it's a possibility, and the stars seem to be aligning in my favor.   

[akradecki]

I received an official update to my tour schedule today from the Arizona Wing's Wing Leader, the info came right out of Sentimental Journey's Tour Book (locations could still change):

• Thurs. Sept. 17 - KVIS - Visalia Municipal Airport
• Fri. Sept. 18 - KVIS - Visalia Municipal Airport -> KSMX - Santa Maria Public Airport
• Sat. Sept. 19 - KSMX - Santa Maria Public Airport
• Sun. Sept. 20 - KSMX - Santa Maria Public Airport
• Mon. Sept. 21 - KSMX - Santa Maria Public Airport -> KMHV - Mojave Air & Space Port -> KWJF - General William J Fox Airfield
• Tues. Sept. 22 - KWJF - General William J Fox Airfield
• Wed. Sept. 23 - KWJF - General William J Fox Airfield
• Thurs. Sept. 24 - KWJF - General William J Fox Airfield
• Fri. Sept. 25 - KWJF - General William J Fox Airfield -> KMIT - Shafter-Minter Field
• Sat. Sept. 26 - KMIT - Shafter-Minter Field -> KFFZ - Falcon Field

Mojave Air & Space Port is now OFFICIALLY an afternoon stop, and Shafter-Minter Field is back on the schedule for one night.

I realize that this isn't your problem, but the change has created a "situation", as the museum already paid a lot of cash for the crews' hotel rooms for that night, and they go and change the schedule without even so much as a phone call.

As for the shuttle, it currently is slated for departure on Friday, the 18th, but that could easily slip.

Last question...do ya'll have headsets on board, or do we need to bring them? I have a flight helmet, but it's single plug. Any suggestions?

[MatthewPHX]

I realize that this isn't your problem, but the change has created a "situation", as the museum already paid a lot of cash for the crews' hotel rooms for that night, and they go and change the schedule without even so much as a phone call.

As for the shuttle, it currently is slated for departure on Friday, the 18th, but that could easily slip.

Last question...do ya'll have headsets on board, or do we need to bring them? I have a flight helmet, but it's single plug. Any suggestions?

We might be staying the night, he just told me we had an "afternoon" stop and I assumed that we were going to Fox Field the same day.  Like I've said before, you seem to know more than we do!

I would love to catch the shuttle, hopefully they'll push departure back.

They do have some headsets, but I don't know how many they have with them.  They aren't normally given out to passengers, just crew and CAF members.  I'm still trying to decide if I should bring my headset with me, don't know where/how to pack it.  All the jacks on SJ are double plugs.  How many in your group are flying with us from Santa Maria to Mojave?

[akradecki]

We might be staying the night, he just told me we had an "afternoon" stop and I assumed that we were going to Fox Field the same day.  Like I've said before, you seem to know more than we do!

I would love to catch the shuttle, hopefully they'll push departure back.

They do have some headsets, but I don't know how many they have with them.  They aren't normally given out to passengers, just crew and CAF members.  I'm still trying to decide if I should bring my headset with me, don't know where/how to pack it.  All the jacks on SJ are double plugs.  How many in your group are flying with us from Santa Maria to Mojave?

There's two of us, myself and another gentleman who was a B-17 crewmember during WWII. I'll bring headsets for the two of us. We're flying over earlier in the morning, leaving MHV about 8...not sure of which of Al's planes we're coming in, but probably his Aero Commander.

[MatthewPHX]

There's two of us, myself and another gentleman who was a B-17 crewmember during WWII. I'll bring headsets for the two of us. We're flying over earlier in the morning, leaving MHV about 8...not sure of which of Al's planes we're coming in, but probably his Aero Commander.

Lookin' forward to it, not long now!!!

[akradecki]

A few from yesterday...more are on my FB page

[phantomphan1974]

Nice shots.  Midnight Mover is coming out there today.  I guess to Fox Field.  Matt, Joe gave me your cell and I gave it to Midnight (Robert).

[f4_phantom_fan]

Great shots, Alan!   I got a ride in SJ back in '06 and got to sit in one of the two nose gunner positions on takeoff. To say it was 'quite a thrill' would be an understatement!

Here's SJ's arrival from ground at Fox today....

[gfydad]

Three from today. Probably only chance I'll have to get out there. 

[phantomphan1974]

Anyone see Robert (midnight) or meet up with Matt while out there?  Just wondering.