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Magnificent Flying Machines Fly In over El Cajon, Ca. By Hugh Smith May 16, 2009 With the Southern California Mountains as a backdrop, over 50 vintage aircraft and more than a dozen antique cars and tractors were parked on the Gillespie Field tarmac while spectators and pilots alike ogled flight history. San Diego has a long military as well as aviation history. The area is probably best known for Lindbergh Field and the Spirit of St. Louis. Aircraft from Boeing and Sterman to Piper and Rearwin were represented and the pilots regaled attendees with stories and histories of the planes they had flown into the Airfield South of San Diego in El Cajon. The two day “Fly In” is a celebration of aviation history. Each plane looked as though it had just come off the assembly line and pilots and family sat in the shade of the wings while onlookers had a chance to look back into flight history. Planes arrived at Gillespie Field almost continuously all morning and were carefully parked by volunteer flight crews. Each plane has its own unique history worth telling. For example, NC794H is a 1930 Stearman used by Lloyd Stearman’s #1 salesman as a demonstrater to sell airplanes and was later used by Pioneer Instruments as a test platform for their instruments. In 1942, it was changed to a crop duster in Phoenix, Az. and is currently owned by Bill Allen. The plane crashed into a cottonwood tree and its remains sold to Jeff Robinson of Arleta, Ca. Jeff hired Garth Carrier of Santa Ynez, Ca. to restore the aircraft in 1981 and in 1984 it was the Reserve Grand Champion Antique Aircraft. The Boeing 5339 was first sold in 1928 and delivered to Pacific Air Transport and operated as a Commercial Air Mail (CAM) from Seattle, Wa. To San Diego, Ca. In October 1928, it crashed in the mountains of Oregon, killing the lone passenger, Mr. D.P Donovan, a diamond trader, and severely injuring the pilot. What was left of the plane, barely an engine and a few pieces, would wait 80 years until Addison Pembroke of Pembroke and Sons, Spokane, Wa. spent 8 years and 18,000 hours restoring the aircraft. Another vintage airplane on display is the model 8135 Rearwin Cloudster.. This is a 3 position 1940 model. Rearwins were designed by Robert Rummel of Mesa, Arizona. The Cloudster was sold to Pan American in fleets for training Pan Am pilots and was known for its superb handling and flight characteristics as well as its spacious accommodations. Along with the aircraft were vintage cars with their own history, as well. A 1943 Ford GPW (Jeep), originally assigned to Victor “Lucky” Moen in Guadlacanal, Solomon Islands. After WWII, he happened by chance to find his Jeep in a scrapyard in Los Angeles and bought it for a family “knockaround.” It was later restored and is owned by Mike Dralle of Vista, Ca. who restored the GPW in 2001. Mike drives the Jeep around San Diego to honor WWII vets. The two day event was well attended by aircraft aficionados and pilots alike. It was a rare opportunity to see historical planes from U.S. flying pioneers and manufacturers.

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Antique Planes in El Cajon, California

A two day "Fly In" event at Gillespie Field in El Cajon, Ca. on Saturday May 16, 2009 Antique planes and cars from Stearman, Laird, Piper...

by Hugh Smith in United States on 16/05/2009

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16/05/2009 - Antique Planes in El Cajon, California - United States - A two day "Fly In" event at...

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Antique Planes in El Cajon, California

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Antique Planes in El Cajon, California

A two day "Fly In" event at Gillespie Field in El Cajon, Ca. on Saturday May 16, 2009 Antique planes and cars from Stearman, Laird, Piper, Ford, Buick and Jeep. Vintages fro...
by Hugh Smith, on 16th of May 2009

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