February 2010 153
THE 2010 flying season is still several
months away, and except for indoor flying
and club auctions, this column will still
report on 2009 events. This is a good time to
collect some photos, write a short report on
an event your club has had, and send it to
me.
The following report was forwarded by
Associate Vice President Rusty Scott. Rusty
said he had a great time at this event and
would recommend other warbird enthusiasts
to attend next year.
The event report was written by CD Joe
Marrone. Thank you, Joe.
“New Hampshire’s first-ever warbird
meet is now a reality. Spearheaded by Don
Sage, Event Coordinator, this new event
took place on September 26, 2009, at
McAlister Field in West Deering.
“Fifteen registered pilots brought 32
World War I and II aircraft. There was
everything from monowing planes, biplanes,
and triplanes from World War I, and lots of
heavy metal from World War II including
the most popular, such as P-51s and P-47s,
plus a host of others.
“One treat was the OV-10 Bronco flown
by pilot Kurt Forauer from Hartland,
Vermont, who put on a really nice show
with scale maneuvers. The pilot who spent
the most time in the air was Matt Lupri from
Boston who put in five fantastic flights with
his 1/5-scale Hangar 9 P-51 and Focke-Wulf
Fw 190.
“One of the objectives of the warbird
event was to honor those who have served in
our armed forces. In an effort to do so, we
asked all the veterans in attendance to pose
for the group photo with all their airplanes.
“Honoring our military men and women
was further accomplished by a surprise
flyover of the Collings Foundation P-51B,
flown by Frank Morrell, who made a highspeed
pass right over the runway at low
altitude. What a sight! Be still my heart! We
were awestruck having such a close
encounter with this beautifully restored
warbird. Frank was presented with an award
by Don Sage and Ross Power for his
absolutely heart-stopping fly-by.
“This event could not have taken place
were it not for a lot of hard work and
dedication by the Warbird Fever staff of
Don Sage, Jon Auger, Ross Power, Dick
Smith, Kevin Perry, Harry Newman, and
Doug Titilah. We also owe a debt of
gratitude to our announcer, Scott Westover,
who made each flight come alive with his
picturesque commentaries.
“Feedback from the pilots was very
positive; they liked the site and the overall
organization, and many said they would
come back next year. We also want to
express our heartfelt thanks and gratitude to
Chester McAlister, who sponsored us and
allowed the use his farmland for this event.
He and his family watched from across the
road and said they enjoyed every minute of
it.”
District I
Andy Argenio, District I Vice President; [email protected]
Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont
Armed forces veterans and pilots are honored in this group photo with their many warbirds.
This OV-10 was one of the many
unique aircraft flown at the event.
Ross Power (L), Don Sage (C), and friends presented
Frank Morrell, the P-51 pilot second from the left,
with an award.
Andy Argenio
3 Sheila Ln.,
Smithfield RI 02917;
Home: (401) 231-
6901; Work: (401)
231-5380
Associate Vice
Presidents
Stephen Brehm, Jamestown RI;
(401) 423-1085; stbrehm@
yahoo.com
Ed Faria, Somerset MA;
(508) 678-6404; [email protected]
James Gilliatt, Concord MA; (978)
369-9796; [email protected]
Robert D. Kilmon, Nashua NH;
(603) 594-2725; rk102136@
aol.com
Ray LaBonte, Standish ME; (207)
797-5196; havefun@
mainehobbies.com
Rusty Scott, Lancaster NH; (603)
684-1070; [email protected]
Carl Vogel, West Yarmouth MA;
(508) 783-7055; rcakropilot@
aol.com
Contest Coordinator:
Barry Schubert, 34 Potomac Rd.,
Portsmouth RI 02871; (401) 683-
3933; Barry_N_Schubert@
raytheon.com
Webmaster
David Beach, Amherst NH;
[email protected]
D i s t r i c t I V o l u n t e e r s
New Hampshire catches “Warbird Fever” at its first warbird meet held at McAlister Field.
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Edition: Model Aviation - 2010/02
Page Numbers: 153
