Its another relatively clear day here in SW Oklahoma, very windy and still a bit too chilly to go topless. I'm headed to Frederick, the Tillman county seat, for a work day. Its the first day of class for the Airborne Demonstration Team. We need to change the batteries in the airplane, pre-oil and test fly.
On the way, here is one way people earn a living around here - dry land wheat farming. We have had several years of drought and a poor wheat crop. Most of it has been baled and we haven't seen the combine crews thru here in 3 years. But there has been good moisture this Fall and the farmers can make a decent return by grazing the wheat fields in the Fall and Winter. If there is good moisture in the Spring, there will be a good crop. If not, it will be another year of baled wheat.
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Full Version: Another SW Oklahoma day trip, 914 style
Once the cotton gets stripped they pick up the bales in specially designed trucks to haul to the cotton gin. The gin works for a few weeks a year and then shuts down till the next season. Somebody told me that each bale - one truck load - is worth $10,000 but that was a number of years ago. I don't know if it is more or less now.
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This marker tells the story of Jack Abernathy, a US Marshall and rancher, who was known for hunting and catching wolves bare handed. President Theo. Roosevelt heard about this and couldn't let that go of course. He joined Abernathy in 1905 along with Chief Quanah Parker and area ranchers. It was a big deal for Frederick, Oklahoma to have the president arrive by train, give a speech, etc. Roosevelt and Abernathy became good friends.
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But the best part of the story happens in 1910. Jack was in New York and Roosevelt was returning from the Amazon. Jack's boys, aged 6 and 10 wanted to meet Roosevelt, so they saddled their ponies and rode from Frederick, Oklahoma to New York by themselves. They were in the homecoming parade on horseback. Then they talked their dad into getting them a car - a Brush, since their dad thought it was about the size they could handle - and drove it back to Oklahoma. Look up "The Abernathy Boys"
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But the best part of the story happens in 1910. Jack was in New York and Roosevelt was returning from the Amazon. Jack's boys, aged 6 and 10 wanted to meet Roosevelt, so they saddled their ponies and rode from Frederick, Oklahoma to New York by themselves. They were in the homecoming parade on horseback. Then they talked their dad into getting them a car - a Brush, since their dad thought it was about the size they could handle - and drove it back to Oklahoma. Look up "The Abernathy Boys"
So here I am at the Frederick AAF hanger, home of the Airborne Demonstration Team. (Check out wwiiadt.org)
The Frederick Army Air Field began construction in February, 1942 in order to train multi-engine pilots. The first class reported in March or April. In short order there were about 100 buildings, mess halls and barracks, movie theaters and chapels, hospital and headquarters.
At first it was for primary multi-engine training using Cessna "bamboo bombers", but later there were B-25's and B-26's for advanced training. George Gobel was a B-26 instructor here.
Now all the buildings are gone except the major maintenance hanger and engineering building, now the home of the ADT, a non profit organization.
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Classes are held in January and July each year. So far hundreds of men have taken airborne training similar to the training done in 1941-1945, using round chutes, jumping at 800'-1200' AGL, wearing steel pots and period uniforms. Today is the first day of class. Class size this time is about 25. You can see them off to the right getting some indoctrination in close order drill. They sleep in the barracks and eat in the chow hall. Reveille is at 6AM...or is it 5AM? They will make their first jump on Thursday, getting jump wings after 5 jumps in a ceremony and open house on Saturday.
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The Frederick Army Air Field began construction in February, 1942 in order to train multi-engine pilots. The first class reported in March or April. In short order there were about 100 buildings, mess halls and barracks, movie theaters and chapels, hospital and headquarters.
At first it was for primary multi-engine training using Cessna "bamboo bombers", but later there were B-25's and B-26's for advanced training. George Gobel was a B-26 instructor here.
Now all the buildings are gone except the major maintenance hanger and engineering building, now the home of the ADT, a non profit organization.
Click to view attachment
Classes are held in January and July each year. So far hundreds of men have taken airborne training similar to the training done in 1941-1945, using round chutes, jumping at 800'-1200' AGL, wearing steel pots and period uniforms. Today is the first day of class. Class size this time is about 25. You can see them off to the right getting some indoctrination in close order drill. They sleep in the barracks and eat in the chow hall. Reveille is at 6AM...or is it 5AM? They will make their first jump on Thursday, getting jump wings after 5 jumps in a ceremony and open house on Saturday.
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Inside the hanger, things are hopping. You can see the 1940's version of ATV's. In the background you can see the work begun on the 2nd C-47 (actually it would be a C-49 since it is a converted DC-3 with Wright engines.)
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And here's the run up. You think your 914 is bad? These things smoke, rattle and knock like crazy till they get oil pressure built up and the fuel and oil cleared from the cold cylinders. The camera stopped the action but the #2 (right) engine is running and already cleared out. The #1 (left ) has just started and the smoke is choking if you are behind it.
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And here's the run up. You think your 914 is bad? These things smoke, rattle and knock like crazy till they get oil pressure built up and the fuel and oil cleared from the cold cylinders. The camera stopped the action but the #2 (right) engine is running and already cleared out. The #1 (left ) has just started and the smoke is choking if you are behind it.
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Me? I'm in the engineering building under a jeep (M-38) that didn't have any brakes during the Christmas parade.
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For anybody who is in the area, open house will be next Saturday starting about 7AM. There will be demonstration jumps as long as the winds stay low, and displays from individuals and Ft. Sill. Graduation ceremony will be at noon. I'll look out for any 914's that might show.
PS The yellow one is a '72, engine is stripped ready to get disassembled.
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For anybody who is in the area, open house will be next Saturday starting about 7AM. There will be demonstration jumps as long as the winds stay low, and displays from individuals and Ft. Sill. Graduation ceremony will be at noon. I'll look out for any 914's that might show.
PS The yellow one is a '72, engine is stripped ready to get disassembled.
Who owns the yellow "72?
QUOTE(PanelBilly @ Jan 17 2015, 04:14 PM) 
Who owns the yellow "72?
Mine. It will stay original with painted bumpers and naked sails. It has a replacement engine with a CB serial number so it was built with a bus case. I'll figure that out when I get it apart and will probably be asking advise from our more knowledgeable members. It shifted pretty well but I may go with a side shifter that I have been gathering parts for.
Looks Nice....
So sometime at least go out by T-bird Lake SP - Shawnee & E/SE of OKC area for some minor hills & twisties!
... if you can't make it over to Cookson Hills in NE-OK!
Look for the Talimina run in April - cabinetmaker (Curt in Tulsa) on here is organizing it.
In all seriousness - Thanx for your service!
Our son is at Carson in 4th Div & deployed 2012 while with 10th at Drum, Nephew with 2 Cav at Hood, 5 other nephews are Army Reserve &/or NG & the Hood & 1 NG MP deployed to A-stan at the same time as our son, another did Iraq, & 1 nephew us a Marine currently MSG at the Nicaraugua Embassy & his brother singed up USMC after he graduates HS in May/June. My Dad, Great Uncle & 1 brother were also Army (Korea & WWII & inter-war Artillery at Sill - respectively), I just missed getting into Naval Aviation in the end of Vietnam.
So we know what you guys go thru while serving all of us!
So sometime at least go out by T-bird Lake SP - Shawnee & E/SE of OKC area for some minor hills & twisties!
... if you can't make it over to Cookson Hills in NE-OK!
Look for the Talimina run in April - cabinetmaker (Curt in Tulsa) on here is organizing it.
In all seriousness - Thanx for your service!
Our son is at Carson in 4th Div & deployed 2012 while with 10th at Drum, Nephew with 2 Cav at Hood, 5 other nephews are Army Reserve &/or NG & the Hood & 1 NG MP deployed to A-stan at the same time as our son, another did Iraq, & 1 nephew us a Marine currently MSG at the Nicaraugua Embassy & his brother singed up USMC after he graduates HS in May/June. My Dad, Great Uncle & 1 brother were also Army (Korea & WWII & inter-war Artillery at Sill - respectively), I just missed getting into Naval Aviation in the end of Vietnam.
So we know what you guys go thru while serving all of us!
Sorry Tom, I'm not organizing anything.
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