1st Annual FUKAMAL Report - By William "BBall" Ball - Page 2 of 4
Day two of the LAN was rocking when we arrived. Our planned 0900 arrival was pushed back....WAY back. It seems that our esteemed guest (and others) had run smack into a "whiskey front", thus delaying their launch toward the Best Western Inn. Morning came early for me to the tune of 10:30, and at 11:30 I gave Olie and Frugal my version of "revelie". We made it to the hotel at roughly 2:00....the best laid plans.
We spent the next eight plus hours punching holes in the virtual skies over the Korean pennensula, a mission or two over the Eastern Front ala IL-2, and rounded out the day with some "time to park a bullet in your buddies head" Medal of Honor. We had some hardware issues (most notably Kass and Olie), some "headware" issues (notably BBall, Frugal and Olie), joystick issues (Olieman), and a few niggling SP3 issues, but all in all it was a great LAN. For the most part, SP3 treated us well, and we all left feeling THOROUGHLY rung out from LANning.
"Dr. Bert "Doc" Slade's wallpaper showing the VFS 32nd recruiting poster [rumor has it that it's a teen pic of mine from years past....could be]"
"Doc", Frug and "TBob" intently staring at nothing"
"Doc's rig....notice the dualing mice...and laptop for his AWACS program....he's a bit too smart to be hanging out with this group"
"Hooker's pilot figure that's been "customized" to show our true feelings of patriotism"
"Getting on past nightfall, we all began to fade.....two things about this photo. It was NOT posed, and Olie is actually fast asleep.....what's wrong? Can't stay up all night drinking Gold Schlager and LAN all the next day? Whimp"
We loaded up my truck, headed home amidst the thunderstorms and tornadoes (they actually had one touch down 20 or so miles SW of our LAN location). It had been a good day, allbight starting a bit rough. We spun down, hit the rack, and geared up for the big airshow the next day.
For those of you that have never been to an airshow featuring the warbirds of the Confederate Air Force, you have not lived a pilot's life. The smell, the sights, and those WONDERFUL sounds have to be experienced first hand (I wish I could attach a .wav file to most of the following photos). We headed over to south St. Paul's Fleming Field and spent most of the day wandering around the birds of that magical era (and especially the gents that drove them so many years ago). Here are some of the pictures:
"BBall's son Jimmy, daughter Teresa (callsign Treebear), BBall, Frug (sporting the Frugalsworld patch) and Olie in front of a B-17"
"We could've spent HOURS listening to this hero's tales. As we sat in the radio compartment of the Fortress, he recalled how the 8th Air Force was never turned back by the Luftwaffe....-"the weather turned us back, mechanical problems turned us back....but the German Air Force never turned back the 8th"- (there was a hint of tears).....a moving moment to be sure"
"The cockpit of the Flying Fortress"
"The business end of the -17"
"Left waist.....2 FWs coming in nine o'clock!"
At one point we began chatting with some other 8th veterens in one of the hangers. I asked one gentleman if all his landings eqauled his take-offs..."no, not by two (grin)". He told me he flew 22 missions, was 19 years old when he was doing it (I looked at my 15 yr old son Jimmy, added four years to his young existence, and TRIED to picture him piloting a B-17 over Europe....I cringed), and had about 100 hours of flight time total. He said he was average among concerning his flying experience. He told of one fellow down the table that was shot down on his first mission, then walked all the way to Switzerland to be rescued, taken back to England and put back into the fray. Talking to these gentleman was easily the highlight of the entire airshow.
"The B-25 Miss Mitchell (based at Fleming Field)"
"F4U and P-51D taxiing to park"
"P-51B of the famed 332nd Flighter Group (the Red Tails) or simply, the Tuskegee Airman"
"What's wrong with this picture?"
After spending two days flying the premier simulation of the USAF's F-16 we stumble upon this at the airshow. You bet we went in. It consisted of a rather cheesy intro movie, then they sat you in a VERY simple fake cockpit and you "flew" a mission to take out a bridge and some oil derricks....after Falcon 4, it was laughable"
"Frug in his F-16....hehe"
"How's this for a home-pit? Honey, I want one for the basement recreation room"
"Treebear in the C/PGs seat of the Cobra cockpit"
"Two of the Frugalsworld Staff getting ready to kick some ass"
"Same Frugalsworld Staff trying not to wander into any spinning propellers....notice the Corsair taking off"
"Mustang row"
We wandered into a tent that featured WWII Wehrmacht uniforms, weapons and equipment. Passing one of the concession stands, Frug notices one of the dudes from the tent getting some food and quips, "You don't see that every day....an SS officer buying a chili-dog." We talked to the guys in the tent, hefted all the firepower they would let us fondle, and had a great time.
"This is without a doubt, the biggest sh*t eating grin Frug had the entire time he was in Minnesota....hehe"
We rested for a few days, well, if you can count touring the Mall of America twice in two days as resting. Next on the agenda was the amusement park, but unfortunately Frug met up with Mr.s Capt. Morgan and Gold Schlager again the night before. I opted to hit the rack early, and about ten seconds into the first "upside down, spin your ass everywhich way" ride we found ourselves on, I was truly glad. I think Mark had a good time, I'm just not totally sure that the fine shade of green he was sporting most of the day, was a color that brought out his best.
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