1977 Airshow Footage on YouTube

EricGoedkoop · 3 May 2007, 09:22 AM

YouTube - Rhinebeck Airdrome, Rhinebeck NY

Quality isn't great, but there's some cool stuff from the old days here - the Davis, Dick Day's Camel and the FE8, the Jenny doing the Delsey Dive (!) and Sir Percy getting snatched off the field by - I think - the Spartan.

Enjoy!

EricGoedkoop · 3 May 2007, 09:31 AM

And here's some a somewhat less nostalgic but nicely edited piece from what looks like last season:

YouTube - The Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome

It appears as though Pierre's bouquet didn't quite make it down to Fifi this time around . . . .

curtisswright · 3 May 2007, 03:23 PM

Thanks Eric. The '77 clip was great to see....and that crowd. As for the other clip, well, it is what it is. Thanks for pointing it out.

EricGoedkoop · 3 May 2007, 07:46 PM

Kinda neat to see the Jenny in both, 30 years apart.

curtisswright · 4 May 2007, 06:11 AM

Yes indeed! And doing the Delsy Dive as well. If I am remembering accurately, which does not happen too often these days, availibility had a lot to do with that stunt, and which aircraft's airframe Cole had confidence in. I do recall even the Morane performing it. Can anyone confirm that?

Curtiss Jenny · 16 May 2007, 07:08 PM

Hi EricGoedkoop - Thanks for posting the links to the videos, they are great to watch. The music and the special effects in the 2005 video was well done.

CurtissWright - I think I vaguely recall the Morane doing the Delsey Dive at times. The shows of the 1970's and 1980's were truely phenomenal with so much activity both in the air and on the ground. The live bombs dropped from the airplanes created a lot of action, especially for the ground crew. Those bombs were the creation of Dick Laudermilk, and if the charcoal dust was packed right, would create a fireball when they exploded. It was not usual for the field hands to be totally covered with soot and have hair singed after a typical air show.

At that time the runway was half the width that it is today, so that the village and all the action took place very close to the audience. It was a recreation of a typical 1920-30's show like the Flying Aces Flying Circus would have done, except that there were no wing-walkers.