A 40's Experience
Prose: Robert Griffiths
Photography: Robert Griffiths, Nicholas Pascarella, Ryan Kelly, James Woodard, Christian Gross, Richard Souza
“We have really everything in common with America nowadays, except, of course, language.” - Oscar Wilde
That quote by Oscar Wilde has more merit than I care to admit, especially as a recent immigrant to these United States. Although a frequent visitor, it really doesn’t prepare you for living here even if you speak the same language, because as I’ve found out… I don’t. Regardless, the one language I do speak, that seems universal, is that of aviation and photography.
Having left my home country in January of 2022 to start a new life, one thing I was looking forward to was the start of the 2022 airshow season in the northern states, especially after the past few years. My first show would not be in my home state of Michigan, but that of Pennsylvania; and a staple show for a number of the Full Disc Aviation group. World War II Weekend at the Mid-Atlantic Air Museum held at Reading, PA, is not just an airshow, but a large event involving hundreds if not thousands of reenactors that specialize in the sphere of World War II.
As a regular to the Duxford shows in the UK, I didn’t quite realize just how much bigger this show would be in terms of footprint and participants, and you can bet I brought my Yashica D for this vintage show. What was also exciting was the fact that for the first time I would be meeting many members of FDA this weekend, after years of talking online together.
On registering ourselves for our media passes and vests we proceeded into the showground, heading to the crowd line to check out the view. During this time aircraft rides would taxi past and take off, taking their excitedly smiling passengers on a trip they weren’t likely to forget anytime soon (two members of FDA would have their own trips over the weekend too!). It was at this point I laid eyes on a number of firsts for myself, seeing the Commemorative Air Force’s B-29 ‘Fifi’, B-24 ‘Diamond Lil’, Helldiver and Dauntless along with the P-63 and later P-39 amongst others. It was definitely a sign of things to come with the event being a number of firsts for myself.
While we awaited the show to start in earnest we peroused the re-enactor areas, which had such a vast and varied selection it was hard to pinpoint exactly what my favorite bits were. However, one moment that does stick in my mind is that of three GI’s chatting up a French girl in the mock French village. What really struck home to me about this, was not just the amount of kit the GI's had but the fact the girl was speaking French, and the GI's were desperately attempting to communicate in her language using the phrase book. Now, this may seem trivial to many, but how many times was this scene played out across occupied Europe in those years the Allies started making ground? This level of loyalty to who and what they are portraying was awe inspiring and a testament to the research carried out by said individuals. Adding to the realism of this, the same village would be the stage for a mock battle with German forces which was pretty surreal to watch play out, as the soldiers maneuvered realistically from cover to cover as shots rang out. And, of course, the Americans won.
Before long, it was the start of the show; something I had eagerly awaited, knowing that many aircraft I had never seen, let alone photographed, would soon grace the skies of Reading, PA. Having been used to UK shows for my entire life I didn’t really know how different the airshows in the US would be, especially when it came to the size of the air show ‘box’. To my surprise the aircraft were much closer, did more banana passes and were much lower than what I'm used to. Seeing four engined heavy bombers from the CAF being flown low and agile was a really nice surprise, and Fifi really showed how agile she still is after all these decades. Over the coming days we would switch out positions to get some variety and hang out with fellow aviation enthusiasts alike, culminating in meeting many IG photographers I follow which was a nice experience in itself.
WWII Weekend’s night shoot was also a hotly anticipated event for me this weekend. It’s not often you get a night shoot with such legendary WWII aircraft, and I could not wait to be a part of this. On the 3 star ‘Goodyear’ menu was the CAF's FG-1D Corsair, P-40 Warhawk ‘Jacky C’ from the American Airpower Museum in NY, and the legendary B-25 Mitchell ‘Panchito’ from DE. This was all expertly lit by the Lerro Photography guys and really set the scene for these powerful machines to strut their stuff. The biggest challenge for this was the wing fold on the Corsair, with no warning when the wings would be folded it was difficult to judge when to actuate your shutter. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the night shoot and look forward to participating in another in the future.
Another highlight from the show was witnessing the Pacific battle that showed advancing USMC on a fortified position through the long grass of the infield with their flamethrowers. Now, I've heard and seen firearms firing blanks at events before, but flamethrowers were a new one to me, and nothing prepared me for the intense heat flash I would experience some 150 feet away. Coupled with walking around the reenactor encampments, it really struck home how much research goes into these groups and how authentic they strive to represent the soldiers of WWII. Speaking with a number of them, I was awestruck at just how much knowledge they have of not just the kit, but specific battles of the units they represent.
One of the biggest highlights of that weekend was my own flight in Mid-Atlantic Air Museum's North American SNJ-4B Texan. This aircraft had been doing circuits with passengers constantly and it was a big draw to take a flight in this legendary trainer. Having signed up early to ensure I would get a ride, I anxiously awaited the call. I have always held the Texan in high regard, being the trainer that was used to train so many allied pilots in WWII, many thousands of these heroes earned their wings on such an aircraft. I awaited the aircraft's return, listening for the telltale buzz of her engine.
Upon her return, and with the help of the fantastic team, they made climbing aboard easy, strapping in before being told what not to touch and how to close and open the canopy. Then with a push of the throttle the pilot taxied out past the crowd, and with a few waves, before I knew it, we were on the tarmac and accelerating toward the wild blue yonder. Although the air was bumpy in parts, I was absolutely over the moon being in the air, taking in the local lakes and rolling hills of the area around Reading. I took time to revel in not just the excitement but the realization of the history of just such an aircraft that was used to train young men to go to war. After a couple of selfies, photos and a video or two, we were lining up for the runway. Passing by the Peace Pagoda on the hill that overlooks the airport, the pilot touched down with barely a jolt as rubber met asphalt. Getting out of the SNJ was definitely a bit more of a gymnastic thing for me, but in the excitement I luckily managed without falling out of the aircraft, thanks once again to the great team who helped. A shake of the pilot's hand and it was time for the next passenger to take my place. I would really like to thank the crew for making it such an incredible experience, one I am unlikely to forget.
Full Disc Aviation would like to thank David Brown for organizing the media, Lerro Photography for the lights, and the entire World War II Weekend, Mid-Atlantic Air Museum crew for a wonderful weekend.
