Sometimes a sound makes me act like a 7 year old.

[cleandan]

I live near enough to a local airport that I get frequent small aircraft flying overhead.
During the nice weather seasons I sometimes get WWII, and even a few WWI, aircraft passing by, at pretty low altitudes too.

Just this morning a local craft flew by, "Miss Mitchell" a B25, low and slow, and sounding about as perfect as anything.
It was early, for a Saturday, and I was taking care of some laundry.

Off in the distance I heard a sound, and soon I recognized that sound.
I drop my stuff and shoot to the door...hey, even flying slow Miss Mitchell flies by pretty quickly, out front I stand in the yard looking up like some kind of idiot kid...and I watch Miss Mitchell fly by...again, like I have seen 100 times before.

Never once does this get old.
Each time I am like a kid running to the ice cream man's jingle...and my wife teases me about it too.
There are many things that get my attention, but the WWII aircraft just seem to grasp my inner kid like little else.
Whenever I get to see, and hear, these fly by my day is just a little bit better.

[RJP]

I live near enough to a local airport that I get frequent small aircraft flying overhead.
During the nice weather seasons I sometimes get WWII, and even a few WWI, aircraft passing by, at pretty low altitudes too.

Just this morning a local craft flew by, "Miss Mitchell" a B25, low and slow, and sounding about as perfect as anything.
It was early, for a Saturday, and I was taking care of some laundry.

Off in the distance I heard a sound, and soon I recognized that sound.
I drop my stuff and shoot to the door...hey, even flying slow Miss Mitchell flies by pretty quickly, out front I stand in the yard looking up like some kind of idiot kid...and I watch Miss Mitchell fly by...again, like I have seen 100 times before.

Never once does this get old.
Each time I am like a kid running to the ice cream man's jingle...and my wife teases me about it too.
There are many things that get my attention, but the WWII aircraft just seem to grasp my inner kid like little else.
Whenever I get to see, and hear, these fly by my day is just a little bit better.

Don't feel alone as I do the same thing. I live near a municipal airport that has air shows and fly-overs frequently. The sound of a radial is only second to that of a V-12 Allison or RR-Merlin. Another sound that grabs my attention is the bark of a 4 cyl. Offenhauser, the 270 inch version. I've never heard a 91 inch Offy but I can imagine it sounding just as good.

[WConley]

Years ago I got a ride in a B-25 Mitchell.  It was definitely a bucket list event!  I was on the phone the whole time with my dad, a WW-II naval veteran.  It was an emotional moment for both of us!

Here's a picture I took while we were up over Malibu.  I still use it as my desktop background:

[Thumperbird]

Right there with you, ran outside 3 times today, you can't miss that low rumble or fighter jet roar, missed what ever it was the first time, second time was 4 F15's in formation, 3rd time was some bomber and piston fighter stuff, very fun to listen to and watch EVERY TIME!

[ToddK]

I’m in the same boat as you Cleandan. I’m an ex Australian Air Force pilot, my first posting was flying C47’s.  When I was taxiing them around the airfield, I used to get a kick out of give the throttle an occasional blip. At night, I could get a nice blue flame out the exhaust. I still love the sound of a big radial.

[turbohunter]

Count me in also. There are a couple sounds that do that to me, those wonderful old radials (I’ll run outside every time) and an FE with compression out the ying yang.

[Tommy-T]

Living about 20 miles from Edwards Air Force base to the north, and Lockheed Skunk Works about 10 miles to the east, you never know what will fly over our house.
From B-52's to the flying wing Stealth it never gets old for me to see and hear the magic.

Had an opportunity to take a ride in the B-17 "Sentimental Journey" a few years back. When they power up those 4 radial motors for take off...there's a whole lotta shake'n go'n on! A little smoke and some oil flying around, you can feel the pull as you go down the tarmac. Magnificent! The ride was over too soon.

The Commemorative Air Force is in Camarillo, California. I took a ride in a WWII vintage T-6 Texan trainer there. Much like Bill's picture, Camarillo is right off the Pacific coast and the flight is mostly off the coast. Once the pilot tells you what the levers and pedals do, he lets you fly for a while. It was very cool and I highly recommend it to folks out here on the coast. They have rides up to and including the legendary P-51 Mustang, but a little too pricey for me.   

[oldiron.fe]

                                                                                                                                                                                   old nam-huey/chinook/skyraider--if old -drone of b-36 -- old school stroker tunnel port winding out on our 5/8 mi paved concrete back straight wall !!!  new f-15 going vertical on afterburner--.50 cal friendly incoming 105mm 0r 8in arty   close in arclight b-52 flights of three out of thailand with each 100+ 500 pounders damp/wet ground everything moving (likely wipe most of 1 square km lit up like arcwelder dragging across target area at night)   js

[WConley]

I live next to Long Beach airport, and up until recently, they did repairs on B1-B Lancer bombers there.  Hearing one of those depart on full afterburners (with shock diamonds blazing in the exhausts) is an experience!!

There used to be a DC-3 that flew out of Long Beach to Catalina Island every few days.  Hearing him go over the house got me running outside every time 

[cammerfe]

I live near enough to a local airport that I get frequent small aircraft flying overhead.
During the nice weather seasons I sometimes get WWII, and even a few WWI, aircraft passing by, at pretty low altitudes too.

Just this morning a local craft flew by, "Miss Mitchell" a B25, low and slow, and sounding about as perfect as anything.
It was early, for a Saturday, and I was taking care of some laundry.

Off in the distance I heard a sound, and soon I recognized that sound.
I drop my stuff and shoot to the door...hey, even flying slow Miss Mitchell flies by pretty quickly, out front I stand in the yard looking up like some kind of idiot kid...and I watch Miss Mitchell fly by...again, like I have seen 100 times before.

Never once does this get old.
Each time I am like a kid running to the ice cream man's jingle...and my wife teases me about it too.
There are many things that get my attention, but the WWII aircraft just seem to grasp my inner kid like little else.
Whenever I get to see, and hear, these fly by my day is just a little bit better.

Don't feel alone as I do the same thing. I live near a municipal airport that has air shows and fly-overs frequently. The sound of a radial is only second to that of a V-12 Allison or RR-Merlin. Another sound that grabs my attention is the bark of a 4 cyl. Offenhauser, the 270 inch version. I've never heard a 91 inch Offy but I can imagine it sounding just as good.

One summer, I had the good fortune to be a 'gofer' for a dirt-track Midget running a 'little' Offy. On methanol and running mechanical injection. They had it running so rich that when started, burning liquid methanol would run out of the zoomies and puddle on the ground. Scared the !@#$#@! out of me when I first saw it, but the owner said to me, that the more fuel they poured into it the more power it made. 'Just be careful not to hydraulic-lock a cylinder.'

I've been a methanol fan ever since.

KS

[FERoadster]

Our little Brookings Or. airport has about 10 to 15 take-off's a day. Our house is 1/2 mile away and 500 ft. above the runway but perpendicular to the runway.
For the past 2 years someone has a T-28 (Trainer) which has a radial engine.  He warms it up for about 5 minutes before  a taxi to the 3000 ft. runway. That gives me a lot of time to listen to the exhaust note and hear it rev. up. What a great sound. I always wonder how the sound would have been during WWII near an airport.
We can look down to the runway and see the tops of the wings.  BTW that's a commercial Heli they used to lift 100 ft utility towers when they updated the Transmission electric grid.
Richard >>> FERoadster

[Thumperbird]

About 10 years ago flying down to Texas in a small twin turbo prop corporate aircraft a radio call comes in, "Death 1 requests your flight path, reduce altitude 1000 feet" (or something like that), needless to say we did and sure enough overhead we could see a stealth bomber and a couple of escort fighters alongside, kind of fun to see.

[cleandan]

Our little Brookings Or. airport has about 10 to 15 take-off's a day. Our house is 1/2 mile away and 500 ft. above the runway but perpendicular to the runway.
For the past 2 years someone has a T-28 (Trainer) which has a radial engine.  He warms it up for about 5 minutes before  a taxi to the 3000 ft. runway. That gives me a lot of time to listen to the exhaust note and hear it rev. up. What a great sound. I always wonder how the sound would have been during WWII near an airport.
We can look down to the runway and see the tops of the wings.  BTW that's a commercial Heli they used to lift 100 ft utility towers when they updated the Transmission electric grid.
Richard >>> FERoadster

Try to imagine a bomber group flying by.
200 B17's and B24's, along with fighter escort....
From the sending perspective this would be the sound of power, victory, and taking the fight to the enemy.
From the receiving perspective this would be the sound of death, destruction, and impending doom.

[FERoadster]

CleanDan: My thoughts exactly.
Richard