Outdoor Adventure USA

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2 ... (L.A.+Now)

I hope you San Diegans take lots of pics and maybe some video to post.

That would be awesome to watch in person...

Wish I could have made this, hope you guys down there have some updates!

Bummer. Didn't even know that was going on today. Would have been cool to see. As an aside, best Blue Angels show I've ever seen was out at El Centro. If you get a chance to go out there to watch them, do it. They pull some stuff there that they can't really do anywhere else.

I got to see this from work. They flew right over when they were leaving the pattern. What a sight to see. I LOVE aviation and haven't seen a collection of flying planes put together like this ever before. I wish I would have been able to take pictures or be right on the bay. They shut the bay down from like 9:30 am to 4:00 pm that day.

OLLIE wrote:I got to see this from work. They flew right over when they were leaving the pattern. What a sight to see. I LOVE aviation and haven't seen a collection of flying planes put together like this ever before. I wish I would have been able to take pictures or be right on the bay. They shut the bay down from like 9:30 am to 4:00 pm that day.

How bout that 53 formation? Ralphie and I saw them out in Lakeside. What bird it is.

This looks awesome! Too bad I missed it.

Willie H wrote:

OLLIE wrote:I got to see this from work. They flew right over when they were leaving the pattern. What a sight to see. I LOVE aviation and haven't seen a collection of flying planes put together like this ever before. I wish I would have been able to take pictures or be right on the bay. They shut the bay down from like 9:30 am to 4:00 pm that day.

How bout that 53 formation? Ralphie and I saw them out in Lakeside. What bird it is.

There's nothing like the thunder of a 53. "Thunder" was our callsign. "Thunder 22 requesting VFR approach." My old squadron (HMH-462 Heavyhaulers "Screw Crew") set a record for putting 18 CH-53E's in the air at one time. We even get the canni bird into the mix at the last minute. We started at our base in Tustin and took a loop that took us up and over 29 Palms, El Centro, Yuma, then down along the boarder over San Diego, over Pendleton, El Toro, and then set back down in Tustin. Outside of the operation that put all of the MAG 16 rotory wing squadrons in the air in a joint flyover, that was a record for the most 53's in the air at one time by one unit. I don't know if it's been beat yet or not.

Ollie, when were you at MCAS-T?

Don't know when Ollie was there but I can tell you, my boy scout troop had a pancake breakfast and our local pinewood derby in Hanger 2, 1970. When you are 4' 9" and 10 years old that is one impressive building.

Although the base was renamed MCAS Tustin in 1970 we always called it LTA for "lighter than air" alluding to they're original design use.
The 53's were a common sight growing up in Tustin and I can remember the teachers pausing mid conversation until the squadrons had passed overhead .