I don’t go to many car shows anymore, much preferring to go on cruises with the guys. I go to a couple car groups sponsored by local law enforcement groups. Also I attend an occasional military honorary shows.

let me tell about a model show where I met a very special WW2 vet.

i was flying my Ziroli Corsair decorated from pictures of the Bunker Hill aircraft carrier. A gentlemancame over and began chatting with me about the Corsair. He said he loved what I had done but the colors were incorrect. He said my particular model was one of his group that he was crew chief on on the carrier before it was sunk. We spent a lot of time and lunch together talking of how he survived.

i said if he would send me pictures of the plane and note colors I would repaint it in his honor. He was thrilled and a few days later I received a number of marked black and white pictures. So I completely repainted the plane with the correct colors and markings. Then sent him pictures. I also invited him to come with me to a huge airshow I was a featured flyer at so he could be me spotter and crewchief with my two young boys. He was thrilled.

we flew three rounds in front of about 25k spectators. On each round the announcer noted that he was the spotter and chief. The final round I landed as scale like carrier landing as I could then taxied past the spectators as the announcer called off the honors for him. The spectator response was like a New York ticker tape parade. The gentleman was in tears he was so happy. It was the most Memorial Day I had in the 13 years I flew the plane.

so while spectators couldn’t sit in the plane I did communicate freely with them.