2017 Gathering of Warbirds - Waukesha, WI

Post by **RyanS** » Thu Mar 02, 2017 3:33 am

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The Wisconsin Wing of the CAF is hosting a warbird fly-in type of event again this year in Waukesha on May 27th. The first one was last year, and it was a nice little one day event that unfortunately got weathered in most of the day. Once it cleared though, the pilots got to do some flying.

They had a very nice mix of warbirds from the area and are trying to expand things a bit this year with some new stuff like the B-25 "Miss Mitchell", which will be giving rides. Admission is $15 a car.

The Wing has created a new Facebook page and a Facebook event to help promote the fly-in. Their non-Facebook website is http://www.cafwi.org/. I will also try to post info here as details are confirmed!

From their FB event:

Come see vintage and modern military aircraft at the Gathering of Warbirds event on May 27, 2017. Korean War era and World War II era aircraft will be in the air over Waukesha and on the ground at the Waukesha County Airport.

This second annual Gathering of Warbirds is hosted by the Commemorative Air Force (CAF) Wisconsin Wing and will honor veterans and the 75th Anniversary of the Doolittle Raid on Tokyo, which was America’s first air strike to hit the Japanese home islands in World War II.

The Gathering of Warbirds is a family-friendly event featuring historic and modern military aircraft, aircraft tours and rides, and education activities for all ages. It’s for anyone who enjoys seeing historic and modern military aircraft and fighter jets fly throughout the day.

Aircraft presentations and tours will provide hands-on opportunities for families and aviation history buffs alike. Miss Mitchell, a restored B-25 Mitchell and the type of aircraft used in the Doolittle Raid, will be at the event and will offer tours and flight experiences.

The event will also honor veterans with a free hat presented to the first 200 veterans who attend. Entrance fee is $15 per vehicle. No pets or smoking on the grounds of the event.

kalamazookid · Post by **kalamazookid** » Sun Mar 05, 2017 6:32 pm

Other attendees I've seen mentioned elsewhere:

MiG Alley Airshows F-86 and MiG-17
Brad Deckert TBM

Post by **RyanS** » Tue May 09, 2017 12:15 am

Not a ton of new info, but I did a short write up to help promote the event:

https://airshowstuff.com/v4/2017/gather ... a-in-2017/

Post by **RyanS** » Tue May 16, 2017 12:21 am

Update on the aircraft: an L-39 has been confirmed, and a C-130, Dash-8, and King Air from the Royal Canadian Air Force are all expected as well. They are close to confirming a Skyraider. UPDATE: Only the L-39 is expected now.

The ramp was full last year, I'm not sure where they'll put all this stuff!

nddons · Post by **nddons** » Fri May 19, 2017 8:05 pm

The main ramp will be full! We are also using the Eastern portion of the Atlantic Ramp for rides in the B-25 "Miss Mitchell", an SNJ, and a PT-22. It should be a blast!

Post by **RyanS** » Sun May 28, 2017 2:56 am

Very good weather and a fantastic turnout today in Waukesha! Seemed like there were a lot of happy people there, no griping about food or admission prices, entry restrictions, etc. How it should be!

One photo for now. As at the TBM Gathering, I shot mostly videos and let Dave take the photos. Expect a somewhat lengthy compilation video! We also had camera ride with the MiG-17 and F-86 and look forward to posting that footage soon!