2024 World War II Weekend

[Warbird55]

Unfortunately, it looks like B-17 Yankee Lady won't be making it to Reading this year. Just announced on MAAM social media.

[passedgas46]

Wow. This year's event has taken a lot of hits to the aircraft participation side of things. Not having Yankee Lady or Diamond Lil definitely sucks - same for the Helldiver - and at this rate I'd hope that FIFI can still make it. It makes me wonder what the museum's contingency plans are.

Out of curiosity, what's the status of Briefing Time? I hadn't seen any photos or videos of it in the air in quite some time.

[Cameron Walz]

Most of MAAMs aircraft have been grounded over the years because they do not have pilots to fly them. MAAM is cheap, they make all this money and they don't bother spending it on anything good, like fixing their planes or gathering better names at WWII Weekend. They stay cheap and try to get aircraft based as close as possible to show up even though they make big money every year. They're just shady to me.

[Warbird55]

P-51D "Kwitcherbitchin" has been added to the 2024 show lineup.

[passedgas46]

Most of MAAMs aircraft have been grounded over the years because they do not have pilots to fly them. MAAM is cheap, they make all this money and they don't bother spending it on anything good, like fixing their planes or gathering better names at WWII Weekend. They stay cheap and try to get aircraft based as close as possible to show up even though they make big money every year. They're just shady to me.

That's a shame. Forgive me for saying this but I'm going to dig deeper into what I posted last week, if you all don't mind.

The MAAM, to me, is not making WWII Weekend out to be the grand event it once was. They should really look at the event now and think "What can we do to make it better?" To most its the airplanes. I get it. To many, like myself, it's what they do to that side of the airport for three days. Yes, they have got some amazing vocal talent year in and year out (one big blow was losing The Ultimate Abbott & Costello Tribute Show guys due to the untimely death of one of the two) and the re-enactors are there every year. I imagine that'll remain the same.

This event also relies on WWII veterans as guest speakers. It would not surprise me if we come to a time where this event has no WWII veterans as guests because, well, there won't be any around. The last survivor from the USS Arizona when it was hit and sank in Pearl Harbor recently passed away. What is the MAAM going to do when there's no more WWII veterans around to tell their stories? They're going to have to adapt, and Cameron, from what you stated, I get the impression they won't. Like I said last week, cost is usually no factor for me so long as I feel like I'm getting my money's worth, but as the event looks right now, it is not worth $42 a day with no discount for a three-day pass.

As for airplanes, I've already covered that last week. No need to repeat.

P-51D "Kwitcherbitchin" has been added to the 2024 show lineup.

It's always nice to see any part of Tom Duffy's collection outside of Take Off Time. I wish he would show them off at other events, too, especially the Tri-Motor.