CheckFlight P-40 Warhawk

2009-08-18T16:06:00.000-07:00

Each year I try and make the time to attend the Reno Pylon Racing Seminars in June each year. You never know what kind of warbirds or racers you might see. Well holy cow, lady luck was looking out for me this year. John and Sue Paul of the Warhawk Museum in Nampa Idaho were bringing not one, but two P-40s to Reno for the PRS. They're going to be racing in September as well. The P-40 still photos and this P-40 taxiing video show off their beautiful Warhawks nicely.

P-40s taxiing at the Pylon Racing Seminars in Reno 6/09

2009-08-18T15:56:00.000-07:00

Back from Alaska

2009-08-18T15:14:00.000-07:00

We're back from a driving vacation up to Denali NP in Alaska and ready to jump into the cockpit and get back to work on the CD. I had great hopes of posting to this Blog while we were away but soon found out how difficult it was to have meaningful thoughts and comments on the tip of my tongue at the same time that I had a wireless connection for my laptop, especially camping in the Alaska wilderness. The trip was great even though Colette and I both caught colds. Head colds, in summer, on vacation? It's not fair.

While traveling, I did have plenty of time to read up on my P-40 and Flying Tigers history. Before leaving I contacted my good friend Doug Henderson who runs The Aviators Bookshelf. If you're looking for rare and out of print copies of aviation related books, Doug is your man.

Here's the link: <http://www.abebooks.com/the-aviators-bookshelf-bumpass-va-u.s.a/341920/sf > . Doug sent me a stack of wonderful P-40 books. Right now I'm reading "The Curtiss Hawk Fighters" by Page Shamburger and Joe Christy, "God Is My Co-Pilot" by Col. Robert L. Scott and "Flying Tigers" by Daniel Ford. There all great and I have a bunch more to get to. It turns out there's quite a bit of controversy surrounding the Flying Tigers.

2009-07-17T17:29:00.000-07:00

With me in the back seat recording the in-cockpit sounds, my wife Colette is on the ground recording the engine start, take-off, low level passes, landing and shut-down. I would have liked to video the flight from the back seat, but I had my hands full minding my record levels and staying out of the way of the dual controls. Both recordings came out perfect.

Flight Day Tow-out

2009-07-17T17:10:00.000-07:00

2009-07-16T11:10:00.001-07:00

Shortly after Chris' first flight I contacted him to see if he was interested in letting me do a CD featuring his plane. He said "sure" so we set things up starting with a ride for me in the back seat. Chris restored his P-40 as a two seat training version of the famous Warhawk. I could hardly wait.

2009-07-16T11:05:00.001-07:00

Once I decide to produce a CD I like to put some thought into what's going to be on it as well as what's involved in the recording. For most of our CheckFlight series CDs and CheckFlight P-40 is no exception, there will be engine starts, take-offs, aerobatics and landings. These will all be recorded from an external perspective. There will also be an in-cockpit recording.

2009-07-16T11:04:00.001-07:00

I never really know which aircraft will be the subject of a new CD. This time the inspiration came from Chris Prevost. Chris lives in my home town of Sonoma, California. For the last 8 years or so he has been patiently restoring a P-40 he purchased in pieces from it's former owner in New Zealand. Over the years I've checked in with him from time to time to see how he was doing. In January this year he fired it up for the first time. A short time later he took it up for it's first flight. I was in the driveway washing the car when he flew over the house. There it was....finally. I was smitten.

2009-06-26T16:24:00.000-07:00

Below is a picture of one of John Paul's beautiful P-40s. I'm at the Pylon Racing School in Reno. This P-40 lives at the Warhawk Museum in Nampa, ID.

John Paul's P-40 at PRS, Reno 2009

2009-06-26T12:32:00.001-07:00

2009-06-26T11:57:00.000-07:00

Greetings everyone. This is my first post to the CheckFlight P-40 Warhawk blog. In this blog I invite all of you who are interested along while I produce, record and mix the new AirCraft Records CD, entitled CheckFlight P-40 Warhawk. Welcome.