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2008 Air Shows |
WWII Weekend, Reading, Pa.
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Location: Reading Regional Airport, Reading, Pennsylvania |
Admission: $20 at the gate, discounted on internet in advance |
Parking: free |
| Value: Good |
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The flight paths (depended on wind) for the air show portion provided excellent viewing and photographic opportunities with a telephoto 400mm or longer lens. |
The 18th annual World War II Weekend, held at the Mid Atlantic Air Museum in Reading, Pa, was a very hot affair, due to the weather. The event at Reading Regional airport is the largest annual WWII gathering in the USA. Prior to the show it rained, on Friday the 6th when I got to the museum right at opening 8:30 am, the ground was still moist, and during the day it was very muggy and hazy. It was difficult to take proper photos of the WWII warbirds arriving for the show.
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On Saturday, it was very hot, plus it was very humid, the tarmac temperature reached 135F+ with humidity factored in, and it wasn't much cooler on the grass near the runways either. Sunday turned out to be the best for taking photographs, as it wasn't as hazy, nor as hot, and there were also less people attending due to the heat from the day before which scared them away.
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There were plenty of activities at the WWII Weekend, including mock battles, flea markets, parades and rides on several aircraft was available. The air show portion, for me was a bit disappointing. There were problems with the PA system, the flights were not announced properly, with a lot of waiting between flights and the warbirds flew too high. I lost 7 lb due to the extreme heat and humidity in 3 days. Over all the event was well organized, but the the weather was just too humid and hot! |
Some of the WWII warbirds participating were:
- B-17G "Yankee Lady"
- PT-17 Sterman biplane
- B-25J Mitchell, Briefing Time
- B-25J Mitchell, Panchito
- B-25D Mitchell, Yankee Warrior
- P-47M Thunderbolt "No Guts No Glory"
- P-40E Warhawk
- P-51D Mustang "Glamorous Gal"
- C-47D "Yankee Doodle Dandy"
- FG-1D Corsair "Sky Boss"
- FG-1D Corsair "Marine's Dream "
- Grumman TBM-3E Avenger
- Aichi D3A Val
- WACO YMF
- T-6 Texan
- and many others.
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Rating: 8.0 out of 10 |
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The highlight of the event was the air show portion led by the two WWII warbirds FG-1D Corsairs flying in tandem. |
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