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Gilbert Lodge   Since 2004

                 Gilbert Lodge Blog
         The life and times of Mark and Paula Persons

September 18, 2010:  There was good weather for an open house a the Brainerd Lakes Regional Airport.  This annual event attracts hundreds of local residents and pilots from around the state.  Shown here is a lineup of five T-6 Texan training aircraft from the 1940's.

Lets look at the nose of one of them.  A Pratt & Whitney 600 horsepower radial engine is nestled under the cowling.  The T-6 is a two passenger airplane with a maximum speed of 205 miles per hour.  It made an excellent trainer for Allied air forces during WWII.  Those who mastered this plane went on to be bomber, fighter, or cargo pilots.

This T-6G was built in 1941 and was lovingly preserved and flown by the North American Flight Team.  See: http://www.t-6thunder.com  

Mark liked this yellow two-seat biplane. 

The crowd really went for a U. S. Army UH-60 Blackhawk Helicopter.

This is one of two A & W Research planes.  It is called the Aero Canard.  The other one is named Water Watch.  This unusual four-seat plane has its engine at the rear.  I guess not too unusual considering the Wright Brothers first plane had pusher propellers. 

The inside of the plane is crammed with instruments for studying our environment and lake waters.  A & W Research is run by Alan Cibuzar in Brainerd.

Now here is a snowplow to take care of ANY winter snowstorm.

Pilots Mike Shoen and Craig Rodberg of the Minnesota Wing of the Commemorative Air Force with a U. S. Army Stinson L-5A Sentinel, sometimes called the Bird Dog.  Also see Warbird Alley and EAA Warbirds of America.

You might remember one of these observation aircraft being used in the movie Battle of the Bulge from 1965.  It starred Henry Fonda and and may others. 

One of the biplanes taking off to the delight of the crowd.

Then, the five T-6's put on a fly-over trailing smoke.  It was GREAT!

Click on the image for a larger view.