Wither the Warbirds?
Some air show attendees go nuts over them. Others watch in reverence as they pass in review. Most spectators don’t know who’s flying it, or who owns it, or even what type it is. Some even think they’re too noisy or slow. Like them or not though, warbirds attract loads of attention whether they’re part of an air show, or just sitting on a ramp. Just what is a warbird, and why may their ranks be thinned in the future?
First of all, let’s define what a “warbird” is. Warbirdalley.com, a well known web site, defines it like this: “A warbird is an airplane that was once used by the armed forces of any country, and is now privately owned.” What is the reason that someone would own and operate a retired and obsolete craft? EAA Warbirds of America focuses on the historical aspect of things: “Our goal is to promote and encourage the preservation and safe operation of ex-military aircraft, better known as Warbirds. These wonderful aircraft are an important part of our aviation heritage…”. Does the name imply that they had to be used in a “war”? No, that’s just a general name. Non-combatants, such as trainers and test aircraft, (and even some replicas) are grouped together with fighters, bombers and transports. To sum it up, warbirds are ex-military aircraft now owned and operated by civilians, with emphasis on being historic and airworthy.
It is safe to say that the majority of warbirds today are World War II vintage. There is a reason for this… they were truly mass produced. After the war ended, thousands of airframes were declared surplus, and could be bought by private citizens at affordable prices. With the advent of jet aircraft and their inherent speed advantage, propeller driven fighters were rushed out of many countries’ armed forces. Transports such as the C-47 (DC-3), C-54 (DC-4) and C-118 (DC-6) still found widespread use when sold as surplus, and TBM Avengers, PV-2 Harpoons, F7F Tigercats and A-26 Invaders made great fire bombers and sprayers too.
During and immediately after the Korean Conflict, most early U.S. jet fighters were declared surplus, but most were sent to other allied air forces and navies to replace their older aircraft. There were far fewer examples built, as attrition was lower, and complexity increased an aircraft’s price. The Viet Nam era (1960s and 70s) saw military aircraft continue to grow in price and complexity, and security concerns led to the scrapping of technology-sensitive aircraft so non-allied nations could copy the designs. Others had their service lives extended to save the production costs of new aircraft, and more were sent to other countries after their American service ended. The pipeline for U.S. operated military aircraft available for transition to warbird status was drying up.
Most veterans of World War II age are in their 80’s or 90’s today; their numbers are dwindling rapidly. Their knowledge and expertise about the remaining World War II aircraft is fading away. Luckily, most owners, operators, and maintainers have researched and preserved their experiences, and have the knowledge base to operate their warbirds for years to come. What other forces are conspiring against warbird operation? Unfortunately, there are many. Cost is one of them. Fuel prices have skyrocketed. Insurance prices are a cause of concern, and routine maintenance costs have risen lately too. It costs around $1600 to fly a P-51D Mustang for an hour. Ditto for a Czech-built L-39 Albatross jet trainer. A Russian Mig-17 jet runs about $2300 per hour. The Collings Foundation estimates it costs close to $4000 per flight hour to fly its B-17 “Nine-O-Nine”, and their F-4D Phantom tops out near $9000 per hour! Of course, operating a Stearman PT-17 Kaydet or a North American SNJ or (T-6 Texan) costs much less, but still more than most Cessna or Piper single engine models. Many warbirds are owned and operated by organizations such as “non-profits” who raise money to effectively maintain and fly them. There are more concerns; take maintenance for example. Metal fatigue has forced the restriction and/or grounding of aircraft, as was the case of Beech T-34 Mentors in 1999. The C-47/DC-3 transport fleet had a expensive mandatory inspection of its wing spar caps and lower center section surface skin a few decades ago, part of a continuous maintenance campaign. And, after a series of crashes, a large portion of the nation’s heavy fire bomber fleet was grounded, including many long-serving PB4Y Liberators/Privateers and P2V Neptunes, due to fatigue and corrosion concerns.
Paperwork can be a nightmare, and can be a deterrent from certifying an aircraft too. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms requires each aircraft, either foreign or domestically produced and operated, be “de-militarized” before airworthiness certification. Ever wonder why nobody has a “warbird” F-15A Eagle flying yet? According to FAA Order 8130.2, which deals with airworthiness and certifications, “It is the policy of the DOD (Department of Defense) that surplus U.S. military property designated as arms, ammunition, implements of war, and other military items will be demilitarized to the extent necessary to preclude the unauthorized use of these military items. The intent behind this DOD policy is to destroy the military advantages inherent in certain types of property, to render harmless that property which is dangerous, and to protect the national interest. This DOD policy mandates that tactical, fighter, and bomber aircraft will be demilitarized to the extent that will render the aircraft not airworthy. This DOD policy is not applicable to military trainer, observation, or liaison aircraft”.
So there you have it. They’ll be no more “tactical, fighter, or bomber” warbirds from the U.S military (unless the military operates them). Sure, some modern day trainers may make it out of the AMARG storage facility in Tucson AZ, but the large group of World War II aircraft, plus the smaller groups from earlier and later years will have to serve as our reminders of the people and machines of the past. With the burdens of cost and longevity, you may see fewer and fewer warbirds in the skies, even in the near future. The next time you see a warbird, thank the men and women that own and operate it for preserving part of our aviation history, and honoring the men and women who served in the armed forces. Feel free to donate your time and/or money too, to help keep today’s warbirds from withering away.
Article and photos by Ken Kula