Central Florida and Orlando Area

 

A family holiday to see Mickey Mouse and friends was planned for the February half term, and consideration was made about getting in a few hours of spotting during the trip. Having visited the area on a few occasions previously I had a reasonable idea about what I wanted to see and where I wanted to go, so the main planning involved finding the precise locations for a few of the more remote and obscure places.

Orlando with a family has plenty to keep everyone entertained, so squeezing in a few aircraft locations was going to be a bit of a challenge, here's how I fared.

 

The pre-trip planning was fairly comprehensive, as I knew I would have to make maximum use of the limited time I would be able to get, so a good start is obviously Andy Marden's US Military Out of Service 2007 (USMOOS2007). This book gives a great insight into the likely locations, and also a reasonable idea on their situation in most cases. Further research enabled me to pinpoint accurately the locations I wanted to have a go at, and with these plotted into my mobile phone's GPS system I was set.

 

As usual, I was wide awake around 4am on the first morning in Florida (following the 5 hour time change and 8 hour flight), so decided to get up and head out on my first trip. I opted for a reasonable drive out for a couple of preserved aircraft to the north-east of Orlando, knowing I had plenty of time to get out and back before breakfast.

 

F-15 Eagle (76-0076) at DeBaryDeltona (in common with many towns in the USA) has a Veterans Memorial Park to commemorate the local citizens who have fought and died in the service of their country. A Bell AH-1F Cobra is well preserved here in the shape of O-15843. I won't show you one of my pictures of this as it was taken around 5am local time (VERY dark o'clock, even in Florida).

From Deltona I backtracked south west to DeBary, where another Veterans Memorial Park is located, this time with a dramatically displayed McDonnell Douglas F-15A Eagle marked as "85-125", in 33rd TFW colours coded EG "Gorillas". This airframe should actually be 76-0076, and if captured in daylight a pretty good photo would be possible. Then back to the hotel in Kissimmee, ready for my $3.99 all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet, and a family day at the theme parks.

 

Lockheed Lodestar at Disney's Hollywood StudiosIt was the families intention to go across to Kennedy Space Centre on the east coast to see another space shuttle launch, so we planned a morning visit to a theme park prior to the afternoon launch of Atlantis (STS-122). Disney's Hollywood Studio (the new name for Disney-MGM Studios) was a reasonable diversion for the morning, as there is an ex USAAF Lockheed Lodestar dumped at the entrance to Catastrophe Canyon, part of the Backlot Tour. This plane is easy enough to see, laying in pieces in a red, white and blue scheme with "Mohave Oils" titles.

So, on to Cape Canaveral in plenty of time to witness the launch. Despite the closest public viewing points being a few miles from Pad 39A, this is always a great sight to behold, but they are scheduled to have completed all Space Shuttle missions within the next 3 years, so if you want to see it, don't leave it too long.

Following the launch we popped in to the nearby Valiant Air Command museum at Titusville airfield. A pair of US Coast Guard HH-65 Dolphins were parked up near the control tower, having been on standby here for the shuttle launch, whilst over at the museum the staff were as friendly and accommodating as usual. Recent arrivals include the Rockwell T-2 Buckeye advanced US Navy trainer, a specially modified F-5 which performed research into sonic waves, and a Republic F-105D Thunderchief. Having visited this museum on a previous Florida holiday, I didn't need to spend too long here, but there is a very good selection of military aircraft here, much of it fairly contemporary. A small selection of pictures from Valiant Air Command Museum are shown just to give you a bit of flavour.

 

Nord 1101 at Valiant Air Command Museum, Titusville    F-8 Crusader at Valiant Air Command Museum, Titusville    T-2 Buckeye at Valiant Air Command Museum, Titusville    F-14 Tomcat at Valiant Air Command Museum, Titusville

Yugoslavian UTVA-66 at Valiant Air Command Museum, Titusville    C-123 at Valiant Air Command Museum, Titusville    T-33 at Valiant Air Command Museum, Titusville    F-105 at Valiant Air Command Museum, Titusville

C-7 cockpit at Valiant Air Command Museum, Titusville    Polish MiG at Valiant Air Command Museum, Titusville    O-2 at Valiant Air Command Museum, Titusville    F-5 at Valiant Air Command Museum, Titusville

 

 

Ex US Navy Albatross at Universal StudiosIf you are visiting the central Florida area on a theme park visit there are a few military aircraft that you are pretty much sure of seeing. The entrance to Orlando International Airport has a Boeing B-52D Stratofortress (60687) preserved, and this is very easy to see. As well as the previously described Lodestar in Disney's Hollywood Studio, the complex at Universal Studios has Grumman Albatross N928J (ex USNavy 137928) preserved at the Margaretville Bar on the Universal Boardwalk.

 

AH-1 Cobra at St. CloudAnother Veterans Memorial Park was on my list, this time in the town of St. Cloud (just a few miles east of Kissimmee on the 192). Again, very easy to find, another Bell AH-1F Cobra (O-17052) is well preserved in a beautifully kept park alongside some other military hardware and memorials.

 

The next family day out was to Busch Gardens in Tampa, on the west coast. After a great day here I ensured we departed just in time to get to the nearby Tampa Veterans Memorial Park before closing time (officially 17:30, but you want to get there by 17:00 to make sure you have time), as the memorial is located a fair distance inside the main gate here. A poignant display in the gardens here of hundreds of small flags indicating the fallen brings a lump to the throat, and there is also a display inside the memorial building. Four hardstandings here are for the preserved helicopters, but one of them just contained a tiny model OH-6 Loach. The usual full sized resident had been removed for repair following a road traffic accident it suffered a few weeks ago. It is often towed around on a trailer to various events and was hit by a car necessitating some repairs. The three remaining helicopters were still present though, Bell UH-1H Iroquois 68-15562, Bell AH-1F Cobra 15722 and Bell OH-58A Kiowa 71-20748.

 

Another pre-breakfast jaunt was scheduled for the next day. This time I headed to the east of Orlando to the Vietnam Memorial Park where another Bell UH-1 Iroquois is displayed and an Douglas A-4 Skyhawk is under restoration. Also nearby is a research and technology park, and at the Naval Research Facility another Douglas A-4 Skyhawk is preserved at the gate, looking good in Blue Angels colours.

A fairly major aviation location in the region is Kissimmee Gateway Airport. This used to house the Tom Reilly's Flying Tigers Museum with a varied collection of exhibits and stored aircraft. A few years ago the area was hit by a hurricane causing much damage to buildings and aircraft, and subsequently Tom moved out, taking many of the aircraft with him. The site is still home to Warbird Adventures, who offer flights in their T-6's for those who think that the theme park roller coasters are a bit too tame. The hangar here is also still house the FW.190 restorations that have been progressing for many years, as well as a varied and regularly changing collection of other privately owned warbirds.

 

T-6 at Kissimmee Gateway    T-6 at Kissimmee Gateway    Stearman at Kissimmee Gateway    Bell 47 at Kissimmee Gateway

Fouga Magister at Kissimmee Gateway    FW.190 at Kissimmee Gateway    FW.190 at Kissimmee Gateway    T-6 at Kissimmee Gateway

 

 

 

The major central Florida collection though is housed at Kermit Weeks' Fantasy of Flight, at Polk City. This collection of well preserved, but mostly airworthy aircraft, as well as a large storage and restoration are is well worth a visit, and can easily keep you occupied for many hours, especially if you take advantage of the timed visits around the workshops, and storage sheds. There are almost always some of the aircraft operating from the apron too, so you are very likely to see some classic warbird activity during your visit.

 

Flying and on the main apron were these.

 

Ex Swiss AF at Fantasy of Flight    Stearman at Fantasy of Flight    Catalina at Fantasy of Flight    Beech at Fantasy of Flight

 

A small selection of the hangar and display collection are here.

 

Po-2 at Fantasy of Flight    Scout at Fantasy of Flight    Morane at Fantasy of Flight    B-17 at Fantasy of Flight

F3F-2 at Fantasy of Flight    A-7 at Fantasy of Flight    P-51 at Fantasy of Flight    P-40 at Fantasy of Flight

Corsair at Fantasy of Flight    B-24 at Fantasy of Flight    T-6 at Fantasy of Flight    B-25 at Fantasy of Flight

 

The storage sheds included these.

 

Dauntless at Fantasy of Flight    CASA.352 at Fantasy of Flight    B-23 at Fantasy of Flight

 

 

The full log of my visit to the area is below. With some decent preparation and planning there is no reason that you too cannot make a good effort at getting to at least some of these locations.

 

Wednesday 6th February 2008

 

Deltona

 

O-15843                        AH-1F   (67-15843)        at the Veterans’ Memorial

 

DeBary

 

"85-125"            EG bl     F-15A    (76-0076)          at the Veterans’ Memorial

 

 

 

Thursday 7th February 2008

 

Disney's Hollywood Studios (Formerly Disney-MGM Studios)

 

(42-56069)                    Lockheed Lodestar          Marked as "Mohave Oil", at the entrance of Catastrophe Canyon, part of the Backlot Tour.

 

Titusville Airport

 

(54-0603)                      C-123K

 

6533                             HH-65C                         USCG

6578                             HH-65C                         USCG

 

 

Valiant Air Command Museum

 

Preserved outside the front of the museum

 

(68-)16998                    OV-1D              

 

Between the 2 hangars

 

(15)5563           92         F-4J     

(60-0492)                      F-105D

 

At the side of the main display hangar

 

(54-0)674                      C-123K                          Named "Big Lou"

61-2389                        C-7A nose section

 

Main apron in front of the hangars

 

(68-)11029        029       O-2A                             N138RM

(51146)                         UTVA-66                       C-GDLZ

156702              F-810    T-2C

(57-0569)                      T-33A

N2400X                         SBLim-2                        (ex Polish AF 627)

 

Restoration Hangar

 

(42-100591)                  C-47A

(152867)                       TA-4F

(141882)           3          Grumman F-11A Tiger    Blue Angels scheme

(91188)             FT-28    Grumman TBM-3U Avenger

 

Main Display Hangar

 

162182              NH        A-6E

(153135)           RTC-01 A-7A

741519                          F-5E

(161134)           114       F-14

O-90400                        TF-101B            (59-0400)

136433              433       US-2B

6164                 LG-164  L-13A                (46-0164)

(192)                            Nord 1101         Luftwaffe marks

(14994)             F-7       Grumman FM-1

"75937"                         UH-19B              N37788

(12595)             L-301    Grumman F9F-5 Panther

“330426”           53-K      Piper Cub          N1406V (44-80595)

“463221”           G4-S     P-51

(44-86697)        3L         B-25J                N62163

(62-5906)          906       OV-1D nose section

(146985)           DN-14   F-8K

(68-16138)                    UH-1V

 

 

 

Friday 8th February 2008

 

Universal Studios, Margaritaville Bar

 

N928J                Grumman Albatross        (137928)

 

Universal Studios, Disaster! attraction

 

"EQ 1990"          JetStar                          broken, displayed. Any idea on the identity?

 

 

Orlando International Airport

 

60687               B-52D                            Displayed

 

 

 

Saturday 9th February 2008

 

St. Cloud

 

68-17052           AH-1F               "O-17052"

 

 

 

Kissimmee, along the route 192

 

N60WJ              Bell 206

 

“N206HS”          Bell 206

 

 

 

Sunday 10th February 2008

 

Orlando area

 

N144AF             R.44      Along the I-4

 

N145SG             R.44      Along the 192

 

 

Kissimmee Gateway Airport

 

(13)6534           534                   US-2B               "Key West"

 

                                                                                

 

 

Monday 11th February 2008

 

Polk City

 

C-47 displayed by the I-4

 

Tampa Veterans Memorial Park

 

15722               AH-1F               (67-15722)

68-15562           UH-1H

71-20748           OH-58A

 

 

 

Wednesday 13th February 2008

 

Orlando Vietnam Memorial Park

 

(66-16896)        UH-1V

(142741)           A-4B

 

Orlando Naval Research Facility

 

139931              A-4A     Blue Angels scheme

 

Congo River golf on 192 in Kissimmee

 

N434.H?            Cessna  painted in zebra stripes

 

Kissimmee Gateway Airport

 

Stallion 51 area

 

Yellow coloured T-6/SNJ

(N351DT)          DS        P-51D                (44-74502)

 

Warbird Museum

 

N504DM            73         Magister            Displayed outside

                                    MiG-15              Stored outside, dismantled

N48316                         TH-13               (66-8128)

(2219)                           FW.190

(931862)                       FW.190

N689HS                         UH-12D             (59-2689)

N55081             393       Ryan Recruit

N455WA            WA-4    SNJ-6                112227

N451WA            WA       SNJ-6                112049

N452WA            WA-2    SNJ-6                112034

N2JS                 349       N2S-5 Stearman            (ex USN 3572)

 

 

 

Friday 15th February 2008

 

Fantasy of Flight, Polk City

  

NC9756             21         New Standard D-25                    Pleasure Flights

NC79466                       Stearman          (41-8091)          Pleasure Flights

 

Unmarked Lockheed Starliner displayed at entrance (N974R)

 

N92KC               Beech AT-11      (43-10371)        Parked on apron in front of the Orlampa Conference Centre hangar.

 

The hangar itself contained:-

A P-51 named "Cripes a Mighty 3rd"         (presumably N921, 45-11507)

A Grumman Duck           (presumably N1214N, 33549)

A Tiger Moth?

An An-2?                       (presumably Nanchang Y-5 N4301U, Chinese 8331)

NC9125             9          New Standard D-25A

A B-24 Liberator             (presumably N94459, KH401, 44-44272)

 

The storage hangars:-

A Yak-11           (presumably G-AYAK, N11YK)

A Meteor centre and inner wings section  (possibly VT229?)

A Douglas B-23 Dragon   (presumably 39-0057)

A Ju-52/CASA.352          (presumably T.2B-262)

A Dauntless/Banshee coded 516 and faded 4        (presumably 42-54643)

A MiG-15

A Grumman Panther       (presumably 123420)

 

In front of the storage hangars, a few frames left in the open air:-

N40415             Martin 4-0-4 fuselage                 American Airlines marked

N711ZY             Grumman Ag-Cat                       Rosie O'Grady markings

 

The main apron contained:-

 

48375                           Catalina                         N96UC

“YR-PAX”                       Jungmeister                   (ex Swiss AF U-57)

 

Main display hangars

 

10 white                        Polikarpov Po-2

47923                           TP-40N                          (44-47923)

KF+XL                           Storch                           (ex Swedish AF 3812)

NX1204                         P-51C                            (42-103831)

K4235               KX-H     Cierva C.30A

N4297J                          B-26                              (40-1464)

TE476               GE-D     Spitfire

33311               245B     T-6G                             (49-33111)

(89741)             4          Grumman FM-2 Wildcat

(43-28059)                    TB-25N                          "Apache Princess"

“56-143170”                  TH-13M                         (ex USN 143170)

NX26KW            7-F-7    Grumman F3F-2 replica

.....                   6          S-2 nose section

(154418)                       A-7B nose section

“42-16621”                    BT-13 nose section

29642                           SNB-5 nose section

ML814                           Sunderland V

NX44FW                        FW.44                           Marked TQ+BC

A6-25                            Avro 643                       VH-PRU

A B-24 nose section in Officer's Mess                   (BZ734, 42-40461)

An unknown frame in the Wood Shop

NC1170                         Stinson Tri-Motor

54883               JK         Piper Cub                      N5798N (45-4883)

NC105W                        Lockheed Vega

97286               C-5       F4U-4 Corsair                in "Fightertown USA"

N1653                           Nieuport 4 replica

.....                               Morane Brock

49128                           Standard E1

.....                               Thomas Morse Scout

(44-83542)                    B-17G                            Named “Piccadily Princess”

MoS1573                       Morane MS.30 A1           12 white

 

 

 

Saturday 16th February 2008

 

Orlando, Downtown Disney

 

Sikorsky S.62 Displayed outside Planet Hollywood