CONTEST: MEN ONLY: Free Framed Gee-Bee Z Airplane

CONTEST: MEN ONLY: Free Framed Gee-Bee Z Airplane

The 1920-1950 Golden Era was a huge advancement for Aviation. With the World Wars, the launch of commercial airlines, those fantastic stewardess outfits and the famous adventuresome pilots of the age, the aviation era was glamorous and was the launch into air for the average person who wanted to see the world.

You now have a chance to win a vintage Framed Gee-Bee Z Airplane as shown below



This contest is for MEN ONLY. NO WOMEN - This contest is just for you Fellas!



What is required?

ANYTHING to do with Aviation during the Golden Age:

• A picture of yourself in a pilot's outfit
• An article about aviation
• A graphic image of an airplane
• An assembled and painted airplane model
• An airplane you restored
• A tribute to pilots, sung and posted
• A lecture about how to be a pilot, taped and posted

You can post ANYTHING to do with Aviation, but it cannot be previously used for professional purposes. For example, if you are a professional photographer, you cannot use the photograph of a vintage airplane published in a magazine that you were paid for, but you can post another picture from the same day that didn't make it into print. This is to ensure that amateurs and professionals have an equal chance at the prize.



What do you win?
Well, actually, I believe this is a vintage model box top. This is NOT a print.
I know the provenance of this piece, and would be happy to share that information with the winner. Suffice it to say it was not owned by anyone famous, just simply a person who loved aviation.



Due date: April 13, 2008

Judges:

*Vintage Betty

*Josephine

*A woman judge



If you have questions, please post to this thread, do not PM me, as my mailbox is almost full.

About these contests and giveaways:
Vintage Betty is NOT part of the Staff of the Fedora Lounge or even a Volunteer Bartender keeping things in order. She is just simply a long-time collector who wants to share goodies with you, in the hope you like them. She very much appreciates confirmations when the goodies get to the gift recipient. Please no resellers, these items are for your own use. Anyone may enter at no charge from anywhere in the world, unless otherwise posted.

Let's get this baby off the ground..!!

..

Here are my submissions. First, a shot of two P-51s taken over southern New Jersey:


Next, an atmospheric shot of two Spitfires taken over Oshkosh, Wisconsin. There was a lot of haze that day, and this semi-silhouette shot presented itself, so I took advantage of it:


Here's a shot of one of those same Spitfires taken a few years earlier on a much nicer day at Oshkosh:


Here's a ground shot of a P-51 taken at daybreak at Willow Grove, Pennsylvania. I call this shot Sunrise Serenade:


Here's a friend's AD-4N Shyraider taken over Battavia, New York:


Here's a shot taken over New Jersey, appropriately titled "Going Vertical":


That's it for this post. I have some more photos to look through. None of the above photos has ever been published, but one of the solitary Spitfire photo-shoot photos was used on the cover of a book. It was a different shot than the one posted.

Aw man! My brother is a pilot (as was my father and grandfather), he would have liked this. Enter for me guys, I'll live vicariously through your winning.

Another great contest!

I'll jump in.

Well...maybe we ladies can't technically enter..but i can see how we might get some enjoyment out of this too!

let's go fellas!

Here are some pics of my son Tyler's first airplane ride. The plane is a friend's restored '58 Piper Apache with the Navajo mods package. I learned to fly in another of his planes but hadn't been in a small plane in 10 years or so. I took off and flew around the pattern a bit before handing the controls back to my friend. It was Tyler's first time in a plane, my first time back in a small plane in 10 years, my first time flying a twin (from the right seat) and I was Pilot In Command for my son's first flight.









Me in my Alpha Industries MA-1, a Christmas gift from my wife. Yes, they make them in fat man sizes!

Here I am with my 1930 Buescher C melody saxophone, A-1 flight jacket, and surplus Soviet goggles.


This is my tribute to Frank Trumbauer, jazz genius of the C melody, test pilot, and CAA official.

Here's a few just for fun...

Last summer I had the pleasure of doing an Air Combat mission. Here are a few pictures from that adventure.

Can you see the target?
<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v280/maintcoder/2007/Air%20Combat/FighterPilotforaDay001_0000.jpg">

Chasing the 'enemy'
<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v280/maintcoder/2007/Air%20Combat/FighterPilotforaDay001_0002.jpg">

Scoring the 'hit'
<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v280/maintcoder/2007/Air%20Combat/FighterPilotforaDay001_0003.jpg">

and here's one of the 6 missions on video
<embed width="448" height="361" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" src="http://img.photobucket.com/player.swf?file=http://vidmg.photobucket.com/albums/v280/maintcoder/2007/Air%20Combat/Dogfight6.flv">

This is not a contest entry - I've already got Too Much Stuff - but I thought some of the military aircraft buffs might like this shot:



I took the photo of the two aircraft at an airshow - they were actually flying side by side almost at eye level. Pretty daring, as the jet had to slow down to nearly stall speed to pace the prop plane. In the original photo the sky was grey and blank, so I added a background of a photo I took on a flight over France.

Not a contest entry--like Warbaby, I've already got WAY TOO MUCH stuff around--but I'll throw an iron into the fire too, just to keep the serious competitors "motivated"...

Anybody else here logged B-52 command-pilot's seat time, let alone done so before graduating from college?lol

Thanks for reminding me, I need to upload the pics from my last trip to the Museum also.

Hey, the BUFF's early Cold War--that's still Golden Age, right?

Vintage Betty,

You are correct, this is the top of the box for a 1:32 scale model of the Gee Bee Z made by the Williams Bros, Inc. Probably in the 60's or 70's, I am not sure.

In honor if the Gee Bee Z, here are a couple pics of the real deal.





Here is Lowell Bayles, pilot of the Gee Bee Z and winner of the 1931 Thompson Trophy Race for the fastest speed of 236 mph.

And here's the only existing Model Z as it appeared about a month ago, the replica used in filming The Rocketeer:

The real Z crashed on December 5, 1931, killing Lowell Bayles just a few months after he had won the Thompson race. He was trying for a world speed record when his ailerons started fluttering and the plane went out of control.


Gee Bee aircraft built: 24.
Destroyed in crashes: 13.
Pilots killed in crashes: 8.

Our first judge is announced!

WOW - who knew there were so many aviation fanatics on the Lounge?

Thanks to everyone for taking this contest "off the ground" and zooming along at light speed!

I am pleased to announce our first Judge! In addition to being a beautiful lady, she has a family history in Aviation! See the above post for Josephine's family connections to Aviation!

Her vote will be swayed by copious bribes of hats, chocolates and First Edition Agatha Christy books!

Thank you for stepping forward Josephine! You are the PERFECT Judge for this contest!

Vintage Betty

Well, I figure I'll throw a few more pics into the pot. Here's me in a "Walter Mitty" moment in front of a UC-78 Bobcat about 15 years ago:


Some friends of mine specialize in restoring Fairchild trainers. Here's a trio. First, the PT-19:

Second is the PT-23:

Third is the PT-26 "Cornell":


I have to look through a few more photos, and I'll probably post a few more.

No fancy photos or flying gear. This is me after passing my checkride. My third proudest day (Kids are #1 & #2).

<a href="http://s146.photobucket.com/albums/r280/drafttek/?action=view&current=DFortier22006I.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i146.photobucket.com/albums/r280/drafttek/DFortier22006I.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

Me and the boy goin' flyin'! and my daughter took the photo. It doesn't get any better!

<a href="http://s146.photobucket.com/albums/r280/drafttek/?action=view&current=100_0805.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i146.photobucket.com/albums/r280/drafttek/100_0805.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

He actually has more aviation stuff than I do!

I'll look more later

But I thought I would throw this out there.

deleted per request...