Watching the Flying Past

A farmer whose land is located near the Dubuque Regional Airport (DBQ) watches 41 T-6s take off to join AirVenture 2018 in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Annually the T-6 Association conducts meetings and practices formations at DBQ in preparation for a week's worth of activities at the EAA event in Oshkosh. The hour and a half flight of T-6s from Dubuque to Oshkosh generally commences sometime between 1:00 PM and 2:30 PM on the third Sunday of July. Stay a bit longer at the airport following the T-6 take offs. You'll see a special salute to the airport and community from these aging warbird trainers.

Some Impressions From the T-6 Trainer Association Gathering at Dubuque Regional Airport

 

The T-6 Trainer Association meets the weekend of the start of EAA's Oshkosh air spectacular, The T-6 Texans stag at the Dubuque Regional Airport for a private gathering where the pilots practice two by two take offs and formation drills. This year I was able to visit the planes from both sides of the fence with the help of some event organizers. This photo is of a spotless T-6 that sports a chrome and paint look. I thought the contrast of metal and paint made for a great composition. Note the Iowa backdrop.

 

 

Two P-51 Mustangs were also present on the tarmac. The Rebel was cleaned before its flight to Wisconsin. I'm guessing that the cost to purchase this would be a couple of millions of dollars if it were on the market. Who knows what it costs to maintain it?

 

I met Tom Swindle from the Fort Worth, Texas area. Tom watched his pilot buddy fly a T-6 earlier in the day. Tom works at Cowtown Aerocrafters where WWII era aircraft are restored and maintained.

This is usually my vantage point to see the Oshkosh bound WWII planes. Sometimes I can get the lens through the chain link fence or in between the gate door. This year was a bit different.

Thank You From North American T-6 Texans Over Dubuque Regional Airport

This afternoon about 25 AT6 single-engine advanced trainer aircraft departed the Dubuque Regional Airport bound for EAA's Oshkosh fly in (also known as OSH). The T-6s were joined by two P-51 Mustangs which departed a few minutes before the trainers. The Texans practiced formations over a two day period flying throughout the Mississippi River valley.

Single Seagull Gliding Over Lock and Dam 11

Spring has come to the 42N latitude. That means the Mississippi River is open to boat traffic, which also means waterway birds are back in numbers. Yesterday a single seagull glided over the empty lock enclosure at Lock & Dam 11, Dubuque, Iowa. Those of you in the know already guessed that the first four words of this blog posting title are from Paul McCartney's underrated classic song, Single Pigeon. Watch this animated video.

Modern Day Tom Sawyer Drawn to the River

Mark Twain's Tom Sawyer lived along the Mississippi River in fiction a century and a half ago. Fast forward to 2013 and you can still see the how the river attracts youth to its banks. Fishing just feet from Lock & Dam 11 at Dubuque, Iowa this boy forgets about catching a catfish while focusing on Marquette Transportation's downbound barge and tow named, Show Me State. The barges contained covers, scrap metal and coal. Churn from the tow activates fish and lures nearby pelicans to feed.

SOO 4410 - A Rare Locomotive Still in Red & White

The SOO Line Railroad operates in the upper Midwest and is now part of the Canadian Pacific Railway. Last Saturday I spotted engine 4410, built in 1978, and is presently sitting at the Dubuque, Iowa CP yard. Since the early 2000s SOO locomotives have been repainted into the CP color scheme or have been scrapped. To discover a SOO colored locomotive, let alone an active engine is becoming quite rare. It's a piece of railroad history that is almost gone.

Flag Day 2013 from Dubuque's New Veterans Memorial

Happy Flag Day 2013. Dubuque, Iowa's new Veterans Memorial was dedicated this spring. The memorial is located near the ice arena along Highways 151/61 on City Island, near the Mississippi River. A month ago the winds blew fast while snapping this brand new flag.

Buddy Holly Lives On With Good Rockin' Tonight

At this time of year there are many celebrations of Buddy Holly's life and music. Last year I wrote a piece on his 1959 Winter Dance Party's bus repair in Tipton, Iowa. The blog post received many views, generated some comments and even a few emails. One email received was from a film maker who is producing a documentary about that winter bus trip that Holly, Valens, the Big Bopper and others experienced. I don't know the status of the production nor have seen any mention of it.


Buddy Holly's spirit goes on with celebrations like this Dubuque dance event scheduled for the weekend. At Clear Lake's famous Surf Ballroom, the site of Buddy's last performance, is an annual celebration - this year featuring Pat Boone, the Big Bopper's son and more bands. Its a good way to remember the person, the musicians and to celebrate some very endearing music. Know that.

A View of Iowa's Upper Mississippi Valley

Check it. The Mississippi River carved its way through soluble limestone and dolomite with assistance from periodic glacial forces. Today's result is a broad valley between Iowa, Wisconsin and Illinois in the upper segment of America's river.

This view looks east from atop the Balltown ridge (north of Dubuque) and overlooks farmland, the Mississippi river and the cliffs of Wisconsin - although just the farmland is visible here. The 2011 corn crop looks in fine shape from this advantage point. 

Another farm visible from this lookout is a grain operation and cattle lot. All of this great scenery can be experienced at Balltown, Iowa. While there be sure to stop at what was Iowa's oldest restaurant - Breitbach's Country Dining. It was destroyed twice in separate fires but came back each time to again serve German-style food. Our captive people viewing the valley (above) had just finished their Sunday dinner and visited the overlook, a block from Breitbach's. Know that.

Slow Day At Mississippi River Lock and Dam No. 11

With temperatures approaching 90 degrees today many people looked for water-based entertainment this weekend.

Being the first really hot weekend of the season there was substantial recreational boat traffic on the Mississippi River at the Port of Dubuque, Iowa below Lock and Dam No. 11.

While a small group of river watchers gathered at the Lock's observation platform they were rewarded with views of people fishing on the Wisconsin side, flying pelicans and floating cormorants during the early afternoon.

A van load of adults from a special needs home departed after reporting no boats had transited the passage way for the hour and a half while they were enjoying a picnic lunch on the platform.

A short time later sirens blared, upriver gates closed, the pool dropped from 15 feet to 8 feet and the downriver gates opened. This allowed two recreational boats to enter the lock, approach the side wall and begin the lift experience.

One boater knew the lock attendant and chatted him up about fixing his pickup truck. Three people in one boat and four in the second made the tally for this particular transit. 

"Taxpayer dollars at work," exclaimed one observer on the platform under her breath as the pool rose and gates opened upriver allowing the two craft to speed off. Know that.

The Hunt For Apple 8-Track Stereo

What is more rare than Beatles records on vinyl? Try finding mint condition, sealed Beatles recordings distributed on 8-Track cartridges. Yes, the icon of the 1970s can often fetch a few dollars more than similar traditional vinyl.

Today in 42N country's Dubuque, Iowa a local thrift store provided this well worn 8-Track sleeve minus a cartridge. Oh there were other 8-Tracks present but no Beatle cartridges. Knowing that the packaging alone will increase in value from the 50 cents spent, I jammed a non-relevant 8-Track into the Apple container since the sleeve alone was not for sale. I chose the Beach Boys Endless Summer cartridge. The label says its equivalent to 2 8-Track cartridges.

The hunt for Beatle 8-Tracks continues with the knowledge that the market is increasing for 1970s music material coupled with the sheer novelty of the 8-Track format. Nothing like listening to a song, have it fade out at mid-tune, automatically click over to the next channel, fade-in and continue playing - a key selling point and the reason why the format did not survive. Know that.

Button Making from Mississippi River Clams

Nearly a hundred years ago the button industry flourished along the upper Mississippi River. Before the advent of plastic buttons, mother of pearl buttons were made from clams (mussels) harvested in the river.

One method used to collect clams involves a series of hooks that when lowered to the river floor would allow the clam to attach itself. After a period of time the harvester would pull the assembly up and detach the clam.

Once the meat was gathered the shell was sold to the button factories along the river. Using mechanical means the shells were cleaned, drilled for the button blank, cut, polished and packaged. The pearl button business declined in the 1960s with the availability of a cheaper to make material - plastic.

Drilled shells like the one above now in the at the National Mississippi River Museum in Dubuque, Iowa can still be found today where button factories once stood. Try looking in Guttenburg, Iowa for button shells. Know that.

Old Style Steerin' on the Mississippi River - Port of Dubuque

At the Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium in 42N country's Dubuque, Iowa there is much to see and do. The museum is divided into river history, biology, flood prevention, and an aquarium of fish, alligators, otters and other creatures that live in or along America's river. Outside you can find a retired steamboat to walk through along with other displays of ship engines from the Dubuque Boat Works.

One of the inside displays is a hands-on recreation of a steamboat pilot's wheel and bridge. This throwback display is not as flashy like the computer animated modern tow and barge counterpart located on the museum's second floor - where kids of all ages line up to pilot a 15 barge behemoth up river.

Yesterday's hand operated pilot wheel turns as you would expect a ship's wheel should turn - as seen in numerous old movies. Here's one thing that I noticed. To keep the wheel in the know of where center rudder is located a simple rope and wooden block device is positioned just ahead of the wheel That way the navigator knows how far the rudder is off center when turning the wheel. Ingenious yet simple. Know that.