Warbirds and Airshows

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Gate Guards, Outside Museum Displays and Air Parks

Gate Guards, Gate Guardians, or Planes on Pole are a few or the monikers that describe the aircraft one will see sitting in front of various veterans' organizations, at the main gates or inside military bases, outside of museums, and other unexpected locations, such as a former Navy A-7 Corsair II on the front lawn of a high school in Ohio because the school's nickname is "The Aviators". I have taken on this task after my research determined there was no web page dedicated to the photo-documentation of these aircraft that sit out in the elements, subject to the corrosion the weather causes and also damage perpetrated by vandals.

This F-4 Phantom is located at at the Corona, AZ American Legion Post 109. Photo take May 12, 2009.

S-2 Tracker on static display at the Cal Fire Air Attack Base at Hemet Airport, CA. May 14, 2009

F-101 at the Wilmington, Ohio Airport - February 2, 2009

F-117A at Holloman AFB, Alamogordo AFB - October 3, 2008 - This is one of only three F-117A's on display as a gate guards in the world.

Ft. Indiantown Gap, PA National Guard Training Center - June 6, 2008

Dobbins ARB, Marietta, GA

I have for each aircraft included several different photos of the subject aircraft as opposed to just one shot. This is because it normally takes some time and effort to get to these locations as many of them are really in some remote locations and I might as well show several different angles and features of the planes as possible.

Fairmount, IN - American Legion

The Indiana Air National Guard used to fly the F-84 from its two bases at Ft. Wayne and Terre Haute. Consequently there are a considerable number of these on display especially around the Ft. Wayne area. Early jet age aircraft such as the T-33 and F-86 are prevalent in many locations, with a small amount of Vietnam era warbirds such as the F-105 and F-4 on display. In the past several years the Army has released a considerable amount of UH-1 and AH-1 helicopters which are the newest to take their place as gate guards. Next generation should be the F-16 and F-15 as the new F-22 and F-35 come into service.