North American AT-6 - Flight & FlyBys

[@CapitalVideo]

I consider myself very fortunate in having had the opportunity to learn to fly in 1969 with the New Zealand Royal Airforce in a North American Mk 3 T6 Harvard, amassing a total of 146 hours. I was only 18 years old at the time and remember them as being a joy to fly and fairly light on the controls doing aerobatics, cross countries, instrument and night flying, and still enjoy watching any films that show them at their best.

[@cudaman-yq7pq]

Looking forward to a new update on the ME108! :)

[@David-yo5ws]

In New Zealand we know these as Havard Aeroplanes. We have at least 4 of these at the Art Deco Festival every year. Their distinctive sound rips through the air, as they do their Aero Display Routine over Hawke Bay, off the Marine Parade. With a new propeller design, their 'trademark' noise has been reduced somewhat. They are very much a part of the Napier culture. Love the deep base sound of the Pratt & Whitney Wasp R-1340-AN-1 Great to see your video Kermit. Thank you.

[@FarkyDave]

Love the radial engine sound!

[@carlT1986]

I think elevator music in heaven will be recordings of an r2800 startup and takeoff with 120% max military combat loading

[@Juno58]

Me too, but i don't like the 2-bladed prop sound 😳

[@davelewandoski4292]

Merlins and Allisons are sweet, but you just can't match the sound of a (or multiple) Wrights or P&Ws!

[@kennethbolton951]

I flew in the back seat of an AT-6 on a "pick aviation" NROTC trip in Pensacola 1967 with a Marine pilot who pretended the com didn't work every time he'd ask me if I'd like to try another maneuver, I think he wanted to make a squid puke into his flight suit. Even flew upside down over the field, getting sick didn't happen, three generations of fliers and acrobats never got seasick or airsick. But he sure tried. It was exhilarating. Lovely plane, even let me fly it a little. Nothing like flying in Florida on a cotton candy cloud day. A year and a half later I was flying, always a passenger, in Ac-47 Spookies, C-119s, OV-10 Broncos, Cessna O-1 bird dog, Pilatus /Fairchild PC-6 in Thailand/Vietnam and even an RF4 once (Germany), loved em all.

[@eamo106]

After a visit to you, me and 3 sons got to fly the AT6 at Warbird Adventures a neighbor of yours. The two yellow ones ! No take off or landing of course, but hands on in the air stick time. Loops, rolls... Best Aviation day of our lives ~! probably now defunct and not possible. The Sound on a PC or Mac is 1/10th of that in reality, soul moving ~!!! The most important plane of WWII ! love it !

[@eamo106]

Kermit is the man !

[@vrdrew63]

Another fantastic video, Mr Weeks. Looking back on this, with the (ridiculous) benefit of 85 years of hindsight, what an incredible training aircraft the AT-6 Texan was. Retractable undercarriage? Check! Air-cooled radial engine? Check! All-metal monoplane? Check! And, probably, a whole bunch of things a 1940s-era combat pilot needed to learn. We in the US and Britain were very, very fortunate to have training aircraft like the Texan available to our pilots back then. Neither the Nazis nor the Japanese had airplanes like the Texan available to their student pilots. Think a moment on that, and consider how this might have influenced the the way the war turned out. Today? We are very fortunate to have pilots and enthusiasts like Kermit Weeks. People with the skills, dedication, and drive to keep these gorgeous warbirds flying.Also, Shout Out to the mechanics, technicians, volunteers, fabricators and specialists who do so much to keep 80+ year old airplanes airworthy! Rock on, my incredibly skilled aviator friends!

[@greybeard5774]

I'm not a pilot .. not involved in aviation anyhow .. but by each Kermit's video I feel more and more pity about that .. he's able to make this subject really fascinating and close :))

[@raymondwoods2304]

My Dad flew in the AT6 at Miami after getting his RAF Wings during the war. From there, such a short step to the Avro Lancaster!

[@newtnewton6721]

I got my first warbird experience in a at6 in Kissimmee Florida in 1992 with the owner letting me take the controls and trimming the airplane in with the trim wheel and then on to some aerobatic flying I will never forget

[@lorenzodunn3226]

Excellent film footage and sound. Great commentary.

[@faustobaptista8555]

It's documentary one more time. We had here in our air foces This great model. I by myself saw this model flying around my house in those old times .

[@kennysherrill6542]

Hi Kermit! The first time I met you was at the Porterville fly-in in 1982. You flew in your A-26 with a beautiful young woman and the last time I seen you was in Madera at the Dolittle reunion. I had just graduated from A&P School from Reedley College, now at the age of 64 I'm thinking of getting my pilots license, I would really like to go there in Florida and visit you, your a very interesting person and your love of Aviation. 👍👍👍👍👍❤🇺🇸

[@elosogonzalez8739]

Always wanted to fly a AT-6. That is an airplane that is not given enough credit in the winning of WWII! This airplane trained so many pilots that went on to fight the enemy around the world. That 1340 sure sounds great. Thank you for your commitment to the preservation of aviation history! What's the status of the AT-11? Another airplane I love to fly in. I can imagine myself in the nose bombing the bad guys!

[@e-rj8984]

Very nice presentation of an important trainer from the past 👍🇺🇸

[@odonovan]

That's one of the few times I've seen Kermit do a wheels-only landing with a taildragger. Usually they're three-pointers.

[@steveshoemaker6347]

Thanks Kermit....AT-6 first hit the sky in Apr 01, 1935 top speed 208.16 MPH...lt is not a small plane.....Thanks again Kermit Blessing your way my friend....l sure do look forward to your video of old War Birds....!

[@1999softailharley]

Hi kermit been a fan for many decades now you inspired me to go get my license im an amputee and couldnt fly because of toe brakrs i found a plane i can fly its a remos gx then covid hit and we stopped the lessons now he went out of business so im bacl to square one it sucks man i love your vision for aviation its the best i drop what im doig to click on when you post your the best sir

[@mattharte7334]

Love your AT-6 Texan. Keep up the great work Kermit. Thanks for posting another cool video. I’ve seen Harvards fly from Duxford and what an awesome noise they make on take off.

[@madmoran1029]

Hey Kermit, thanks for the upload. I am gonna read up on that aircraft for sure. Keep on with videos.

[@davelewandoski4292]

Great video Kermit, Thanks!

[@coolleo149]

The AT6 Texan is a good plane yo!

[@wilco3588]

Wonderful sound roll in and "strafe" the target I've had that happen to me and you are just so exposed you don't know where to run too!

[@thecorbies]

Kermit always such a great ambassador for the aviation community and the history. Well done Kermit. Regards Mark in the UK

[@bernardc2553]

The Older I get. The more I wanna be re-born..AS A T-6 SNJ Harvard, PROP!

[@artd.]

Great Video Mr. Kermit but what are the blisters on the lower outer wing panel? My SNJ-5 didn't have them. Thank for the video.......:-)

[@stacyobrien1729]

Always love the sound of an AT-6, I do have a question, I see your B-24 in the video and am wondering if she is still airworthy or only a static aircraft now?

[@KermitWeeks444]

Could be airworthy in short order if I put my crew on it

[@stacyobrien1729]

Mr. Weeks, the reason I asked about your B-24 was simply out of curiosity and how cool it would to see it fly again and not to take away from all the other projects you have going on, myself and so many others appreciate every effort you put forward to save these aircraft for the future!!

[@odonovan]

@@KermitWeeks444, too many planes and not enough crew (or money). 😉 I have a feeling that, if you were a billionaire, you'd have a crew the size of a small city keeping them all airworthy on a moment's notice. Gots ta keep some cash set aside for Act III, as well.

[@2lotusman851]

Ooof. First airplane I ever flew--(for about 10 minutes in the back pit back in the early 80s). The owner charged me $40 for the fuel, and I got a wild ride for it. They are quite aerobatic..... Engine sounds kinda comical from the outside when its idling-- chicken pluckin, chicken pluckin! A lot more business like when you are strapped in.

[@wilco3588]

Were There were some AT 6s that were equipped with guns for gunnery training ? 30 cal 50 cal? Where were they located and how many?

[@agoodchristianpilot159]

I can’t tell you were all of them were located or how many there were but in the left wing there is an inboard gun port. These often had a browning 1919 in it (.30). These were used for aerial gunnery on target tugs and strafing targets in training. In addition, there could be a rearward facing gun in the copilots seat, where the layout would be adjusted so that the copilot would be sitting backwards. This was used for tailgunner training. In combat though, T-6s saw armed use in korea as a light attack aircraft and a forward air controller, where it would carry rocket pods, guns, and smaller bombs. (250lb I believe)

[@shanethepain2009]

did you get he Wirraway all sorted out and correct now , essentially at T6 right

[@kimmartin6985]

Hey Kermit, since you have closed FOF what is happening to your aircraft collection? Are they still being cared for and worked on?

[@faustobaptista8555]

It 's a great....

[@emmettbaker5024]

Gotta ask, when you first started taxiing it,why was it trying to turn in the opposite direction from which you were trying to stear (judging from the rudder movement)?

[@dllmpb06]

Tail wheel wasn't straight so he bumped the throttle to get it straightened out.

[@odonovan]

Part of it would be torque from the engine. It also looked as if Kermit was using his left wheel brake a bit, possibly to get a better view of where he was about to taxi.

[@dllmpb06]

@@odonovan no torque would be noticed while slowly taxing and no braking was done just the tail wheel was backwards from the tug pushing it into its starting position, while applying power the tail wheel straightens out looking as if he applied braking to one or the other side. I own and operate a T- 6G

[@dannymitchum5]

SWeet.

[@bgd73]

those wings.. not even the p-51 had the faster angle up front. you can tell the war effort was slammed upon all of them. there is a reason that T6 was used into the 1970s. T6 has a hint of corsair and the faster angle up front..

[@carlT1986]

How do you decide which plane you will fly on a given day?

[@KermitWeeks444]

I rotate the planes that are airworthy, and pick from the ones that are

[@carlT1986]

@@KermitWeeks444 how do you prioritize which planes are to be airworthy?

[@mattjware]

Still flyin?