Dawn Patrol Rendezvous

In 2014 and 2018 the National Museum of the United States Air Force hosted the Dawn Patrol Rendezvous. The air show was a gathering of replica airplanes and re-enactors to mark the centennials of the beginning (1914) and end (1918) of World War One. I was able to attend both of those shows and will be posting those photos here.

There's another Rendezvous scheduled for October 7 and 8, 2022. If you're within driving distance of Dayton, Ohio, it's worth the trip to this unique event. And if you can't make the show, the museum is worth a visit. Just be aware that it will probably take at least two days to see everything in the expansive museum.

 

Here's a shot from the 2018 Dawn Patrol Rendezvous. The airplane is the famous German Fokker Dr. I triplane (or Dreidecker in German). It is most remembered as the plane that the Red Baron flew towards the end of the war. Interestingly, the design was inspired by the British Sopwith triplane.

The soldier standnig guard looks like he was ordered to never leave his post in 1918 when the plane was parked after its last flight.


Old Soldiers Never Die

 

And I'm putting on a slide show for a local railfan club. Poor timing for both of us.

 

Here's a replica of a Nieuport 12 flying the airshow loop. How do I know what type of plane it is? I looked up the registration number.


Nieuport 12 On Patrol

 

Can someone become an ace if he's not actually a pilot? Since this guy is a mannequin, he probably doesn't qualify anyway.


He's Got You In His Sights

 

Another replica in flight, this time a Fokker D.VII. Why so many replicas? As the show announcer said, if you started with an original plane, over the last 100 years every single piece would have been replaced, so you end up with an entirely new plane. My own research has shown that there were precious few planes that survived as late as 1930. Many of the German planes that survived were destroyed by Allied bombs in WW2.


Common Sight

 

In a war where the common soldiers lived in trenches, a select group of British troops enjoyed the privilege of being equipped with bicycles. Click the photo to read the details on Flickr.


Going Green

 

Here's another Fokker D.VII replica on the flight line. This one is an 80% scale kit plane from Airdrome Aeroplanes (in case you want one of your own).


Friendly Face

 

Besides the "antique" aeroplanes, there were a few vintage automobiles on hand, the 1909 Maxwell is a bit older than the one Jack Benny drove.


Oh, Rochester!

 

Another replica takes to the air at Dayton. This is a Nieuport 11 C-1. (The C-1 designation is French for single-seat fighter.)


Keeping France Free