Sleeping Dog TV

07/21/2025

Warbirds in Review is brought to you by Scotts Miracle-Gro,
Fagen Fighters WWII Museum, Warbirds of America, and the following media partners.
Breitling
Airmotive Specialties, Inc.

Cessna L-19 Birddogs: A Soldier’s Best Friend, Monday, July 21, 2025, 1 pm
On June 25, 1950, North Korean troops invaded South Korea, sparking a three-year war. The brutal air war involved pilots of Cessna L-19 Bird Dogs, who located enemies, marked targets, and coordinated strikes in Forward Air Control missions. Recognizing the need for dedicated FAC aircraft, Cessna modified its civilian 170 into the L-19 Bird Dog, used in Korea and Vietnam for reconnaissance, artillery spotting, radio relay, convoy es**rt, and forward air control. Replaced gradually by the O-2 Skymaster and OV-10 Bronco, 469 Bird Dogs were lost during the wars. The U.S. Army’s 220th Aviation Company, the Catkillers, operated L-19s over the DMZ between North and South Vietnam. Pilot Charlie Finch described the DMZ as hostile. Based at Phu Bai, 80 miles south of the DMZ, they socialized with OV-1 Mohawk pilots, including Bill Reeder, who trained in L-19s but later qualified in the OV-1 for covert missions in Laos, Cambodia, and North Vietnam—losing 22 of 18 Mohawks, mostly killed or missing. Reeder, at 22, parachuted into enemy territory after his aircraft was shot down, but was rescued amid enemy fire. He later flew Cobra gunships in Vietnam, where his aircraft was shot down. Injured and burned, he evaded enemy patrols for three days, was captured, and spent 10 months as a POW, including 3 months in the Hanoi Hilton.

07/21/2025

Warbirds in Review is brought to you by Scotts Miracle-Gro,
Fagen Fighters WWII Museum, Warbirds of America, and the
following media partners.
Breitling
Airmotive Specialties, Inc.

On April 18, 1942, sixteen heavily loaded B-25s took off from the Hornet’s
deck toward Japan, reaching around noon Tokyo time. They bombed
targets in Tokyo and five other cities before heading to China. One plane
landed in Russia due to a fuel shortage; the others crash-landed or bailed
out in China, with many helped by civilians. Of 80 crew, three were killed,
eight captured by the Japanese who executed three, and many returned
home soon after. Dick Cole stayed in India until May 1943, helping develop
routes into China and becoming a “Hump pilot.” Brick Holstrom joined the AVG and commanded a bomber group; Bob Gray was killed in a crash.
Others remained in the CBI, some were later killed or returned later, and
Crew 8 was interned in Russia for over a year. Though the raid caused little
damage, it shook Japan’s confidence and led to strategic errors that
influenced the war’s outcome. Understanding the sacrifices and stakes of WWII is vital; it was a clear battle of good versus evil, shaping our
civilization for over 80 years. Veterans of that war saved humanity; we
thank the family members of the Doolittle Raiders. Their personal stories,
shared today, offer new perspectives and recognize the heroes.
Today we remember, we honor, and we educate.

07/04/2025

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!

07/03/2025

WARBIRDS IN REVIEW
The P-38 Lightning was one of the greatest fighter planes of World War II. Lockheed built more than 10,000 P-38s during the war, in 18 distinct versions. P-38 pilots flew more than 130 thousand sorties in every theater of the war. In the Pacific, P-38 pilots shot down more Japanese aircraft than any other fighter. In Europe, photo-reconnaissance P-38s captured 90 percent of the aerial photos taken over the continent.

06/30/2025

Air2AirTV now offers the best HD aviation videos, featuring over 3,000 titles. Now, for a limited time, for just $9.95 a year. Watch anytime, anywhere, on any device. Included is the Fagen Fighters WWII Museum’s “Voices of Valor” series featuring Don McPherson, WWII Pacific Theater Hellcat ACE, and more than 50 detailed WWII interviews. Your subscription helps us create and license more content. REMEMBER - limited time offer!

06/26/2025

WARBIRDS IN REVIEW
The military defines “close air support” as air action by aircraft against hostile targets that are close to friendly forces on the ground and that require coordination with those friendly forces. The Republic’s P-47 Thunderbolt and the Fairchild-Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II are among the champions of close air support. Photo Courtesy Ricardo von Puttkammer.

06/24/2025

Air2AirTV is now offering the best in HD aviation video -over 3,000 titles- for just 9.95 for an entire year. Watch anywhere, any time, on any device. Included is the video version of the most compelling podcast in aviation, “Hoot Gibson’s Hangar”. Your subscription helps us create and license more content. Limited time offer!”

06/14/2025

06/04/2025

WARBIRDS IN REVIEW 2025
Wednesday July 23rd 10:00 Messerschmitt Me 262 and P-51D Colonel Joseph “Joe” Anthony Peterburs. The Messerschmitt Me-262 is owned by Military Aviation Museum. Mark & Missy Timken are the sponsors of a recent Midwest Aero P-51 restoration. They have generously offered a special surprise for Col. Peterburs and the audience. This aircraft is a known combat survivor that flew with the 20th Fighter Group during WWII. Pilot Colonel Joseph “Joe” Anthony Peterburs’, story of his Me-262 encounter began on April 10, 1945, when, while piloting a P-51, he engaged in a dogfight with a Me-262, damaging it and forcing the German pilot to bail out. He was just 19 years old. Later that day, while strafing an airfield, his aircraft was severely damaged by ground fire. Unfortunately, he was unable to make it back to friendly lines and had to bail out over Burg, Germany, was immediately captured, and became a POW. You do not want to miss this presentation. Joe is 101 years old and delighted to be joining us in Oshkosh.

04/20/2025

HOOT GIBSON’S HANGAR
SEASON 2 NOW STREAMING

Where to Listen: On All Major Podcast Directories
Where to Watch: Air2AirTV.com. Click on Resources to download the podcast as well.

04/15/2025

HOOT GIBSON’S HANGAR
SEASON 2 NOW STREAMING
Hoot interviews Top Gun: Maverick F-18 Super Hornet pilot, U.S. Navy Commander Frank "Walleye" Weisser (Ret.). Frank is a former Blue Angels pilot who was invited to perform special maneuvers for the critically acclaimed movie.
Weisser flew in the front seat as the pilot for some of the film’s most memorable scenes, including one where actor Tom Cruise blazes through a twisting canyon uncomfortably close to rocky cliffs and the ground at lightning speeds. By completing that canyon course in 2:15 in the movie, Cruise was able to demonstrate to his Navy superiors that the combat mission his pilots were tasked with could indeed be accomplished. Although it appears that Cruise is flying the jet, it is actually Weisser. "

Where to Watch: Air2AirTV.com. Click on Resources to download the podcast as well.
Where to Listen: On All Major Podcast Directories

04/14/2025

The REAL Top Gun Part 1 premiere airs on April 15.
Hoot Gibson's Hangar Podcast is available on all major directories. The vodcast version is exclusively found at Air2AirTV.com.
Hoot interviews Top Gun: Maverick F-18 Super Hornet pilot Frank "Walleye" Weisser. Frank is a former Blue Angels pilot who was invited to perform special maneuvers for the critically acclaimed movie.
“Top Gun actually had a guideline that says we will not take a Lieutenant Junior Grade pilot, because he isn't experienced enough or advanced enough. But because Jim Ruliffson had been one of the founders and he sent me to Top Gun they let me they let me come to the school. And so I may have been the very first lieutenant junior grade to go through Top Gun.” Hoot Gibson.