Today, Warriors and Warbirds continues to maintain Tinker Belle along with a second World War II-era craft, a Fairchild C-123 Provider named Ponderous Polly. “It’s just a great story of the people you meet doing this kind of work,” Lee says. Lee says he is continually grateful for the chance to meet Jeb and bond over their shared connection to the C-46 aircraft. Jeb and Lee stayed in contact from that day until Jeb’s passing three years later. WBTV in Charlotte later aired a story on this chance meeting, as shown in the YouTube clip above. “I said, ‘You’re kidding me!’ That was a great meeting, and Jeb came up to some of our events and talked to people, and he would even sit in the cockpit.” I was a pilot flying over the Himalayas,’” Lee recalls. “Jeb came up to me and he said, ‘I want you to know that in World War II, I flew the C-46.
Jeb, who was 92 at the time, approached Lee to tell him about his own intimate relationship with the C-46 and its storied history. One of Lee’s fondest memories from his time with Warriors and Warbirds came when he met a World War II veteran and C-46 pilot named Jeb Stewart at an event featuring Tinker Belle in Greenwood, South Carolina. There are larger planes out there, but they’re not tail-draggers - or they’re no longer flying.” “She’s a tail-dragger, and she has the largest footprint of any tail-dragging aircraft flying today, meaning she’s really special. “Tinker Belle is a very unique airplane to fly,” Lee says. Lee Myers had the privilege of flying Tinker Belle himself, allowing him the rare chance to step back through time to a golden era of aviation history. Tinker Belle’s name is a wink-and-nudge play on its size: at the time of its production, the C-46 was the biggest twin-engine aircraft in the world, and it was also the largest and heaviest twin-engine plane to see service in World War II. In 2012, Warriors and Warbirds took on a new dimension when the group, with Lee now serving on its board of directors, acquired a one-of-a-kind piece of aviation history: a 1944 Curtiss C-46 Commando transport aircraft, which acquired the affectionate nickname “Tinker Belle.” Previously, the aircraft had spent nearly a decade sitting neglected and exposed to the elements in Texas, but the group set about restoring her and getting her ready to fly again. He started volunteering with Warriors and Warbirds on a regular basis, helping the group to put on its annual airshow at the Monroe Airport and occasionally drawing on his legal and political experience to offer advice. A longtime pilot himself, Lee discovered the group by word of mouth and, after meeting them, felt drawn to the aviation expertise and respect for history he saw. How can I volunteer for Warbirds Over Monroe Air Show?Ĭontact show organizers from our home page.Attorney Lee Myers began working with Warriors and Warbirds in 2010 after concluding his tenure as mayor of the town of Matthews. There is NO SMOKING allowed inside the gates. Spectators are encouraged to plan accordingly. General admission tickets allow you to sit in the available open space. For the safety of all our spectators, these items will not be allowed on the show grounds. Make sure you receive a hand stamp when you exit.Ĭan I bring a bike, roller blades or a scooter?
No beverages can be brought through the gates. Once full, the lot will become a handicap drop-off and pick-up point. There is limited handicap parking near the airport. Parking is available in nearby fields and business lots.įollow the signs and directions of the volunteers.īuses will transport spectators from designated bus stops to the entry gates.
Tickets at the gate cost $20 for adults, $5 for veterans, $15 for age 12 – 18, and under 12 are free. Is the show schedule the same for both Saturday and Sunday? **IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT: Please be advised that guests are not permitted to fly in as we simply do not have the ramp space to accommodate additional planes during this event.
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