The Geico Sky Typers are in town getting ready for a show in Baltimore and WMAR-2 News' Don Harrison had the chance to go up with them.
The famous T-6 trainer's aircraft was built in the 1940’s
"Pilots in World War II had to go to this advanced trainer before they moved on to the P 51 Mustang, Coursairs, B-17s, B25. they all had to do their gunnery work And their aerobatic work in these aircraft," said Pilot Steve Salmirs.
Speaking of aerobatic work, Pilot Salmirs, per our request, was up for a little fun.
These Geico Sky Typers work as a group of six, skywriting is just one plane making letters.
Using six planes letting out smoke all at once, they can make letters 1000 feet high and they can be seen from 15 miles away.
"And then in the lead ship I have a tablet it’s on my knee and I can create a message, program, move your plans around and run messages," said Pilot Salmirs.
After blowing off some smoke it was time for a little more shenanigans. Salmirs flies for a major airline now, but he can appreciate what the pilots did these aircraft before they went into battle
"But back then they had this airplane. They had a little needle that pointed to the ship, they were and whether they had no the radar to speak of, they had no big communications to speak of and they put themselves in harms way all the time they had found their way home. Back then the man of that generation in my mind are our heroes and that’s why we're here today."
The Geico Sky Typers do about 15 shows a year. We’re lucky enough to catch them this weekend at the Inner Harbor Saturday and Sunday. WMAR-2 News' Don Harrison will be flying at 1:30.
