Dream Machines Show Pictures
taken April 25, 2010, Half Moon Bay Airport

The Pacific Coast Dream Machines show is an outstanding way to spend some relaxing hours checking out an interesting variety of (usually old) machines -- airplanes, cars, model planes, tanks, and so on and so on. You can get within touching range of these machines and talk with the owners nearby. In fact, it appears to me that the owners enjoy the get together as much as the spectators enjoy seeing the machines.

Below are a few pictures and comments which give an idea of what there was to see and do at the 2010 Pacific Coast Dream Machines show at Half Moon Bay Airport. Admission including parking was $20 for adults and free for kids under 10, but it's for a good charity. Held the last Sunday of every April.

Old cars galore

Many hundreds of older cars of all kinds were being shown. There were many individual owners showing as well as several car clubs which were obviously using this event as a fun way to get together.

Rides & events

Besides monster truck rides there were also plane and helicopter rides. For $60/ride one old military plane that held about 8 passengers would take you out for a run, do some very sharp turns where you were almost perpendicular to vertical, and then do a low fast run over the airport which ended in a steep climb that must have put a few G forces on the passengers. A lady standing nearby said she had taken this same plane ride last year and it was quite a thrill.

The ramps you see to the left behind the monster truck were used by FMX freestyle motocross riders to take air jumps while doing a variety of daring twists, jumps, and backflips. The riders went so high that you could see them against the sky from a good distance.

Other events included unicycle dirt drag racing (i.e., on one wheel for 100 feet) and various music groups on stage. One event showed off a mad scientist's flame thrower called "El Diablo" which was also a hit at the Burning Man Festival. El Diablo was made out of a French fighter plane jet engine parts and throws flames 100 feet up into the air.

Unusual machines

Mixed in with the cars were other unusual machines including the:

• M551 Sheridan tank used in the Vietnam War and Operation Desert Storm.
• Aerocar, one of four built, which is half plane/half car. It was used on the 1955-59 Bob Cummings TV series.

Old machines

A variety of old machines, large and small, were to be found. At least two were steam powered.

Motorcycle heaven

Motorcycles were big at the show as well. Some were

• old like the Maytag washing machine powered motorcycle below.
• fast, like the 900 hp Ack Attack below which set the motorcycle land speed record of 360.913 mph at the Utah salt flats September 26, 2008.

Hundreds of motorcyclists showed up to be spectators ... so looking over their bikes in the parking lot and discussing them with other motorcyclists was part of the fun to be had.

Airplanes, airplanes, airplanes!

Last but not least there were a wide variety of airplanes to be seen up close and personal. These included the P-51 Mustang which won last year's Reno air races averaging 491.822 mph, radio controlled airplanes, acrobatic planes, and planes made from kits.

You could also get into a B-25, the bomber which Jimmy Doolittle's crew flew off aircraft carrier USS Hornet on April 18, 1942 to attack Japan in retaliation for Pearl Harbor. As an aside, the USS Hornet aircraft carrier is now a historical museum in Alameda and is a rare treat to visit. See http://www.uss-hornet.org/ for details.



Return from HMB Dream Machines show to Half Moon Bay, CA
Return from HMB Dream Machines show to San Francisco Best Things to Do

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