Narrative:

As we were preparing to taxi from the 'warbird' area for departure, I called ground and advised of that fact, and that we were going to head south to return to waukesha. In response, I was told to not communicate with ATC, but to, simply, follow the commands of the 'flaggers.' (this was consistent with the enclosed hand-out, which was included in our registration packages, to wit: 'attention...pilots participating in special event: follow all ground crew commands.') we were then marshalled by the 'flaggers' (using flags and hand signals, only, and handing us off from one flagger to the next) to the 'active' (runway 10/28). All the while, we were accompanied by a flagger on a small motor bike, who rode along our right wingtips. As we came to within less than about 50 yds of the south edge of the runway (at about 1/3 of its length, from its west end), my friend called ground, again, and asked whom we should be following (to whom we should be speaking). We were, again, advised to 'follow the flaggers.' at this point, the flagger on the motor bike pointed to another flagger at the edge of the active (runway 10), who promptly signaled us onto the runway and pointed toward the west (ie, for us to back-taxi for departure). As we back-taxied toward the end of the runway, I was going over some pre-takeoff checklist items, when I looked up, and to my utter amazement, saw an airplane on short final, coming right at us. I looked over to my friend, and we both, nearly simultaneously, exited the runway, albeit to opposite sides. My friend and I had previously arranged to use an air-to-air frequency (122.77), once we were airborne. I can't recall if it was over that frequency or ground (121.6) that we first talked to each other at this point. I do recall that we spoke, and that we expressed to each other our total shock at the situation. My friend advised that he had just monitored the tower and had heard it talking to the landing aircraft. He heard the tower tell the landing aircraft that 'tower wasn't talking to the 2 mustangs on the runway,' but that the aircraft should just land over them, a little long. The landing aircraft complied. (By this time, we were well off the runway surface.) another aircraft landed immediately thereafter, and, having completed our run-ups, we were told (now by the tower) to taxi into position. We were then cleared for takeoff, and proceeded with our otherwise uneventful flight back to waukesha.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT OF TWO P51 ACFT TAXIING FOR TKOF WERE INSTRUCTED BY TWR TO FOLLOW FLAGGER DIRECTIONS. FLAGGER INDICATED FOR ACFT TO BACK TAXI ON THE ACTIVE RWY AND, AS THEY DID, THEY SAW AN ACFT ON FINAL APCH, SO EXITED THE RWY UNTIL ESTABLISHING COM WITH THE TWR.

Narrative: AS WE WERE PREPARING TO TAXI FROM THE 'WARBIRD' AREA FOR DEP, I CALLED GND AND ADVISED OF THAT FACT, AND THAT WE WERE GOING TO HEAD S TO RETURN TO WAUKESHA. IN RESPONSE, I WAS TOLD TO NOT COMMUNICATE WITH ATC, BUT TO, SIMPLY, FOLLOW THE COMMANDS OF THE 'FLAGGERS.' (THIS WAS CONSISTENT WITH THE ENCLOSED HAND-OUT, WHICH WAS INCLUDED IN OUR REGISTRATION PACKAGES, TO WIT: 'ATTN...PLTS PARTICIPATING IN SPECIAL EVENT: FOLLOW ALL GND CREW COMMANDS.') WE WERE THEN MARSHALLED BY THE 'FLAGGERS' (USING FLAGS AND HAND SIGNALS, ONLY, AND HANDING US OFF FROM ONE FLAGGER TO THE NEXT) TO THE 'ACTIVE' (RWY 10/28). ALL THE WHILE, WE WERE ACCOMPANIED BY A FLAGGER ON A SMALL MOTOR BIKE, WHO RODE ALONG OUR R WINGTIPS. AS WE CAME TO WITHIN LESS THAN ABOUT 50 YDS OF THE S EDGE OF THE RWY (AT ABOUT 1/3 OF ITS LENGTH, FROM ITS W END), MY FRIEND CALLED GND, AGAIN, AND ASKED WHOM WE SHOULD BE FOLLOWING (TO WHOM WE SHOULD BE SPEAKING). WE WERE, AGAIN, ADVISED TO 'FOLLOW THE FLAGGERS.' AT THIS POINT, THE FLAGGER ON THE MOTOR BIKE POINTED TO ANOTHER FLAGGER AT THE EDGE OF THE ACTIVE (RWY 10), WHO PROMPTLY SIGNALED US ONTO THE RWY AND POINTED TOWARD THE W (IE, FOR US TO BACK-TAXI FOR DEP). AS WE BACK-TAXIED TOWARD THE END OF THE RWY, I WAS GOING OVER SOME PRE-TKOF CHKLIST ITEMS, WHEN I LOOKED UP, AND TO MY UTTER AMAZEMENT, SAW AN AIRPLANE ON SHORT FINAL, COMING RIGHT AT US. I LOOKED OVER TO MY FRIEND, AND WE BOTH, NEARLY SIMULTANEOUSLY, EXITED THE RWY, ALBEIT TO OPPOSITE SIDES. MY FRIEND AND I HAD PREVIOUSLY ARRANGED TO USE AN AIR-TO-AIR FREQ (122.77), ONCE WE WERE AIRBORNE. I CAN'T RECALL IF IT WAS OVER THAT FREQ OR GND (121.6) THAT WE FIRST TALKED TO EACH OTHER AT THIS POINT. I DO RECALL THAT WE SPOKE, AND THAT WE EXPRESSED TO EACH OTHER OUR TOTAL SHOCK AT THE SIT. MY FRIEND ADVISED THAT HE HAD JUST MONITORED THE TWR AND HAD HEARD IT TALKING TO THE LNDG ACFT. HE HEARD THE TWR TELL THE LNDG ACFT THAT 'TWR WASN'T TALKING TO THE 2 MUSTANGS ON THE RWY,' BUT THAT THE ACFT SHOULD JUST LAND OVER THEM, A LITTLE LONG. THE LNDG ACFT COMPLIED. (BY THIS TIME, WE WERE WELL OFF THE RWY SURFACE.) ANOTHER ACFT LANDED IMMEDIATELY THEREAFTER, AND, HAVING COMPLETED OUR RUN-UPS, WE WERE TOLD (NOW BY THE TWR) TO TAXI INTO POS. WE WERE THEN CLRED FOR TKOF, AND PROCEEDED WITH OUR OTHERWISE UNEVENTFUL FLT BACK TO WAUKESHA.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.