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So today, I'm in the hangar and I hear a 'heavy' prop job fly by. Going out to check, I recognized the B-24 right off. The Historic Aircraft group has come back once again, and this time, their parked right outside our hangar. Yes, I played the gawky eyed kid and snapped a bunch of photos. I even 'laid hands on' the P-51 and helped them push it. Sure... it felt just like any other aircraft I've ever pushed, but... it's an actual P-51!
How I long for the day where I can reach out and touch an ME-109.
V.
How I long for the day where I can reach out and touch an ME-109.
V.
Category All / All
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File Size 207.3 kB
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One of the engineers at the nuke plant I worked at had a P51 joystick on his desk. I ran into him recently and asked him about the stick. He taught pilots in South American countries to fly them after he was released from the USAF in 1974. It was from a bird he had flown, but one of his students had a Controlled Flight Into Terrain issue..
I understand how you feel. I still remember my 13th birthday when I got a ride in a family friend's P-51. They had put a jump seat where they radio stack had been... that started my enjoyment of the older war birds.
When I went to school that fall I told friends about my ride... I was called a lair by the jocks. When Dad had the film developed there was a string of photos of the event. One with Steve and I standing next to Black Max, my orange shirt standing out on the black fuselage. One with me strapped into the back seat grinning like a fool. Then one with us just lifting off... The next with us upside down over the runway. The last one was us taxing up with the canopy slid back Steve and I both looking at the camera... Dad said I looked like a grinning fool when we rolled to a stop.
Anyway I showed the photos, the jocks called them fakes. OH well... some peoples and their egos. I know I was there and fun I had for a short amount of time. It wasn't long after that Steve sold Black Max and picked up a Beech Barron... It was more useful and could carry more than just two.
You know this would make a good base for a story... Hmmm Steve a otter or ferret... Dad would be wolf, he earned the nickname of Wolf Tracks as a kid while working at a logging camp, because he would tell the loggers what the wolves had been doing by the tracks.
When I went to school that fall I told friends about my ride... I was called a lair by the jocks. When Dad had the film developed there was a string of photos of the event. One with Steve and I standing next to Black Max, my orange shirt standing out on the black fuselage. One with me strapped into the back seat grinning like a fool. Then one with us just lifting off... The next with us upside down over the runway. The last one was us taxing up with the canopy slid back Steve and I both looking at the camera... Dad said I looked like a grinning fool when we rolled to a stop.
Anyway I showed the photos, the jocks called them fakes. OH well... some peoples and their egos. I know I was there and fun I had for a short amount of time. It wasn't long after that Steve sold Black Max and picked up a Beech Barron... It was more useful and could carry more than just two.
You know this would make a good base for a story... Hmmm Steve a otter or ferret... Dad would be wolf, he earned the nickname of Wolf Tracks as a kid while working at a logging camp, because he would tell the loggers what the wolves had been doing by the tracks.
I went to a fly-in about 10 years ago with my toddler son. He was about 3 at the time and I took him to see the inside of a B-17. I set him down in the cockpit for a brief moment to climb aboard myself and he immediately took off down the fusilage. I jumped up to catch him and he quickly ran through the navigation station and into the bomb bay. The bomb bay doors were both open and there was a narrow "bridge" to the rear of the bomber between the bomb racks and I thought either one of two things would happen. He would either go "bombs away" to the hard tarmac below, or, I hoped, stop before stepping on the gantry. He took a third option and nimbly ran across the gantry to the tail gunner chair, all the while laughing at daddy trying to squeeze himself between the two struts holding up the very narrow bomb bay gantry. I was horrified he'd both hurt himself and this priceless flying warbird. Thankfully both he and the Flying Fortress survivedo unharmed.
I was told by Dad I did that a couple of times when I was about the same age. The planes were C-47, Grumman Goose and a Grumman Albatross. The Grummans were owned by a family friend in Alaska that Dad flew for from time to time when they needed an extra pilot. I really don't remember it, but I do remember Bud Bodding teasing me about it when I was in my 20s when we stopped by for a visit. Odd how things bring back memories from 40 years ago.
What a beautiful sight!
We have several of those lovely warbirds arrive to grace our runway and apron out here when our local airshow/fly-in occurs every year or so. Wuff just LOVES to hear the sound those engines make when they fly over Vrghr's shop, located very close to the approach of the runway here. You can tell right away it isn't one of the normal birds we see here, even if you're not looking out the windows.
We have several of those lovely warbirds arrive to grace our runway and apron out here when our local airshow/fly-in occurs every year or so. Wuff just LOVES to hear the sound those engines make when they fly over Vrghr's shop, located very close to the approach of the runway here. You can tell right away it isn't one of the normal birds we see here, even if you're not looking out the windows.
Last time a B-17 was in town I damned near crashed my car!
I was driving near the local airport where they were flying into, and suddenly I heard the drone of those beautiful radial engines. I immediately knew what was overhead, and HAD to see her NOW!!!!
Kinda forgot I was driving for a second......
I was driving near the local airport where they were flying into, and suddenly I heard the drone of those beautiful radial engines. I immediately knew what was overhead, and HAD to see her NOW!!!!
Kinda forgot I was driving for a second......
Back when I worked at the airport and we had our annual fly-in, several pilots would show up with their old warbirds. I can't remember if any were from WW1, but there were definitely some big ones from WW2. Unfortunately I couldn't play photographer and gawk at them because I was on the clock and helping customers.
I do love those old WWII aircraft. Just something about those sleek lines and the robust looks they came up with back in the day. Then there is the sound of those props as compared to the modern jet turbines. The B-17 is probably my favorite of all the bombers of the era. This probably as back in the day as a child I got to go to an airshow where they had a B-17 that you could pick up tickets and take a ride on. Quite the thing to ride about in that big thing, feeling the shift as it banked and listening to the drone of the engines.
so you flew on one? I am so envious! These also offer rides but the price is to rich for my blood. The B-17 started up yesterday and filled the hangar with blue smoke, and one of the young mechanics asked me, 'Are they supposed to do that?' You have to love the innocence. By his age I'd already built models and devoured just about every book I could get my hands on.
*sighs...
V.
*sighs...
V.
Many years ago I worked on B-17's used for fire fighting. we had 2 of them at Chico CA. along with a hand full of DC 4's 5's and 6's. The company was constantly looking to retire them but they cost a lot less to fly than the Douglass were faster and ruff field capable. So we kept them flying and loaded with mud, where the bombs used to go. I miss them. sometime after I quit to join the Navy they were sold to people with the CAF.
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