AT-6 Texan

[ultrarunner]

I'm too young to remember too... Growing up I never knew the nice Old Guy down the street was a WWII Fighter Ace flying a Hellcat in the Pacific.

It wasn't until I saw a story on PBS that I found out that he had shot down 5 Japanese planes in one day and the only pilot to launch off his carrier 3 different ways... he was credited with saving the carrier that day...

He launched the regular way, off the fan tail when the deck was on fire and sideways from the hanger deck when the ship was burning... He positioned his plane sideways, had the crew grab on to hold the plane back as he applied power and then launched, hit the crest of a wave and gained altitude and the rest is history...

I asked him why he never talked about his days in the Navy with us kids and he said that he just wanted us kids to be kids...

 

[Sigarms]

Inside the nose of a B17. The "rock" sticking up over my fathers left shoulder in the background is Pilot Mountain, AKA Mount Pilot on the Andy Griffith show

Since my dad spend over 25 years in the Air Force, he really enjoyed that flight.

 

[rvaitor]

Uh Oh looks like this may be airplanebynet if we aren't careful.

Great Shots guys - excellent in the air shots.

Here is a link to mine - Shelby Smith's Photo Galleries at pbase.com

 

[shvl73]

I think anyone with the ability and interest should look into one of the groups that travel the states and offer rides. It is something I'll never forget and you will gain appreciation for the men that flew them in harms way.

 

[kennyd]

The group that was at our local airport was The Collings Foundation witch I think is the same group that has the planes jimmoore posted pictures of. The rides were $350 to $400 for 30 minute rides, while definatly a good cause, it was just to rich for me...

 

[texbaylea]

I was just a few years too young for WWII but I did serve as a Civil Air Patrol aircraft spotter along the gulf coast. I quickly learned to recognize our aircraft ( working from shilouette models) and some of the foreign planes. Those old USAF planes were something else. My favorite was the B-25 and I could recognize it from sound alone it was so distinctive.

Vernon

 

[Dyer retired]

I was just a few years too young for WWII but I did serve as a Civil Air Patrol aircraft spotter along the gulf coast. I quickly learned to recognize our aircraft ( working from shilouette models) and some of the foreign planes. Those old USAF planes were something else. My favorite was the B-25 and I could recognize it from sound alone it was so distinctive.

Vernon

Vernon,

I agree, the radial engines sounded to me like a pack of Harley's heading off down the runway....beefy sounding. he plane was not as big as I would have thought either. In Maine we have a place called Cole's Transportation Museum in Owls Head near Rockland on the Coast. Every year they have an antique plane fly-in. We got my dad a ride in an old PT-17 Stearman, which is what he trained in prior to WW II ending. They always have a B-17 fly in. That was an impressive sight to see in flight. Some group, I think the Confederate Air Force, just flew a P-38 Lightening and a P-40 Warhawk into Presque Isle in Northern Maine on their way to Texas I think. They were found in Labrador (who knows how they came to be there) and were on their way back to be completely restored. Presque Isle in far Northern Maine used to be a jump off spot for planes being transported to the European theater in WW II. My dad had pictures of a lot of, mostly bombers, woman pilots doing the ferrying across.

It's supposed to be mid 40's here tomorrow and then start snowing, sleeting, raining, the works tomorrow night into Saturday. I may get a little more snow removal done before the end of this season, but it will end eventually....I hope! Take care. John, retired

 

[czechsonofagun]

Vernon,

I agree, the radial engines sounded to me like a pack of Harley's heading off down the runway....beefy sounding.

We are near Quantico base and one summer evening they flew over us B-17 (I believe) and Liberator from some air show or such. It was still low and coming slowly like an unstopable doom. Quite an experience and hard to imagine those 100s and 1000s of bombers over Germany.

 

[jimmoore]

kennyd, here is the hand bill .

 

[jimmoore]

GOT IT TO UPLOAD THIS TIME