These two live just up the road and gave a great display as the Pacific pair at our local show last January,the sound of the Alison V-12 and the Pratt & Whitney 18 cylinder radial was perfect.Both are ex RNZAF aircraft that my grandfather was in charge of in the NZ lend lease agreement and also all WW2 war asset dispoasl post war,Wish he could have kept me a couple of P-40s.JW
Thanks Larry for the awesome post! If you guys and gals ever get a chance to fly in one of the old warbirds just do it! I'm really glad I had the chance and was then able to do a little photo shoot after the flight and everyone was gone. 32 Spitfire http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=502413&highlight=32+spitfire
The stripes were applied specifically for D-day so our navy and ground troops would not shoot at Allied planes. Everyone was plenty nervous that day. Not used in any other theater, but they weren't erased either, so it is possible that a plane could show up in the Pacific with them. I had the great opportunity to fly in a P-51 in the 1980s, still have the ride (from the ground) on Beta tape. The owner/pilot loved to fly, we did a hot run (350mph) about 100 feet over a runway locally and a couple of rolls over the city. I'm still looking for a B-17 and P-38 ride. Thanks for posting the video, it is beautiful.
Cool. Keep the pictures and video coming! I love them old planes! I remember driving home one time when I lived in North Idaho. I could hear the sound of the engines and knew what was up there. There were three or four bi-planes flying up there! They were heading North and so was I so I followed them. They came in at an air park up there. I pulled up to the gate and there were a ton of planes in there. Some very cool old stuff. I talked to the guy at the gate, told him how I get there and he said wait here. He went in and talked to someone in charge and they told me come on in! It was a private, invite only fly in in a private airport community, but lots of those guys are like regular gear heads. They meet someone else who goes nuts for that stuff and they make friends easy. I stuck around for an hour or so. Got to see some cool old stuff, then I had to go home.
I have goose bumps. Thanks for posting. My Grandfather was a B-24 radio operator. The greatest generation ever.
Thanks Larry. The only old warbird we get to see up here on a regular basis, is the Martin Mars that is still in service as a water bomber, for Coulson Tankers.
http://www.vintagewings.ca/VintageN...Lower-than-a-Snakes-Belly-in-a-Wagon-Rut.aspx I ran across this site a few days ago. Effing amazing! NAES
Thanks for the video Larry- Mrs. Yankee's grandfather was a B17 navigator, so it brought back some great memories!
The $250 is a donation to keep the CAF in the air. Not a commercial venture. C47s and DC3s are the same airplane only different. C47s had cargo doors and web seats that fold up. DC3s have finished cabins with comfortable row seats. You can't get a sense of jumping on D-Day or flying the Hump in a DC3.
Great video of two beautiful old bombers. I was lucky enough to fly in that B-17 in the Bombardier's position, it was awesome!
One of the most beautiful sound i have ever heard,seven V-12s and a large Radial. Cool stuff right there. JW
As you watch that B-17 fly over the Arizona landscape, think of her sisters that were recycled in Kingman, Az. Bob http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TJk1jqzjYU
Sorry 296 V8, these are all pics i have taken this year. Hey there Bob, that graveyard at Kingman was a very sad sight,cheers for puting it up,most interesting. JW
Ah ok. I get it about the donation, thanks. However - DC-3s have cargo doors, we used to load ours with forklifts. Comfortable seats, well, lets just say they're not business class.... Its the same airframe. Take out the cabin interior and no one could tell you if its a C-47 or a 3.
My Great-Grandfather was a B-24 tail gunner from 1942 to '44. He was with the 142nd Bomb Group stationed in Burma. Lost his entire crew to a fleet of Zeros that shot up most of the squad. Took shrapnel in the hip, but took the controls and limped the plane back to base with 2 engines out, the 3rd failing and no hydraulics. Belly landed it and nosed it into the burm at the end of the runway. Got the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Air Medal for that. I think I have pictures of his plane "Gremlin's Glory" after the crash landing. The "greatest generation" doesn't even come close to describing them....there are no words. Sent from Mr. ModelT's DROID device using the TJJ mobile app
Good stuff Larry. My dad was a co pilot in a B 17 in the Mighty 8th Air Corps. His brother was a radio operator in another. His brother was KIA. I never got to meet my uncle, but I fly the flag every day to honor him and all the allies that fought and died for us. Dad in his plane. Dad and the crew. My uncles plane. The crew.
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