We were at the Evergreen museum across the street from the airport, and pretty far away, but got a couple of shots in when they were in the pattern. McMinnville, Or 08/01/21
Good for Dl.
Flying during WWII in a 'strato fortress" was literally close to a death sentence. Very few planes were able to complete the total of a dozen "missions" over Germany, Italy, etc. If you did complete your total number of missions, your entire crew were sent back the the USA to celebrate your success in cheating death and the Germans by surviving.
I'm glad my step father survived his "tour of duty" over Italy and Germany. Per his comments, his most nervous mission was landing a US Bomber in Germany to pick up a German scientist for flight back to safety. His crew and plane sat on the ground in Germany overnight, waiting for this scientist to come to the plane for extraction to alliance-friendly forces. He says that his hair turned grey that night and began falling out, waiting for the scientist that never arrived before they flew out of Germany early the next morning.
Very nice set of historic planes. Thanks.
Those are really big dragon flies, Vic (LOL). Good set!
luvmypets
Loc: Born & raised Texan living in Fayetteville NC
Very nice!!! It's nice to see these 2 planes together showing how much advancement has been made in aero technology. When you see what we have today it's almost hard to believe that those old planes were able to do the jobs they did (and in some cases....are still doing)
I love prop planes; there is just something about the sound they make.
Thanks for sharing!!!
Dodie
Wow! Love those first two especially.
Paul Diamond wrote:
Flying during WWII in a 'strato fortress" was literally close to a death sentence. Very few planes were able to complete the total of a dozen "missions" over Germany, Italy, etc. If you did complete your total number of missions, your entire crew were sent back the the USA to celebrate your success in cheating death and the Germans by surviving.
I'm glad my step father survived his "tour of duty" over Italy and Germany. Per his comments, his most nervous mission was landing a US Bomber in Germany to pick up a German scientist for flight back to safety. His crew and plane sat on the ground in Germany overnight, waiting for this scientist to come to the plane for extraction to alliance-friendly forces. He says that his hair turned grey that night and began falling out, waiting for the scientist that never arrived before they flew out of Germany early the next morning.
Flying during WWII in a 'strato fortress" was... (
show quote)
My father was a gunner on a B-29 flying missions over the hump into China. My uncle, his brother, was a bombardier on a B-17, but never made it into combat.
He was stationed in Cuba while awaiting assignment. They were taking off for a training mission one day on a short runway. The pilot told my uncle to go to the back of the plane to lighten the weight in the nose so they could make it over the trees at the end of the runway.
It didn't work. They hit the trees and my uncle was the only one to survive the crash. An inquiry was conducted as the Brass wanted to know why the bombardier was in the rear of the plane. My uncle was cleared but reassigned to a base in Nevada and never made it into combat.
He did meet his future wife out there, my crazy aunt Betty. I'm not being disrespectful...she was a nut.
Meanwhile my father ended up with 18 missions in the B-29, that got him the Air Medal with 3 oak leaf clusters. He needed 2 more missions for the Distinguished Flying Cross.
Nice shots except for the prop freeze!
[quote=Paul Diamond]Flying during WWII in a 'strato fortress"
“Strato fortress” = B-52 bomber
Flying Fortress = B-17
The P-51 is beautiful. The F-22 is wicked looking. As a fighting machine, I guess wicked is preferable.
Stan
Those are some cool dragons Vic! 😃
Excellent work.
>i< Doc
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