Pilots u know!

[the lancaster kicks ass]

[P38 Pilot]

Blackwolf, those sounded like some great pilots!! Im glad u got too know some of them. U should look up more about this Mr. Bull. Try to find out more if he flew with the B-29 during the atomic bombing or if he was a ground crew member who assisted the bomber.

Ive got a story.

When i went to a museum, there was a beautiful Spitfire being displayed. I commented on what a beautiful bird she was and this British guy next to me said, "It sure was a honor to fly her." I turned to him and asked about his service with it. He told me that he was flying with the RAF during several missions. He never said though. He was telling me how he shot down 5 ME109s, 2 Focke Wulf 190s. He told me what flying the spitfire was like. He said "why it's the best bloody feeling in the whole wide world" and how he wished he could fly her one last time....

I thought that was a wonderfull story so i put it on here. I didnt get his name or the squadren he was with but he sounded like a great pilot. :P

[lesofprimus]

"Flying high into the wild blue yonder... OFF we go, not OF we go......"

You must be a youngster... Either that or ur really proving what people say about folks from Alabama.....

[R Leonard]

Ummm

Off we go into the wild blue yonder,
Climbing high into the sun.
Here they come, zooming to meet out thunder,
At 'em boys, give 'em the gun
Down we dive spouting our flame from under,
Off with one hell of a roar!
We live in fame or go down in flame
for nothing can stop the Army Air Corps!


Not bad for a Navy kid.

Rich

[P38 Pilot]

What did u say about people from Alabama?! We are probably more patriotic than u people up north! (yankee....)

[P38 Pilot]

And i am not a NAVY KID!!! Nobody in my family who has gone to war have ever joined the navy! We have always been since WWII, Army, Army Air Corps, and Paratroopers! (well actually my great-uncle has been the only paratrooper. He was in the 101st airborne, screaming eagles!) But nobody in my family has ever been with the navy! (Army includes the infrantry as well...) And we had 3 of my cousins to fight in Vietnam with the Army!

One of my cousins actully fought at Hamburger Hill and lived to tell the tell!

[P38 Pilot]

Lesoprimus,

Did u get your signature quote from the Vietnam war movie, "Full Metal Jacket?" U know the one with R. Lee Ermy? The part where they are in that HU32 transport and that crazy gunner is using those civilians as target practice.

Joker asks, "How can you shoot women and children?"
He replies, " Easy you don't lead that much! Haha! (countinues shooting.)

[FLYBOYJ]

Hey folks - time for another pilot story;

In another post I spoke about my wife's grandfather. His name was Ed Chamberlain and he flew B-24s with the 30BG, 819th BS, 7AF. I think he got in about 10 or 20 missions by war's end. If you go the "Best B-24 Website" and look under the nose art, his plane "Out of This World" is on there.

After the war Ed and his wife Hope (My wife's grandmother, she's still with us, 84 years old) moved to Delaware and made friends with some pretty influential people. Ed's business partner, was a fellow named Rollands. They ran a small airport and also had a couple of other business, which included what are today Orkin Exterminators and Rollands Trucking.....

In 1953 Mr. Rollands asked Ed to fly another business associate to Washington DC. This guy was the Governor of Delaware, Cale Boggs I believe his name was. Anyway on the way into DC the aircraft they were flying caught fire. Ed put the plane into the Potomac River and when both men were egressing Boggs accidentally kicked Ed in the head, knocking him unconscious and causing him to drown. Mr. Boggs was so grief stricken that he offered Ed's children (My Father-in-law) a college education anywhere they wanted to go....

Hope remarried, unfortunately the guy was a real dirtbag, physically and emotionally abused her kids. At 14 my father-in-law, Bob left home and moved in with a friend. Holding on to a dream to follow in father's footsteps Bob got in contact with Mr. Rollands and asked him if his offer was still valid. Mr. Rollins honored his word 13 years earlier and paid for Bob's entire education. Bob enrolled in Colorado University (CU) Boulder, finished 4 years of college, completed ROTC and became an air force officer.

In my father-in-laws 20-year career he flew B-52s, F-15s, F-16s, F-5s, C-130s, and the B-1B. His last duty assignment was the chief production test pilot at the B-1B production facility at Rockwell. His final claim to fame was over the July 4th weekend, 1987 when he and a fellow pilot broke something like 80 world speed and altitude records with the B-1B. Although many of his records have been eclipsed, he still hold 7 individual records and 21 shared, all with the B-1.

Bob now flies for united airlines, he has one more year before forced retirement (60 years old). For what he went through as a kid and how he was able to move forward had always been an inspiration for me. My wife always jokes how I'm married to my father-in-law instead of her. Father-in-law, flight instructor, mentor, friend, (and soon to be Grandfather - my wife and I found out we're expecting, got the surprise on father's day) I really look up to him.

Those of you who live close to the southwest US - remember this story any time you see a Rollins Trucking truck!

[P38 Pilot]

That was a great storie Flyboy! Congrats on the expecting baby too!

[P38 Pilot]

Ive got another story to tell...

My neighbors down the street (well more like my friends. we play army alot!) knew somebody who was a waist gunner aboard a B24 liberator was shot down over Germany. Before he was shot down they had flown 23 missions over Germany. Well he was able to bail out and he lived but was taken as a POW in the famous POW camp Stalag Luft. (Correct me if i got the name messed up but it was something like that.)

He was a POW for 1 whole year before they were liberated. During that time the Germans took good care of the men they held captive. They allowed them to send mail, recieve food, and let their families know that they were ok and not killed. Well when they were liberated they were thankful for the Red Cross's help into sending their mail and reciving food and supplys.

Im srry to say this man is now dead. He died only two years ago but in his will he donated $5,000 to the Red Cross since they helped him during the war.

[evangilder]

Congrats, FBJ!!! That's always a nice surprise. My wife and I are expecting our second in January. The really fun part is that your child will probably share some of that airplane interest with you. It's one hell of a great experience being a dad. Very challenging at times, but the rewards are worth it.

[the lancaster kicks ass]

decided on any names yet??

Lanc is quite a nice name i think

[P38 Pilot]

Maybe you should name your baby if its a boy after you father-in-law or a famous ace pilot.

[FLYBOYJ]

Thanks for the kind words guys - Acutally if its a boy We've decided on Jett, my wife actually picked that name when she heard John Tavolta named one of his kids Jett. Who was I to disagree?!?

If its a girl, well we don't know yet? Maybe Lanc?

Oh - his middle name WILL be Robert - after his grandfather.

[Wildcat]

Welcome to parenthood Flyboy! Get as much sleep as you can!!