Great picture! My father went to China in 1944 and was assigned to 25th Fighter Sq. He flew into theater in a brand new P-51. He remembers thinking "This is the way to go to war". Upon arrival the Sq Commander appropriated the new Mustang as his and Dad ended up with a tired, old P-40. What a letdown. He soon got his own Mustang and survived the war.

Written on 27/05/2022

Picture is great! A really fast shutter speed to eliminate prop blur. Probably taken on climb out, props not synced.

Written on 15/10/2021

Great to see these classics restored. Only one question. Why does the nose gear yoke and wheel look like plastic?

Written on 15/10/2021

Primary purpose was to be a night fighter. They were used early in the Korean War. A radome was attached to the right wing and the radar operator was in the right cockpit. An early version of the GIB. Some F4U Corsairs had a similar radar set up, but only the one pilot. The F-82 was too late for WWII, and too few for Korea to be really effective. If we would have had to use B-29's to bomb Europe from North American bases, the F-82 would have been the primary long range escort.

Written on 09/07/2021

I was stationed at Peterson AFB, CO, in the early 70's. Thunderbirds were using the F-105 at that time. During their visit to the area they practiced over the plains east of the city. One afternoon we began getting complaints from residents in that area of broken windows and upset livestock. Seems one the T-Birds went supersonic. As the Thud drivers used to tell me in Korea, the Thud loves the ground! Also the old saying, if they built a runway around the world, Republic would build an airplane that would use every inch of it.

Written on 28/05/2021

In 1967 and 68 I was stationed at Keesler AFB, Biloxi. About once a month an O-2 without military markings would come in in the evening and be parked in the boonies off the end of the runway. Early the next morning it would depart. When I asked about it, I was told it carried nitroglycerin for use of the oil companies. I can't confirm that as fact, but that aircraft was never parked anywhere else on the base and never stayed more than overnight.

Written on 30/04/2021

Loved these planes. Continental colors looked great on all their planes. Was a wonderful airline to fly with. Had a Continental 707 land at Osan because Kimpo fogged in. A real change of pace from our usual Liftmasters, Starlifters, Hercules, and Skymasters.

Written on 19/03/2021

My Dad, in the 50's used to complain about the teens of his day hot-rodding about.That was until Mother reminded him that in his youth he was hot-rodding about the country in a Mustang before going off to China. He recounted how he flew from India to China in a brand new Mustang, thinking this was the way to go to war. Immediately upon arrival at his new base, the squadron commander appropriated his new Mustang and he was left to begin the war in an old P-40. Quite a let down and a lesson in military politics as well.

Written on 05/03/2021

Colorado Air National Guard had a flight demonstration team using F-86's in the 1950's. Saw them perform at Wright-Patterson airshow about 1956. While doing a bomb burst maneuver, one failed to recover from the dive and crashed. I saw the canopy depart the cockpit but the pilot didn't eject. Later investigation revealed cause was a tool lodged in the control stick channel jamming the stick forward. The F-86 had one bad habit all pilots were briefed about. When ejecting, they had to bend forward as the canopy dished down as it departed. Investigators discovered the pilot involved had had problems with that issue in training. They believe the pilot was knocked unconscious by the canopy as it departed. The pilot was unable to complete the ejection sequence. Sad ending to a great airshow. PS, in those days it was common for airshows to have live ordinance demonstrations. I remember Mustangs shooting targets with live 50 Cal and other aircraft dropping small bombs on the same across the main runway at Lowrey AFB, Denver about 1952. ROKAF did live ammo demonstrations in the Han Gang River in 1966, using F-86's as front line fighters. You can imagine the controversy if any of that was done today.

Written on 22/01/2021

Was in Colorado Springs about 1970 when Douglas brought the DC-10 in for several days of high altitude airfield tests. Didn't fly on one until 1977, New Orleans through Houston to Las Vegas. Also flew one from Honolulu to Los Angeles in 1984. Recall it as very spacious and comfortable. Some of us remember how flying used to be.

Written on 28/02/2020