Ive been working off and on at a local flight school doing intro flights. Just doing a 3 hr ground lesson followed by a 30 min flight. My partner usually does the ground and I do the flights.
A woman in her 60s came out to do a flight. She had a younger, 30-something woman with her, obviously her daughter, and a man who was very elderly and was wearing the "US AIR FORCE RETIRED" hat. He was just standing out on the ramp just looking at the planes, running his hands over the propellers, along the edges of the wings. Sorry, Ive seen kids and non-pilots do it before, and this guy had an appreciation. You can tell the difference.
I am getting ready for my flight with another group when my partner calls the other group in and tells them it will be about 30 more minutes, that we are going to give this other gentleman a ride first. Im thinking, OK, whatever. Probably an ol' WWII vet or something. Cool. I love those guys!
My partner walks over with a black and white photo of a guy who looked like he was about 20yrs old. The man in the photo was leaning against the nose gear of a P-38 Lightening, with several Japanese flags under the cockpit. He says, "This is that guy standing over there." His daughter and grand daughter are the two women. "Oh, neat" I say. I walk over and introduce myself. His daughter had brought the photo knowing we would appreciate who he was. The guy flew with the 13th AF and had 13 kills in the Pacific. Was with the White Lightenings and the Fighting Cocks.
Every time he said "Fighting Cocks" he started laughing, and would say, "I cant believe I used to call myself a cock! we were just dumb kids." He said he only got credited with 10, but towards the end of the war, he had given the credit for 3 kills to his newbie wingman during two dog fights. He said, "Yeah, the war was almost over, he was a good kid. During those 3, we both got pieces, but I let him take the full credit so he could go home with a couple. I already had my 10." I asked what his wingman's name was. He laughed and said, "Im taking that one to my grave kid. Sorry." I couldnt stop laughing.
He then told me that because he was so short and small framed, which he was, probably 5'5" 120lbs, his crew chief rigged up basically what was a car seat made out of pillows. He said, "I dont think they let those boys fly sitting on pillows anymore." He said, "I started in 1942, and at that time we had no idea what was in store for us so they pretty much let anyone who could spell their own name fly planes. Good for me I could spell my name." This guy was a freakin' riot!
What made it even cooler, is it was reserve weekend. The F-16s and the Navy F-18s were coming in and out all day at the airport.
So we get in the cockpit, his 90yr old frame hunched over. I had to help him get in. We were all afraid he was going to break something! He immediately put one hand on the yoke, and the other went right to the throttle. He just ran his fingers arcross the instruments, pushed on the rudder pedals, ran his hands across the dash. He commented on how "advanced" it was. (This is a beat to crap ol' flight school Cessna 172)
We start up and taxi out. The guy was smiling from ear to ear. I tell the tower who we have on board, and that he was a P38 double ace. Tower controller says "Sir its an honor to have you here today, but do your instructor a favor and remember thats not a P38!" The old pilot chuckled.
We took off and did a couple patterns. He was a little rusty but actually did OK. I asked after we had finished our last pattern how long it had been since he had flown. Dumb me, for some reason I had just assumed he had spent a lifetime flying. He shrugged his shoulders and said August 1946. (65 yrs ago!) I flew a P38 from Florida to San Diego, taxied my P38 into parking, shut down, climbed out and and walked away. I never flew again." I swear I was almost so choked up I could hardly talk. 65 years later, and I got to fly with this guy!
I said, "Wow. So what did you do after the war?" He said, "What every other ex military pilot did after WWII. I became a barber." He thought that was pretty funny.
We shook hands and he gave me probably about the most sincere "Thank You" that I think I have ever received in my entire life. He shared a couple pretty wild dog fight stories, and a couple stories about watching some buddies go down. At one point, he got pretty worked up and his daughter had to put her hand on his shoulder to calm him down. He then shared a story about flying his P38 full throttle down the beach from Jacksonville FL to Miami at about 50 ft off the deck the entire way. He said, "Yeah, you could do that then but they still didn't want you to do it." He said, "I was supposed to be patrolling, but I was to busy waving at the people on the beach." He said that was right before he shipped over seas. 1942 I think he said.
Very cool day.
:o that is so 8) 8)
:clap: :clap: well written!
Awesome Story!!!!
:clap: :D 8)
:clap: :clap: :clap:
Cool. The 67th FS is still operational, flying F-15C Eagles now. I work with them from time to time - and giggle a bit every time I brief a tanker crew to come up on "Cock Ops" freq.
Great story, Rob. Ya done good!!!!
:clap: :clap: :clap: Most excellent!
Fantastic story!! I read through a couple of times and maybe I missed it, but what was his name?
I have a buddy here in Atlanta area that flew P-38s in New Guinea and the Philippines. He had 9 kills and lost his 10th in a coin toss. I've taken him flying in my 182 and in a Stearman PT-17 a couple of times. Always a great experience.