Notable Aviation Anniversaries

[KeithSmith]

Tuesday, April 18 is the 75th anniversary of Doolittle's raid on Tokyo.

Then Wednesday, April 19th is the birthday of this gentleman:



Anyone besides Jason recognize him? If history were fair, we would all know him.
But, somehow he never received the historical stature that his amazing record would merit.

[RKittine]

What a wonderful guy!

[cubdriver2]

Ah yes, the Blond Knight. 352 kills in only 2 years, highest scoring ace of all time

Glenn

[KeithSmith]

OK, So who is he and how many American's did he kill?

Erich Hartmann and very few Americans, but a whole lot of Russians.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erich_Hartmann

Arguably the greatest fighter pilot who ever lived.

[RKittine]

Guess Putin is not a fan though.

Bob

[jjbaker]

To right the record. I had NO IDEA who this was and I didn't light a candle in fondest rememberance...

Hows the seaplaning season coming along?
My friends at Baltic Seaplanes in Flensburg already have the Skyhawk in the water!

[cubdriver2]

410,000 American's lost in that useless war. I don't celebrate any of those who we fought against. I originally posted a lot more, but then decided to remove it. And BTW, I have served.

Bob

Bob I understand what your saying. But many honorable men fought on both side, when it's your family and friends in danger you'll do whatever it takes to keep them safe. Not everyone was a Nazi that fought for their country. In war or sports you have to admire the skill that's kickin your ass

Glenn

[RKittine]

Hey Glenn, I get what you are saying and it appears that Her Hartmann was not a member of the Nazi Party. He did take quite a few Russian pilots out of the cold war, so I will give him his stills and thank him for that.

Bob

[cubdriver2]

Hey Glenn, I get what you are saying and it appears that Her Hartmann was not a member of the Nazi Party. He did take quite a few pilots out of the cold war, so I will give him his stills and what he did for Western Democracy, but I will not Celebrate him. I have been to all 6 Death Camp locations and over 100 concentration camp locations in many years of researching the Holocaust it was those that Did Their Duty that let that all happen.

Bob

So,..................I guess your not selling NYC property to any liberals who supported the last 8 years? Good

Glenn

[RKittine]

Nope, most, if not all of my New York City and Hamptons Customers are Wall Street Bankers, that are far from Liberal. Greedy maybe.

Bob

[BGH]

Well guys I'm always the one to wade into the middle of a gunfight nekked & smiling.
Me thinks the beginning of the thread celebrated the man,nothing else & as for the 9/11 tragedy that it has ended with was caused by first the Russians & then the Americans entering Afghanistan & then the saudi's financing the retaliation against America & yet Saudi oil is still imported & burned in those big gas & diesel burning vehicles that Americans love.
No diisrespect to any previous poster - dad always said malign the job the person does,not the person or their family.

Daryl

[KeithSmith]

410,000 American's lost in that useless war. I don't celebrate any of those who we fought against. I originally posted a lot more, but then decided to remove it. And BTW, I have served.

Me too. I avoid posting personal things, but I've "been there, done that, and got the bad memories to prove it" so to speak. Not just a little, but a lot.

However, I remember a day sitting and talking with an ME-109 pilot. We found great kinship. We both had flow gliders and enjoyed the experience. We both flew in a war in which we received a silver medal for second place. Were either of us to have any anger, it would be properly directed at the politicians who got us into that situation, not those upon whom the horrors of war fell.

Remember, there were 695,000 American's lost in a war between 1861 and 1865. "We" is a relative word.

[KeithSmith]

My friends at Baltic Seaplanes in Flensburg already have the Skyhawk in the water!

In or on? It makes a big difference.

[cubdriver2]

Local story I may have posted on here before. Local kid Henry Dunning enlist on his 17th birthday after Pearl Harbor. He ends up as a tailgunner in a B17. He is shot down on just first mission heading East and spends the whole war in a Salage looking up in the sky watching the bombers head east in the morning and West in the afternoon. Fast forward 45 years to Henry's hometown of Springfield CT NY. A new couple moves into town, they are older Germans. They live there for a few years but keep mostly to themselves. A new guy moves into town and opens a little restaurant a few houses away from the German folks home. The restaurant becomes a morning gathering place. Henry who is now in his 70s stops for coffee every morning after chores. He starts chatting one morning over coffee with the elder German guy. Turns out he was an ME109 pilot. They talk for weeks ever morning. He asks Henry where he got shot down. Henry names a town in Belgium. Turns out Henry formation lost 3 B17 that morning over that town. The German guy checks his logs for that date and he and his wingman shot down 3 B17s that day over that town and he had downed 2 of them. 66% chance he shot Henry down. They were inseparable best friends till they died
Life is short

Glenn

[jjbaker]

In or on? It makes a big difference.

In or on. You choose.

[RKittine]

I like "In", but choose "On" as being, somewhat more appropriate. Or maybe Not!

Bob

[KeithSmith]

In or on? It makes a big difference.

In or on. You choose.

Plane IN water

I'll choose ON water.

[RKittine]

Exactly. Looks like the Flats Between North and South Bimini. Plenty of abandoned planes that had been used to run drugs to the Fast Boats to take them to North Miami. When I was in primary flight school, we would fly there almost every weekend.

Bob