Posted on 07/23/2025 5:54:01 PM PDT by Macho MAGA Man
Decades ago I photographed a WWII fighter pilot’s reunion in Colorado Springs. Most of the pilots flew the Mustang and the P-47; all of them preferred the 47, which surprised me.
In chatting, they said the 51 was too sensitive to hits, the 47 would get you home. Another pilot said that in his year in Europe, he never saw one Luftwaffe aircraft that he could fight. By the time he saw one, there were several US guys on his tail. Then he hears about one pilot getting five kills in one day; which frustrated him!
They were so much fun to talk to.
For those of us that are still alive and can remember hearing it, there is no sound comparable to the sound of a B-36 going over. I think there was an example on U-Tube, don’t know if it is still there. They flew out of Barksdale back in the days of the Korean War, I think- I was very young then, maybe it was the late 40’s.
What an incredible experience that must have been. The best of the best, and victorious. What lives they lived. It’s hard to imagine such lives today, as the hottest war (Russia/Ukraine) is fought with drones. A different world, in so many, many ways.
Bet you got some great photos!
When I was a kid, I built models. WWII planes were suspended by fishing line all around my room. The P51 was my favorite, and this video is awesome. Thanks for posting!
I was born long after the B36 was a thing.
This is a remastered 4K from HD package from the B17 ride we went on from the original video clips.
I used a Canon 60D with a prime lens. If I ever got any kind of chance at something similar, I’d take a Go Pro. The vibration and rough ride made holding still for anything tough.
The EAA Trimotor went a little better with the same camera and lens. It’s also been remastered from HD from the original clips.
I’m glad I kept the vast majority of legacy photo and video. The technology is available and affordable to upscale very well. I’ve been able to inject new life into old stock video that were HD, fix problems on others I couldn’t really use before, and enjoy looking a lot of stuff I forgot I did over the decades.
Topaz AI tools for photo and video are what I used. They are resource hogs, but they produce as advertised.
I WAS AT EAA in OSHKOSH IN 1978. FUN weekend.
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