Posted on 10/31/2008 10:24:13 AM PDT by lowbuck
A loudspeaker spluttered briefly with a routine announcement that echoed across the high-vaulted departure lounge. . .
Outside, there were no oompah bands and no grand parades, only a DC3 “candy bomber” revving its engines for the final take-off from the otherwise deserted runway.
The choice of aircraft was a tribute to the US and British pilots who ferried two million tons of supplies to a blockaded West Berlin during the hottest moments of the Cold War.
(Excerpt) Read more at timesonline.co.uk ...
It was overcast today, but, I think I heard the Gooney Bird fly over!!!
DC-3s are still flying. Just a few years ago, wife and I flew Air Libertad from Huatulco to Oaxaca, Mexico. Slow and comfortable, we flew between the mountain peaks low enough that I could see people coming and going below.
The technology that came out of WW2 and the confident freedom of the '50's made us the biggest dog in the pack ... we were the leader!
Obama wants to make us just another mutt.
I was an USAF air traffic controller in Berlin from 84-88 and from 86-88 I was in charge of the control tower at Tempelhof. I have many, many good memorys of Berlin and Tempelhof. Without a doubt, it was the most unusual air traffic assignment of my career. Truely a passing of an era.
My dad flew C-46s, a similar airplane, over the Hump in the China-Burma-India Campaign. 29,000 feet was the edge of their capacity.
A brave and patriotic guy ... you’re blessed.
Thank you for your service.
I appreciate you comment but to tell the truth, there really isn’t any reason to thank me. For the most part, I thoroughly enjoyed my time in the military, was able to visit many interesting places in the world. I was stationed at some pretty nice locations and I was also at some really crappy locations. There were times when it was hard and I didn’t enjoy the family separation, but still, if I had to do it all over again I would.
I currently have a son-in-law in the National Guard who just got back for his second tour in Iraq and a son in the Army Reserve that is slated to go to Afghanistan next year.
Pray for them.
In 1942, he was a 36 year old civilian pilot who volunteered. There were a number of civilian pilots in the CBI. This tradition lived on with Civil Air Transport and Air America.
The drummer/vocalist is a B-17 pilot, with 50 missions over Germany, (got a standing ovation) who also flew these Airlift missions.
He flew yet another mission to Berlin in the 1960’s.
The YOUNGEST guy in the group had his high school graduation ceremony on the theater's stage in the mid 1940’s.
ALL the group's members were veterans.
It was awesome.
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