.. sharing their husband with a million and one bits of greasy metal and widgets. Not Carolyn. Oh, it was scintillatingly exciting, she says.
my kinda gal !
Posted on 06/25/2011 4:46:18 PM PDT by naturalman1975
The world's only female Spitfire pilot yesterday hit back at critics who complained that her Second World War fighter plane was too noisy.
Carolyn Grace, 58, flies the iconic aircraft to the delight of war veterans and history buffs to shows all over the country from her base in Rendlesham, Suffolk.
But one person complained the roar of the engine - which struck fear into German Luftwaffe pilots in the Battle of Britain - ruined the peace and quiet of the English countryside and complained to Suffolk Costal District Council.
Thousands of flight fans and locals in her home village of Halstead, Essex, have rallied round to sign a petition backing the female daredevil and her cherished Spitfire.
Widow Mrs Grace said: 'It's reflective of how supportive Suffolk people have been in general, hey are very patriotic and so proud of the Spitfire.
'There are 3,411 signatures on a petition of support of the Grace Spitfire flying over Suffolk and 211 beautifully-worded emails and 22 hand written letters.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
She’s a beautiful lady .. and so’s the Spit !
The Spifire life does not start and end with the BoB...Hurricanes were already obsolete by 41 as a front line fighter... Spit MkV were it in 41 then Spit MkIx to take on the FW190 then Spiit Mk14 with the Griffon engine... the last Spitfire Mk24 were in front line fighter service in 51 in Hong Kong
Goosebumps.
Turn up the volume.
.. sharing their husband with a million and one bits of greasy metal and widgets. Not Carolyn. Oh, it was scintillatingly exciting, she says.
my kinda gal !
US side of what I think was the largest tactical airbase in Western Europe.
Otherwise, it must be some idiot that doesn't remember all the jet
activity during the cold war, or appreciate fine machines in general.
I once owned a Spitfire .. a red version that sat about 6" off the ground
The Michelotti styled Spitfire looked good....but it lacked a Merlin....
OK, it’s been awhile, but I believe I’m in love.
Seriously, Ms Grace appears to be some one I’d love to spend
an evening just listening and admiring.
The Lancaster, the Mosquito, the Spitfire and the P-51.
Probably some others I’m forgetting or never knew about.
The same music, times two and four.
According to wikipedia her aircraft was flown in 1944 by the New Zealand AF...
Six kills, shot down twice, second time broke his back and was declared unfit for combat flying.
So he took his US citizenship back and finished out the war flying PBY's in USN. Was based at Banana River NAS (now Cape Kennedy) when I was born in '44.
He's not around anymore, but I sure do enjoy seeing a Spit now & then.
I´d be glad to have an occasional Spitfire fly over to remind me why that English countryside is otherwise so peaceful and quiet.
The Brit's have lost their minds and a sense of their history.
Wouldn't surprise me if they fell given some of their "other" internal pressures....
I used to go to every unlimited Hydroplane race that I could possibly get to.
Listening to those Allison’s and Merlins running in the big boats and watching the black smoke come out when they put the boot to it with Nitrous was a pure pleasure.
Today they run helicopter turbine engines and I no longer go. I hate the sound of those thing whining.
Give me a piston engine every time.
A few were converted for training purposes. This particular aircraft was converted around 1950 when serving with the Irish Air Corps.
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