One of my favorite airplanes

[MikeMl]

link (besides the one I flew today)

 

[Mikebits]

I thought you would have been a Mustang kinda guy

 

[MikeMl]

Oh, I like the P51, but the Spit is special. Wife's dad (deceased) flew >450 combat missions in Spits between June '44 and the end of WW2.

 

[ericgibbs]

hi M,
I was 'lucky' enough to see both of these operational in WW2.

Was 'Wifes Dad' in the renowned R.A.F's Eagle Squadron.?

E
BTW: I served on RAF ground Radar from 1950 to 55.

 

[Mikebits]

They have a pretty cool WWII airplane museum a couple hours North of San Diego, (March AFB) I think. I made a visit once when I was attending some training at CALFire, those old planes are works of art.

 

[Mikebits]

Wife's dad (deceased) flew >450 combat missions in Spits between June '44 and the end of WW2.

That's an amazing number. A true hero.

 

[Reloadron]

MikeMI, many thanks for sharing that link and some incredibly sharp pictures of the Spitfire. I have always had a fondness for the old war birds and make it a point every year to attend the Cleveland Air Show. Some of the legacy fly byes are just plain great to watch. I have always been a supporter of the Commemorative Air Force, formerly the Confederate Air Force. A few years back I was fortunate enough to get to a Gathering of Mustangs air show down in Columbus, Ohio's Rickenbacker Field. Again, thanks for sharing.

Ron

 

[picbits]

I've been up close and personal a couple of times with MH434 - we took my stepsons grandfathers ashes for a last visit before scattering them at Duxford where it lives.

 

[spec]

hi M,
I was 'lucky' enough to see both of these operational in WW2.
Was 'Wifes Dad' in the renowned R.A.F's Eagle Squadron.?
BTW: I served on RAF ground Radar from 1950 to 55.

Hi Eric,

The WW2 aircrew had guts.

My dad worked on Spits, Hurricanes, Mosquitoes etc during and, after WW2, and I used to see them in the air from time to time as a nipper, and occasionally up close. Mosquitoes were the plane for me, but I also liked the P41 Mustang, Catalina, Typhoon, Sea Fury, Lancaster (but not to fly in), B17 flying fortress, B24 Liberator, B29 Super-fortress, Dakota...

Then there is the Spitfire - in a league of its own

I worked on RAF ground radar too: CPN4/NPN11 ground control approach (GCA) radar in 1965/66, which was dead handy because I was air RADAR by trade.

Our RAF Entry had a reunion in 2012 at a local country hotel. The organisers laid on a Spit flyby, but unfortunately the Spit was US so a Hurracain stood in- just as good and it was nice to hear a Merlin engine once again.- it was a magic day.

spec