One of my favorite airplanes

link (besides the one I flew today)

I thought you would have been a Mustang kinda guy

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.

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.

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.

MikeMl said:

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

Click to expand...

That's an amazing number. A true hero.

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

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.

ericgibbs said:

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.

Click to expand...

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.

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