B-25J Mitchell Bomber Ride - "Executive Sweet" over Donner Summit, Ca.
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- Опубліковано 14 лип 2019
- Take a detailed look at what it's like to experience a ride in the B-25J Mitchell bomber "Executive Suite".
LINKS:
American Aeronautical Foundation
www.aafgroup.org/b25.html
Ride Hotline
805-377.2106
www.aafgroup.org/rides.html
Nevada County Airshow and Brewfest Tickets:
www.eventbrite.com/e/grass-va...
Dueling Uillean Pipes:
John McSherry & Francis McIlduff - At First Light
• Must see!! Best Off Ui... - Наука та технологія
The guys who flew these planes were just kids. My dad was a B17 pilot and just 21 years old, he discovered that his radio operator was only 16 after getting to England but kept him on because he was so good on the radio. The rest of the crew was 18 or 19 and flew 24 missions together. It's obvious that the work was for youngsters watching an old fat guy crawl around that warbird.
Adult Juan climbs into the top turret.......Camera arrives to find it occupied by child Juan. Love the grin!
Brings back memories. I flew the B-25 in pilot training at Reese AFB, Lubbock, TX Apr-Aug 1957. Love that airplane, I flew for 51 years, retired off the 747/L-1011 at TWA.
Juan!!! Thanks for this video, my dad was a B-25 pilot in the Burma/China theater of the war, this video brings back some great memories of his stories. Just recently in a box in the garage I found many items of his from the war, his parachute (complete with Americans Flag with different languages if captured explaining he is an American airmen, “please assist and help me to return , you will be rewarded”) also found, medals, a photo of him receiving one of them from a general ( might be Hap Arnold) and a Certificate of Appreciation of service signed by Hap Arnold, also a flight manual/ log book. This video gave me a great sense of not only an important time in our country’s history, but also a little insight into a piece of my fathers history as well, thanks Juan!!
Thanks for the closeup view. My late father was a navigator on the B24 Liberator in 1944-45. Not many of those old birds still flying.
A friend of mine's dad was a top gunner on the B24. He was shot down over Polesti(sp?). He bailed out on fire, and was captured upon landing. He credited a Romanian doctor for saving his life.
He passed last fall. I still think of him with the utmost respect.
Sidenote: he refused to ever fly in one again. Even when he was offered a free ride, he refused. He "had no desire".
Gordon & the others who replied to your post, I talked briefly with an older lady a few days ago whose late husband flew the infamous "Hump" route in a B-24.
My father was a navigator in Halifaxes in No. 6 Group of Bomber Command.
Gordon Richardson Hi Gordon! I think you and I exchanged some messaging about the 737 MAX a while ago. Hope you’re well my friend.
I grew up in the early 40's during WWII in a small town North Kansas City, MO just across from the Fairfax airport located in Kansas City, KS. The B-25's were being manufactured in a converted GM auto plant. Many times during the day I would see these new planes fly over my house making their final approach to land after completing their flight test. My mother Evelyn Evans worked at the plant on the assembly line during the war years. At the end of the war, North American Aircraft had an open house for the families of the people that worked there.
I remember seeing many of these aircraft in various stages of completion. Thanks for this video.
Thanks for sharing this story.
Ex F16 pilot, now Pic 777/787 (klm) and just happen to stumble on to your channel due to Ktm 690 fever😄👍🏻
Great channel with a great presenter.
See you in the skies👍🏻👍🏻
Thanks Nimrod!
My dad was a pilot flying weather reconnaissance over the Burma hump in this proud bird I remember him saying their only armaments were their 1911 sidearms. Thanks for.this awesome video Juan as it brought me goosebumps & a tear to my eye. RIP dad.
I think what was best was to see a pilot like you who has flown so much in so many planes get so excited! In my Air Force days I got to ride C130s, 141s, and T29s and I loved the rides all while assigned to TAC, 9th Air Force IG team 1973-75. Thank you for your service Juan.
My grandfather's brother " Uncle Paul " was a B-25 Mitchell Bomber Co - Pilot during WW2. His plane went down due to a structural problem after a bombing run and lots of damage . He and the tail gunner were the only survivors but his right arm was ripped off during the crash just above the elbow. The tail gunner saved his life by wrapping his belt around his arm and tightening it. He also fought off a Japanese patrol with just a sidearm and they were eventually rescued by a squad of Marines. RIP Uncle Paul
WOW! That sound of the engines is just beautiful. Thanks for climbing around to all the positions, what a treat!
Back when men were men and women were glad of it! Love the video Juan. Thanks for all you do. Jim.
sorta odd to equate this to male supremacy here, eh?
That's some textbook Boomer cringe. Women participated in combat in WWII as pilots, tankers, snipers, and artillery crews and pulled their weight on every front in WWII while plenty of men were orderlies, cooks, janitors, and other subservient assignments.
My dad was a B-24 pilot, but I really appreciated this video of the B-25. As always, thanks Juan.
nice rolling shutter effect :) God Bless the memory of the hearty souls who fought WWII from planes like these...
Was aircrew a short time on P2V Neptunes in the sixties. Loud, yes. Rattle, yes. Was good to be 18 at the time, yes. FUN...Hell yah!!! Love these old birds, they have character. Round engine warbirds are special. Great video as usual. Thanks Juan.
My dad was a Navigator/Radar Operator in the F7F Tigercat - VMF(N)-531. He told me several times over the years the PBJ (Navy/Marine Corps nomenclature for the B-25) was the loudest airplane he'd ever flown in. Sweet ship!
My absolute favorite aircraft of WWII. I read " 30 Seconds Over Tokyo" back in the mid '60's and that was it for me. I've been a modeler since '65 or so and I've probably built 20 of them. My Uncle Bob was a radio operator on B-24's and flew 25 missions over Germany. When it was time to rotate home he refused and he finagled another year in England to help train new aircrews. They had to force him to go home. RIP Uncle Bob and thank you again.
Thank you. My dad flew those in New Guinea WWII. He instructed in them at Reese AFB TX after the war. I love the start up.
My dad had that two wing gold & blue patch on a brown leather jacket.
My dad flew them in North Africa and Sicily and he also instructed in Texas (55 missions)
@@StephenMortimer We lived in Lubbock Tx 1947-55. Some of my dad's crew lived there too. Being the kid of an ex-bomber pilot was wild ride.
Mick Bee Hollandia.
Dad was a bombardier instructor during WWII. He passed in 1992. He never flew a combat mission during the war, but he almost never set foot on an airplane again afterwards...this footage, of course depicting only a part of what those air crews experienced, really proves they were part of the Greatest Generation.
I had a ride in the Commemorative Air Force B-25J Maid In The Shade last year, when they came to Kingston, Ontario. Fantastic aircraft. I I was in the waist gunner position and was able to go to the tail gunner position for a few minutes. Our LoadMaster was an OV-10 Bronco pilot in VietNam. Had a great flight and met some fantastic people. Thanks for your pictures and video Jaun, it's great to see them...
Thanks for the amazing commentary . My cousin Fritz was a flight engineer or it was also referred to as a air mechanic on a B-25 for two years in the Pacific. Every time he talked about his service the first thing he mentioned was how loud they were. Your statement about the noise brought home what he must have experienced for two years. Malaria ended his day's in the South Pacific and he suffered from it until his death in 2005. Thanks again for your amazing abilities to explain that experience.
WOW the noise in front of the engines and how quiet it was at the rear. The cramped conditions the guys had to go through to get to their work stations. Thanks Juan for showing us.
Joe Vaagen part of that was audio problems and editing magic. It’s still quite loud in back.
Well made video gives a great perspective of what the guys went through every day with out thinking.
Those boys withstood unbelievable hard in addition to the cramped quarters for hours, the danger, the bitter cold, sinus damage from altitude, skin cancer from the sun, living months in the jungles, jungle for on hands and feet. But everytime they were called they would go again. Love if country, live of adventure or love of that cold had chunk of iron up in the sky.
@@FailWords thank-you for your reply I understand all this and I am from NZ, I'm 65yrs old.
My older sister's dad was bombardier in a B-25 flying from North Africa. He never came back. The plane lost a wing from structural failure and crashed into the sea.
WOW! Some ride. The Collins Fdn. B-17, B-24, & B-25 visited St. Paul, MN August 2007. I watched them start, run-up, taxi, and take off. The B-25 was uniquely loud. I drove semi over Donner many times. It's incredibly beautiful during the summertime. It's a different story during the winter. I had a choir director in high school who piloted a B-25, Pacific Theater, WWII. In his final days he did talk about the numerous forced landings due to icing, bugs in the carburetors, etc. No member of his crew was ever lost. I gained a great deal more respect for him, knowing what he did during the war. RIP, Mr. Lockrem.
Thanks for showing this.
Remember these were mostly young men flying these planes fighting for each other and the world as they knew it. My hats off to the group of men and women keeping these birds working.
My father flew B25 J off of Attu island in the Alutions with others in Alaska ....very proud of him and those that were there....🇺🇸
Grown man with his hand in the candy jar. Way to give us a seat of the pants ride Juan. American exceptionalism. Thanks for keeping history alive and remembering those that serve.
We all owe it to those brave airmen of WW2 to keep these old warbirds flying as a tribute and memorial to those who gave up all their tomorrows so that we can have our today.
My own family got off lightly. Grandad was in a reserved occupation (schoolmaster) so was not conscripted or even allowed to volunteer for military service, but volunteeredd as an air raid precaution//protection officer during ww2. As a chemistry graduate, he was assigned the position of gas officer (although gas bombs were never used against the UK in WW2, there was a constant fear that they might be - so much so that it was an offence for any individual to be out of immediate reach of their gas mask). Grandad's job as ARP gas officer entailed examining and testing every unexploded bomb in his district (about 300 square miles, which he covered using a bicycle as transport) BEFORE it was deemed safe for the bomb disposal team to go to work on it. That takes a pair of big brass ones, but doesn't compare to those who, night after night or day after day, climbed into their aircraft and flew off on missions with a limited expectation of returning.
These machines were built to provide a safe place for mom and the kids back home. Brave young men worked in them. An amazing ride Thank you, Juan, from The Urban Bush Pilot.
Juan I flew in and out of TRK in a King Air 350 while with Gama Aviation. Never did I have such an awesome view! The B-25 was also owned by the people who published Air Progress magazine at one time. At one time Man O War was owned by a man named Elmer Ward. The plane was based at Chino at the time. It’s painted to represent the last commander of the 4th Fighter Group now the F-15 schoolhouse or used to be at Seymour Johnson AFB. Saw you avoiding the prop arc, at Little Rock in Flight Engineer school they give A U to those who walked thru a prop arc lol
My dad (b.1920) was an Army Lt. in the Pacific Theater during WWll. He was in a chemical mortar battalion, not an airman . Anyway, he met a B-25 pilot over there somewhere and they became friends. I'm not sure where 'cause he was on several islands. He probably told me, but I don't remember. Anyway, his pilot buddy asked him if he'd like to fly a B-25! This must have been against the rules in a big way, but he took my dad up anyhow and allowed him to bank the plane and climb/descend; just simple stuff that the pilot could recover from if dad did anything stupid! Anyway, he told the story to me a couple of times. If they had been caught, he never told me. Maybe the Air Corps were lenient with that kind of thing back then. (Sure guys, it's ok to burn off a couple hundred gallons of fuel and oil on the taxpayers dime)!
His greatest impressions of the flight were how huge and powerful the bomber felt to him, yet how easy it was to control.
It gave my dad the aviation bug, and he tried after the war to buy a Surplus Cub, but he just couldn't afford to fly and maintain a plane with a wife and kids. The dream died by the time he came home after the Korean Conflict.
In 1995, my dad gave me the Japanese Nambu pistol that he liberated from a prisoner in Guam or Saipan. I can't look at it without thinking about the horrible stuff those young guys went through. R.I.P. Dad. I hope you felt that I was a good son.
P.S. Young people: ask your parents and elders about their lives. Learn everything they did. Learn how life was for them. Invest time and write things down! Someday, it will be very important to you. We Vietnam era guys are dying off now.
You are so right or correct! I am 72.
WW2 only lasted 3 1/2 years for the USA, basically Jan 1942 to Aug 1945. The massive increase in manpower and equipment in such a short time meant that a lot of stuff was done outside of regulations. There are a large number of photos of Marines fighting in the jungle islands with Thompson submachine guns, but the Marines were never issued submachine guns. The top Marine general hated submachine guns, as he was a believer in one-shot-one-kill riflemen. The guys on the ground knew better and "somehow" they traded or stole or were given submachine guns from the Army, which was all against regulations.
So nice to see an old warbird that gets to enjoy retirement from service but still get out, fly and be appreciated.
The B-25J is a beast. Can you imagine the size of the balls those crew would drag around to jump into those gun posts while in the thick of it?? Unreal. Those ain’t no joystick controllers guiding a drone around hostile airspace. Those are trigger handles aiming a 50 cal. in live in person conflict with full knowledge of the folks on the other end sending the same lead message of disapproval. You had to overcome life altering bravery to pull yourself into any one of those crew positions let alone being in the pilots seat with all those crew counting on your abilities. I really wish folks today would internalize how critical all of this was to our continued freedoms we enjoy in this home we call the USA. We the people made this possible by pumping out more hardware like this bomber than any other opposing country. Simply spectacular and this B-25J is a great reminder if folks really absorb all of its history. Great video. 👍🏻😎👍🏻
What a beautiful aircraft the B25 is. To go for a fly via your video camera was great. From watching Catch 22 many many years ago the B25 was immortalised . How can somebody not like this beats me.
You are so right when you said “only when you fly in the actual machines do you appreciate these things”. My father was a navigator in a B-25 in the South Pacific. Ditched on his first mission due to battle damage. Picked up by a submarine 14 hours later as Japanese fighters were staffing the recovery, he and two others were the survivors of a five man crew. He went on the fly 16 more combat missions before the war ended. All of their missions we’re basically looking for targets of opportunity. I rode in a B-25 last year and was amazed on how little space there was in the aircraft. Couldn’t get over how warm it got in the aircraft as well. I retired myself after 27 years in fighter maintenance (USAF) and had my opportunities in flying in military aircraft. Predominantly cargo, yet I still can’t get over how tight the B-25 was/is. Thanks for sharing! Edit: my dad said one of his memories is of the 1,000lb bombs (delayed fuse) dropped by his wingman, were bouncing higher than the aircraft he was in was flying. That’s how low they came in on a target.
To say that was awesome is a huge understatement, you did a wonderful job getting to all of those cool places on this beast we all wanted to see, i love the fact that it is still has it`s armament and dummy rounds in the feed chutes as well as the patina... it takes you about as close to what it was like in WW2 as you can get , well worth the price of admission !
Thank you and enjoy the airshow it`s going to be great!
Thank you for the video. Just lost my uncle Ed a few weeks ago. He was the radio man in a B25. He completed 43 missions shot down once with purple heart. We are proud of all our vets.
lol, you snuck this in there just when I was thinking about bedtime...staying up to watch ha ha
Great video. I can't imagine the Tokyo raid... Thanks Juan.
It was a very nice touch for you to add the wartime photos of the original crews and their planes. It's nice that we get to still experience some of these cool old planes 8-decades after their time, but it really hits home to see the guys that went up in these in combat and remember that they were playing for keeps! Thank you for those who whooped-ass and those who gave all that could be given and brought home the win for the good guys!
Ha ha, you cannot knock the smile off of Juan's face! Reminds me of my Dad 2 weeks ago when I got us rides on Fifi! Awesome.
My grandfather, Ed Thomas, was a CAF member out of Camarillo. He passed away when i was young and never had the chance to fly with him, but i still have vivid memories of looking at planes like the China Doll and others in just Awe. Thank you for giving me a way to live vicariously thru you Juan. This was such a cool ride. 🇺🇸
WOW! Thanks Juan, I crewed P5M-1/-2 and later P2V-7 for the USN. Those aircraft were really spacious compared to the B-25. I now have a greater feeling of what those men had to deal with during WWII and later. Thanks for the video tour. Jerry Avallone-Rescue, CA
Did anyone notice when Juan boarded the plane that he turned into a 12 year old kid?
Noooo! Really? Wow!
Love this bomber...Was visiting grandparents as kids in NY and my brother built a model of this plane and gave it to me. I remember running around with it on the beaches, some of my best memories. Thanks for sharing!
Thankyou Juan and crew of 'Executive Sweet' for a great ride from Newcastle, Australia. Hard job going to war every day in one of them.
Best late night upload 1:30 Am EST 👍
i worked the B-25 Miss Mitchell in Minnesota 25 years ago
I don't know if this is the same B25 but my son flew in a B-25 out of Wendover Airport Utah. He was recovering from a paragliding accident in Newport Oregon for he had a sail collapse and he was still paralyzed and still paralized somewhat but can walk I thought the best thing to do for him to keep his spirits up that day was to put him in the nose of that plane in my daughter in the belly that was $1,000 well spent those kind of memories you cannot put a price on them the crew was out of Phoenix I think what a bunch of nice guys my son still flies Ultra Lights with his father me. His first flight in his ultralight after his accident we had to duct tape his feet to the pedals so he could steer as he couldn't pick his feet up. We all cried watching him take off, me from above as I shadowed him down the runway. He's no quitter.
Finally understand prop turning thank you...heheh
God Bless all of the service men past & present!!! I was lucky enough to get a ride in a B17 & ride/fly a P51....AWESOME
On landing I like how much control wheel movement the pilots have to input. Also how they open there windows immediately after the mains touch. LOL. Great video
Thanks for the ride. Great shots from the various parts of the plane.
A living breathing monument to those who gave the ultimate sacrifice to ensure we lived free from evil tyranny,thank you sir for this wonderful evocative video.
Thank you so much for this video. My dad flew on one in New Guinea for most of 1944. I think his was a "D" model. Pictures of him as the radio waist gunner. They flew with the side windows out and mostly just above the trees. He use to tell me of the palm branches that would come in . He kept a diary of his flights. Had about 332 hours of combat time on 72 missions.He was in the 17th photo recon unit. Later in life he hard of hearing and he blamed it on the B-25.
The video overlooking the pilots is great. It shows the well coordinated flying these pilots do. The takeoff & landing sequences are thrilling.
Beautiful first hand experience. Raw and mostly unedited, I like it.
You have truly captured a sense of aviation history in a very short video. Nice job.
You know its cool when a pilot with as many hours and type ratings as Juan has gets a huge smile on his face from riding in an airplane!
This has got to be one of the best aviation channels on UA-cam....he’s got ENDLESS information
A absolute privilege to be able to fly in that bird. Thanks for taking us along, Juan. Really enjoyed that.
the sacrifices made by those who flew before us in combat is just incredible . Thank you for your service .
Wow thanks for taking us along, I've always wanted to go up in this plane, just to hear it fly over Redding when it comes to town is exciting.
Imagine being one of the Doolittle raid pilots that took off knowing you had to start the mission early assuring you will run out of fuel and have to ditch into the sea. Not to mention launching this behemoth from an aircraft carrier! Honestly I don't think I could do it. Those were extraordinarily brave men.
Thanks Juan. So very cool.
Great video! There is a PBJ Mitchell here at the Camarillo airport, part of the Commemorative Air Force. Greatest sound ever - next to the Mustang! Rock on!
I had a friend that flew a B25 or 29 out of England to Germany. He completed all his flights. And all his crew and the plane came home every time. That must be rare.
Suburb video Juan. These old war birds are great. Was able to go up in Witchcraft, the B-24 a few years back...was a fabulous experience. Once inside and in the air you got just a hint of how physical it is to get around in there and how freeking cold it must have been at 25,000ft. Lots of respect for the guys who flew in them.
Juan Browne is living the life! Thanks for the ride along in a really cool plane!
My Dad was a cargo master on a c46 during the war. He loved the sound of those types of engines. Thanks!
The ride of a lifetime!! Thanks for taking us along!!!!
Just had an up front ride a couple of days ago in a B-25J "Made in the Shade" out of Mesa. What an experience. I was smiling the whole way as you were. The thing is loud, hot, uncomfortable, full of exhaust fumes and worth every minute of it.
My granddad was a tail gunner in the B-25 and this brought a visual aspect to his many stories...
Thank you sir...!!!
That was amazing. Thank you so much for posting this. My father was a waist-gunner/radio operator in a B-25 named "Sweet Sue" (formerly "Sweet Sue/Kathy Jeanne"). He flew 52 missions in that aircraft. It was part of the 446th Bomber Squadron, 321st Bomber Group.
He told me a few stories about his time in the service. This video certainly brought part of that to life. Only the B-25 produced an exhaust frequency that many years later caused significant hearing loss.
The B-25 was a tough bird and one of the most beautiful prop driven aircraft ever produced.
Thanks.
Juan, there is no way you could contain yourself. You were a kid in Wonka's and Hershey's chocolate factories. I am glad for you to get to go on this trip. I had an uncle who was a gunner on a B-24.
My brother-in-law flew the PBJ (Peanut Butter 'n' Jelly) during War 2. --said they were very "honest" birds; good fliers with no vices. RIP Tom Collins.
Looks like fun Juan! Last month I got a ride on a B-17, it was a dream come true. Pretty cool people are working to keep some of these machines flying for us.
Some guys get *all* the good toys!!!
Juan never stopped smiling all the way. Thanks for a great tour.
I found myself on the edge of my seat, and that was during the pre-flight check. I spent the remainder of the video up on the edge of my seat. Fantastic video, Juan. Thanks for sharing.
"Blancolirio", great video , catching up with you after comp was repaired(under warranty) . My Mom was a "Rosie the Riveter" during the 2nd World War . She worked on B25 wings and the tail section's . She was as proud as could be to have helped in her way to fight the war .
Awesome experience, emotionally touching inspiring video of this amazing flying machine. Thank you for sharing your experience in this amazing historic aircraft.
Thank all those that served our country supporting, building and flying this plane protecting America and our way of life.
Wow! What an incredible experience to ride in that WWII Bomber! Great video!!!
Thank you for sharing a great ride in a great air Ship. You were like a kid in the Candy Store. An a kid living San Diego where many of the planes were built I could see and hear them almost every day coming of the assembly line..
Awesome, I just went for a ride in the B-29 "Doc" over the weekend. That was one amazing experience. I could have also ridden in the B-25 "Miss Mitchell", but I had already spent enough on the B-29 flight.
Can’t believe my work break is over😞 have to watch the rest later 😞. Can’t wait . Another fantastic video . Thanks 🙏
Several models after the B-25 in the Doolittle raid. When you consider the pre-WWII technology, this is amazing this bird off an old short deck Carriers with no catapult.
Jiminy crickets! What our brave boys did to win the war! No creature comforts is right Juan...that plane is rough cut! For you after the nicer planes you fly for a living, that old beauty must be something special! Sounds like an old oil leaking Harley lol!
What a sweet airplane. Being a RVN aviator, I still stand in awe, reverence and upmost respect of the crews who flew these in harm’s way. 20 mm, flak and big caliber weapons. These men had guts and balls big as the US. God bless them.
Many years ago, I got a ride in a P-61 Widow. Sitting in the back seat, both props were a hands width from the fuselage skin. It was an uneasy ride, I tell you.
You looked like you were 8 years old again, back when everything was still a new experience. I had to smile too.
Like my good friend, Ludvig used to say: "All this fun and having folks shooting at you too!"
The real shame is that eventually all these amazing creations will be parked as a display and no one else can get the experience you just had.
Thanks Juan for sharing.
Great to see this from this perspective. About a month ago I happened by chance to see a Mitchell bomber B-25 fly overhead. I like to call them that because of our airport here has one on on display (General Mitchell International ) KMKE. Very breathtaking, great shots and information. Two thumbs up
As a side note had a B-17 fly overhead in route from Detroit to Minneapolis just last week
Honor and Respect to the brave crews who flew in combat encumbered with parachutes and flying suits. We owe them a great debt of gratitude.
Fantastic Juan thanks for taking us along. These boys were naked to the enemy God Bless them all.
Very enjoyable to watch. Thanks to those that flew and fought.
50 cal. in California ? ..... What a wonderful plane, if I flew it much I'd pull the yokes and have them powder coated & change out some of the plexi windows, touch up the chipped paint on the window sills etc. (lol)............ A GREAT Piece of History Saved.......... THANK YOU JUAN ! .... and tell 'em to leave it just like it is !
Juan, THANK YOU for including those vintage photos at the end of this already great YT vid. I get emotional when they fire up the round-faced power generators, AKA radial engines! Then I too thought of all those "Men in a Tin" who relied on these ladies to bring them back home! WOW, must've been a cool ride! When we had our Memphis Belle Fly-In back in the day we had at least eleven of the 15 then currently flying B-17s. I found my way, somehow, to the grass between the taxiway and the runway to watch them fire up the 44 engines and taxi to the active runway. MAN you would've sworn we were at an airfield somewhere in Southeast England!
Thanks Juan for the Walk around and ride! I noticed you were wearing a Huge Smile on Your face during the whole ride. I did a walk through on a B17 years ago and I had a Smile that lasted for days. Great Video Brother!
Thanks, Juan and Mrs Brown, for allowing me a moment with my Uncle Bob, GOD rest his soul.
I've never seen one of my kids look an more excited on an amusement park ride as you did during that flight. Great presentation showing what the kids went thru to win the war some 70 plus years. Thank you to those of you left that gave so much for your country.
My father completed 35 missions in a B-17 as a pilot and when he returned from the U.K. he became an instructor pilot in B-25s. He liked the tricycle landing gear. Said he could taxi at 60 mph!
Thanks Juan! Had a great uncle who flew B-17s in WW II. Started at Clarke Field, P.I in Dec 1941 as a 2nd LT and ended the war as Colonel of a Bomb Group in the 8th Air Force in late 44-45. I got a chance to fly in a PBY in Hawaii during the early 80s when stationed at Pearl Harbor. Aircraft was privately owned by a retired Navy Captain who had flown them during the war. Had a great time in that old bird, he kept her immaculate.
Juan. That was fff awesome. Wow. Incredible...