For Aviation history buffs and those that car eabout our WWII Vets

[FalconAngel]

This is from the Collings Foundation. http://www.collingsfoundation.org/


PepsiCo. Grant Status - Free flights for WWII Vets
Submitted and in the process of being reviewed

Hello Everyone ~

Some might remember from last eNews I mentioned this special grant program Pepsi Co. is offering. Pepsi Co. is looking for people, businesses, and non-profits with ideas that will have a positive impact. Ideas are submitted and posted on their web site: refresheverything.com

If the idea is approved by the good people at Pepsi, it is posted on their site. At that point people can vote for their favorite.

So - On March 1st at 12:01 AM, I submitted our idea "Honor our WWII Veterans by taking them for a historic flight" in the $250,000 category. We would like to use this money to take WWII Veterans for a free flight on the bombers at each location on the national Wings of Freedom tour. (Realize - we would like to do this anyway, but with the tremendous operational expenses, this is not feasible). We estimate this amount of money will allow us to offer many flights throughout this year's tour. Hopefully, the idea will be approved and posted April 1st.

Keep an eye on refresheverything.com come April 1st! I'll keep you posted.

[Darkside2009]

Well, noting the date, if this is not an April Fool's Day joke I think it would be a good idea.

I'm not sure how many Veterans from that war will be able to accept the offer, simply due to age or infirmity, but I wish you well.

We have a similar sort of scheme to assist Veterans wishing to travel to the old battlefields and war graves of their fallen comrades in Europe.

We also had, until last year, a number of old war time planes running this type of scheme you suggest. However new health and safety legislation introduced in Europe meant that such flights were no longer feasible. We had an old Dakota making the last of such flights last year at my local airport.

I still have some photos of the flights, and I think it was a great aeroplane. I still go to the airshows every year to watch the various planes perform, it is a good day out. The sound of the engines is beautiful.

[FalconAngel]

Nope. Not an April fool's joke.

Not from the Collings Foundation.
They do their wings of freedom tour every year and do a lot for keeping the memories of our WWII vets as alive as possible.
They are currently working on adding a replica ME-262 ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYXd60D_kgQ ) to the tour, but having issues with the FAA on it (something about it being a replica and not a restored plane). They almost had to cancel last year's tour because of an attempt, by the FAA (Homeland Security, really) that would have prevented their fine old warbirds from flying around the country, keeping them local in Massachusetts.

[Hephaestion]

Good luck Falcon

Never cease to be amazed by flying / gliding contraptions from all arenas and over the ages nor the courage of the young men and women at times of strife.

H.

[BiJoe696]

Great idea, just a bit late for most of them. My father gone several years ago and father in law too ill for such a flight. Most are well into their 80's.

[12voltman59]

Falcon---good luck on getting that grant---it is a good thing that Pepsi is doing with that program.

We have a local group in our area who have been providing free flights for WWII vets to travel and stay in Washington, DC to see the WWII Memorial.

So far--our local group has brought more WWII vets to the memorial than other similar groups around the country.

It is something to think about--within another decade or so--there will be no more living vets from WWII and even the ranks of Korean vets is starting to thin pretty good---Vietnam vets are fading fast too now---that one gets me!!!

[Realist]

I wish my two uncles, who flew during the war, were still here to participate in this!

One was an aerial reconnaissance photographer in the Air Force, stationed in India, and flew "over the hump" and the Burma road. My other uncle flew PBYs in the Pacific theater.

Both were fine gentlemen.

[FalconAngel]

I wish my two uncles, who flew during the war, were still here to participate in this!

One was an aerial reconnaissance photographer in the Air Force, stationed in India, and flew "over the hump" and the Burma road. My other uncle flew PBYs in the Pacific theater.

Both were fine gentlemen.

I know what you mean. My one friend is a pilot (owns a Rand-Robinson KR-2, a 1939 Pietenpol and a 1948 Stinson "station wagon") and his dad (now passed on) flew in B-24's in the PTO. My friend's Uncle was one of the MP's at the Nuremburg trials as well as being one of the MP's that captured Herman Georing.

There are far too few WWII vets around anymore, and fewer still that get invited to talk at schools about the war and the lessons to be learned.

My second time visiting the Wings of Freedom aircraft (when they came down here), I sat in the back of the B-17 talking to a guy about his experiences as a ball turret gunner for four hours. More people should talk to these vets. They have a lot to teach us about our own history.

[darkeyes]

For 'is 55th birfday a few years go me bruv, sista an me coffed up 2 get me dad a flight in a Spitfire Trainer down at Duxford. Cost a bomb tween transport, hotel an nosh, but me dad wos so thrilled it wos worth every penny... gettin outa the plane the ole bugga wos on so much of a high 'is 1st words wer "F..f..f.fffuckin hell!!!". That from a man who me has only ev heard swear bout haff a doz times in me life an even then nev the F word outa 'is gob.. months a preparation paid off an made an ole coot a ver happy ole coot!

..the daft ole bugga didn haff catch it offa me mum for 'is foul language.. serves 'im rite!! Wot sorta example is that 2 show in fronta the children?????:bigrin:

[FalconAngel]

For 'is 55th birfday a few years go me bruv, sista an me coffed up 2 get me dad a flight in a Spitfire Trainer down at Duxford. Cost a bomb tween transport, hotel an nosh, but me dad wos so thrilled it wos worth every penny... gettin outa the plane the ole bugga wos on so much of a high 'is 1st words wer "F..f..f.fffuckin hell!!!". That from a man who me has only ev heard swear bout haff a doz times in me life an even then nev the F word outa 'is gob.. months a preparation paid off an made an ole coot a ver happy ole coot!

..the daft ole bugga didn haff catch it offa me mum for 'is foul language.. serves 'im rite!! Wot sorta example is that 2 show in fronta the children?????:bigrin:


I went to Duxford twice while I was in England. I loved it. Stayed at the Duxford Inn those weekends, but it was in 82 and 83, before they opened the American wing of the Museum. The second time I was there, someone was doing engine tests on a BF109. I took pics of that.

Did you know that Duxford was the home of the Memphis Belle (the first B-17 to complete 25 missions) and that the movie about it was filmed there as well?

For those unfamiliar, the WWII control tower at Duxford, seen in the film, is still the active control tower for the field which is still used for flight operations (civilian now, of course).

[graytwo]

...I still have some photos of the flights, and I think it was a great aeroplane. I still go to the airshows every year to watch the various planes perform, it is a good day out. The sound of the engines is beautiful.

Any clue about the 588 Reg of the Night Witches (Russian)? Those ladies cut the engines and all that was heard was a soft high sound of the wires from their planes. Physical damage - moderate. Psychological - major to any forces that dealt against them, since they wouldn't let any enemy soldier sleep to do combat the next day.

graytwo