EAA 650

http://www.dump.com/2011/04/16/one-us-aircraft-carrier-has-a-more-powerful-air-force-than-70-of-all-countries

Where have these pics been hiding the last 65 years? Snow on deck. USS Philippine Sea North Pacific 1945       HARVS on the way in shot by a P-47. Rare shot.       Deck crew climbing up to get the pilot out. He did. That's a fuel tank his foot is on. Empty?       Marines disembark LST at Tinian Island . Bougainville. Guam Outside Bastogne German 280mm K5 firing U.S. munitions ship goes up during the invasion of Sicily . V1 Spitfire "tipping-off" a V1. If you've never heard of this insane tactic ....... At first V1's were shot down by gunfire. Optimum range was inside 200yds, which was marginal for survival. Many planes were damaged and quite a few pilots killed. Basically at such high speed and low altitude a plane had to fly though the explosion and hope. Wi

I don't know who did the ratings on this, but I surely do hope they got it right!! The 10 Top Air Forces in the World This is a fantastic video of the 10 top Air Forces in the world. The presentation is in English, but the aircraft ID are in the Israeli language. It is a real comparison of the top ten AF of the world. Hope you enjoy. Great photos presentation made by an Israeli group, and I suspect some of the rankings will surprise you. It did me. Sound on...  Click here:  http://fun.mivzakon.co.il/video/israel/10460/%CE%B1%CE%BE%CF%87%CE%B5%CE%BD_4_%CE%B1%CF%82%CE%B5%CE%BC%CE%BD.html

This is a video of the first US jet, way back in Oct 1942. . It is a classic piece of film I certainly never knew existed. I wasn't even aware that America HAD a jet that early in the war: 10 months after Pearl Harbor ! You will enjoy this great clip of history. . America' s first jet flight, Oct 1942. THIS IS AN INCREDIBLE PIECE OF AVIATION HISTORY. This is a very interesting little piece of historical film. It covers America 's entry into the Jet Age with the Bell P59A. Note: My favorite part is about the installation of a $2 doorbell ringer to the dash of the P59A to provide vibration so the gauges wouldn't stick. Ya' gotta' love it....  Also, make sure to read the comments, additionally very interesting.  Remember, this was 1942. http://www.aircraftowner.com/videos/view/americas-first-jet-flight-october-1942_1617.html

http://youtu.be/wSbaD8u0v58

This is a good little story about a vivid memory of a P-51 and its pilot, by a fellow who was 12 years old in Canada in 1967. It was to take to the air. They said it had flown in during the night from some U.S. Airport, the pilot had been tired. I marveled at the size of the plane dwarfing the Pipers and Canucks tied down by her. It was much larger than in the movies. She glistened in the sun like a bulwark of security from days gone by. The pilot arrived by cab, paid the driver, and then stepped into the pilot's lounge. He was an older man; his wavy hair was gray and tossed. It looked like it might have been combed, say, around the turn of the century. His flight jacket was checked, creased and worn - it smelled old and genuine. Old Glory was prominently sewn to its shoulders. He projected a quiet air of proficiency and pride devoid of arrogance. He filed a

Very nice B-17   pics and explanations.     http://home.comcast.net/~szee1a/Al_overcast/Al_overcast.html    

Be sure to watch this video. I doubt if you have ever seen this one. Please view this to the end. That's where it all comes together. It is well worth your time.... It is about a pilot that was supposed to be on American Airlines flight 11 the morning of 9/11. If you remember, Flight 11 was the first Boeing 767 to fly into the World Trade Center. It is WELL worth watching. I initially thought it was going to be another heart rending story about 9/11 or a video centered around the airline industry. It takes a turn half way through the video and OH, what a turn it takes. Incredible! http://www.youtube.com/user/peterscheibner#p/a/u/0/cLj4akmncsA  

Subject: P-47 Bombing Mission in COLOR... Subject: P-47 Bombing Mission in COLOR... P-47 Bombing Mission in COLOR. Very nice historical piece. This is some great footage of the P-47 in combat. Although it took place in Europe, it demonstrates the firepower that the P-47 brought to the Marianas Campaign in the Pacific. This beautiful airplane was built by Republic Aircraft in Farmingdale, Long Island, N.Y. Watch for the ground chief riding on the wing while taxiing. The pilot couldn't see over the elevated nose and there wasn't enough room for the usual "S" turns. The pilot was watching for directions from the chief on the wing.

OK, this takes flying to another notch.....awesome.   Now, this is cool...... http://dvice.com/archives/2011/11/jetman-fulfills.php

Really interesting, and I never knew this little bit of history: Tour boats ferry people out to the USS Arizona Memorial in Hawaii every thirty minutes.  We just missed a ferry and had to wait thirty minutes.. I went into a small gift shop to kill time. In the gift shop, I purchased a small book entitled, "Reflections on Pearl Harbor " by Admiral Chester Nimitz. Sunday, December 7th, 1941--Admiral Chester Nimitz was attending a concert in Washington D.C.   He was paged and told there was a phone call for him.  When he answered the phone, it was President Franklin Delano Roosevelt on the phone.  He told Admiral Nimitz that he (Nimitz) would now be the Commander of the Pacific Fleet. Admiral Nimitz flew to Hawaii to assume command of the Pacific Fleet.  He landed at Pearl Harbor on Christmas Eve, 1941.  There was such a spirit of despair, dejection and defeat--you would have