Author Topic: Flight Journal Interview w/262 pilot (Read 266 times)

mauser · « **on:** February 28, 2002, 03:27:49 PM »

Hi all,

Got this link from somewhere else, but it's a good read:

http://www.flightjournal.com./articles/wilde_sau/wilde_sau_1.asp

There's a part in the last page that I thought was interesting. How the brit pilots who were to take over possession of the unit's 262's didn't care for any advice from the LW pilots on how to fly them. If this is true, it sound like the "if it's got wings, I can fly it" syndrome

Unfortunately, it seems from the article that sentiment got some people in a bit of trouble.

mauser

Hristo · « **Reply #1 on:** February 28, 2002, 03:47:48 PM »

Spit dweebs of old

fdiron · « **Reply #2 on:** February 28, 2002, 04:13:17 PM »

I hope you guys arent getting World War II confused with Aces High. There was alot of animosity between the Germans and British. I don't think it would be easy to take advice from someone whom you knew had killed your friends/squad mates.

Raubvogel · « **Reply #3 on:** February 28, 2002, 04:13:51 PM »

Good read, thanks for the link.

Glasses · « **Reply #4 on:** February 28, 2002, 06:40:21 PM »

Well Iron for listening to a german in flying the 262 it cost them some lives ,the irony.

mauser · « **Reply #5 on:** February 28, 2002, 06:56:47 PM »

I thought that I heard the Brits and Germans had more respect for each other's pilots than compared to US and Germans during the war, but I may have heard wrong. Check the other story "A Shot in the Dark." It is about a Lanc crew who was shot down by a night fighter and the survivors met many years later. There are some other interesting bits in that story during wartime, such as the hiding of downed allied pilots by some courageous families. Anyway, the night fighter pilot mentions how the propaganda was that the Brit bomber pilots were all thugs and gangsters; however he himself knew they were alike; fighting under orders for their own countries.

About the Brit pilots who took over the 262s... long ago when I read Yeager's bio I remember he mentioned how Dick Bong was killed in a flying accident. He mentioned something about how Bong didn't pay attention to some safety procedure or feature due to his being an ace and all (I think that was implied). I guess it's a facet of human nature...

mauser

superpug · « **Reply #6 on:** February 28, 2002, 08:53:13 PM »

Good read. I didnt know there was a tail dragger 262!:eek:

thrila · « **Reply #7 on:** February 28, 2002, 09:19:07 PM »

great article, a very nice read.

Seems that he had a lot of respect for the mossies he had to shoot down.

K West · « **Reply #8 on:** March 01, 2002, 07:58:27 AM »

Thanks for the heads up. I really enjoy reading first hand acounts such as this.

Westy

mauser · « **Reply #9 on:** March 01, 2002, 11:05:48 AM »

Also interesting in the 262 article is how he was able to re-light an engine in flight. It seemed to be something that was very difficult to do, but now at least I know it wasn't impossible.

It also seems that being a glider pilot before graduating to powered flight helps immensely. He mentions flying the plane with controls rather than the throttle...

mauser