Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => Aces High General Discussion => Topic started by: Bosco123 on January 27, 2009, 08:03:22 PM
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Today was one of the best days of my life. There are no words to express the day that I had other than, awsome. I don't know if it is going to be moved (I hope not) but I know its worth sharing with you guys.
My grandpa is going to have his 70th birthday, Firday. He was too young for WW2 and too old for Vietnam. Most of you know him as a HUGE history buff (DO-335) and I turn to him for most of the history that I don't already know.
We had been installing Pergo floors him and I, and finally got finished with it yesterday. My grandma was so please with it, but didn't know how to repay us.
Yesterday, I was at school when I saw a B-24, and a P-51B fly over the school, which was amazing. I woke up this morning to find an article in the paper about the planes. There were three a P-51B(or C really, doesn't matter) a B-17 and a B-24. That's when my grandma came up with the greatest idea of all to repay us, she ordered him to take me and go fly in the B-24. He told her that he would think about it, and I would call him once I got out of school.
I got out of school and called them right up, and he told me that it was a go, and he was coming to pick me up. We got there and asked if we could fly in the B-24, and the guy told us that we were the last two spots on the plane, luckily. We were there at two, but it didn't go off until 4:30.
When we took off in the B-24 finally, we were allowed to move around. I got to sit in the Nose turret, the Tail Turret and look in the cockpit. I didn't get to sit in the ball, I guess that they had it inactive. The noise of the plane is just so incredible and I don't really know how those pilots and gunners flew in that thing with all that wind that was blowing in the plane.
We got to fly in it for a half an hour, and that was more than enough for anyone. We had to ex-pilots of the B-24 during WW2, and were allowed to sit anywere that they really sat in WW2. One was a radio operitive and the other was a gunner.
The pilot of the plane was excellent, I didn't know that I was flying in somthing that was that big. He was very smooth and I felt like I was in the right hands if somthing went wrong.
So here are the images, I'm going to do it in chronological order, from the start to the end. I didn't get to see the landing because I was sitting in on the floor were the side gunners were on takeoff. Here you go! It was the most amazing thing and I will never forget this.
(http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh198/mniezelski/DSC00922.jpg)
(http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh198/mniezelski/DSC00923.jpg)
(http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh198/mniezelski/DSC00930.jpg)
(http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh198/mniezelski/DSC00924.jpg)
(http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh198/mniezelski/DSC00925.jpg)
(http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh198/mniezelski/DSC00926.jpg)
(http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh198/mniezelski/DSC00927.jpg)
(http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh198/mniezelski/DSC00928.jpg)
(http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh198/mniezelski/DSC00929.jpg)
(http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh198/mniezelski/DSC00931.jpg)
(http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh198/mniezelski/DSC00932.jpg)
(http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh198/mniezelski/DSC00933.jpg)
(http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh198/mniezelski/DSC00937.jpg)
(http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh198/mniezelski/DSC00940.jpg)
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Didn't think I could fit them all so here some more:
(http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh198/mniezelski/DSC00941.jpg)
(http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh198/mniezelski/DSC00943.jpg)
(http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh198/mniezelski/DSC00945.jpg)
(http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh198/mniezelski/DSC00946.jpg)
(http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh198/mniezelski/DSC00947.jpg)
(http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh198/mniezelski/DSC00948.jpg)
(http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh198/mniezelski/DSC00950.jpg)
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Congratulations.
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Grandma's a keeper.
Great story and pics.
HONK!
Gooss
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Cool pics. I like the inflight one looking down at the houses, with the engine cowling in the photo.
Those are the Collings Foundation bombers and P-51B (or C, difference was the assembly plant) painted up like Tuskeegee Airmen.
If you'd been at the Ocala stop, you could've seen my WW2 history group in action.
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You Sweeb!
Embrace the Grandparents. Take this act of kindness and not only learn from it, reciprocate it later. :rock
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<S> bosco, you're either a pretty lucky kid, with a careing family...ORRRRR your a spoilt rotten brat!!! ya lucky bastage! :)
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cool pics
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Nice. Thank Grandma for me. :aok
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Totally awesome! :noid :salute
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aren't grandparents the absolute GREATEST people in the world?
i've always said that, and always will.
ya lucky bastage. :aok
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Just curious, do you have a side picture of the B-17? It looks like the one that was in Georgetown a while back.
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You are a lucky kid. I had a chance to up in a B-17, but missed it by a day.
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Saw those bombers back in 2007. Witchcraft, that B-17, and a B-25 (no P-51). Here's some photos of the B-24 I uploaded for some of the skinners.
http://www.derstuhl.net/images/b24_witchcraft/
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That's what I call having it large bosco, what a great day that must have been! Being able to see real WW2 pilots, gunners and radio ops in action would have put a tear to my eye. :cry
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Yay, Bosco! It is excellent that you got to ride in the B-24, and thanks for the pics.
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Nice pics.. You don't have any more from the gunner positions by any chance?
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I'd love to do that some day. Congrats on a great flight. :salute
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Nice pics Bosco
you know if you join the army you will learn how to shoot that 50 cal you were behind :aok I got something like that by my house too I wonder if they are same people how far are you from Md?
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Excellent, congrats Bosco (yes, i'm very very jealous - tho am trying to arrange a flight in a spitfire for myself :D)
Thanks for the pics,
Wurzel
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Nice pics.. You don't have any more from the gunner positions by any chance?
I might have some internal pics of the 24 and 17 from years ago. I can look in a box of photos I have stashed at my mothers next time I'm in the valley.
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Cool.. You can get a rough idea of the field of view from the side gunner's position from that one pic with the MG in Bosco's hands, that's what I'm curious about.
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nice photos :aok
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very cool pics an man you one lucky kid :rock
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The panel lines are all wrong. :noid
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Cool.. You can get a rough idea of the field of view from the side gunner's position from that one pic with the MG in Bosco's hands, that's what I'm curious about.
Only photo I have of the side gunner positions on the same B24
(http://derstuhl.net/images/b24_witchcraft/IMG_1623.jpg)
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Thanks guys. I know I am very blessed to have grandparents that I have, and I'm realy glad that I live with them. I give them as much cooperation that I can give them, and that's what I get in return.
Junky, I'm not going to have to worry about shooting 50cals. OTS is going to be awsome :D :P.
I do not have any more photos of the side gunner moot, sorry.
I think the next post I'm going to make is this weekend I'm going to have our AJRTOC Drill meet/ Colorgaurd meet. You get to see me in uniform. :)
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I expected to hear you say you got laid!
;)
Good stuff!
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very cool :aok
how much did that cost?
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:aok
Very nice pictures.Thanks for posting them.Looks and sounds like you had a great time!
Pipz
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nice pics. :aok
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very cool :aok
how much did that cost?
We got lucky, the cost for one ticket was 475.00 and we paid 850.00 for 2 tickets. So needless to say we got a discount.
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Nice Bosco, you are a lucky boy, a wonderful experience indeed...
And speaking about details, do you have more about the remarkable body in third photo, the one near the p51?? :devil
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lucky SOB :aok
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those are some GREAT pics, i wish i coulda done that
-BigBOBCH
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Excellent, congrats Bosco (yes, i'm very very jealous - tho am trying to arrange a flight in a spitfire for myself :D)
That would be a dream come true. :aok
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Most definitely, found one, $2500, plus flight across the states and hotel etc - which I'd pay, only problem is, have to weigh less than 190 pounds - which leaves me with a bit to shift lmao....
(Still jealous of Bosco tho :D)
Wurzel
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Nice Bosco, you are a lucky boy, a wonderful experience indeed...
And speaking about details, do you have more about the remarkable body in third photo, the one near the p51?? :devil
Wouldn't let me get any closer, would have loved to, but I couldn't. He came in around 300 and did a low pass right over the runway and did a high wing over and landed it. The pilot was pretty good, and I would have loved to do that, only it was 2200 for a flight for a half and our. Needless to say, the B-24 was a bit cheaper. What I found was odd about it was, the B17 had WAY more room than the B-24 did. For the size comparing the two from the outside the B-24 is bigger, going on the insdie the B-17 has a lot of room. B-24 I could barley fit in the bomb bay standing stright up, so grnadpa had to fit sideways, and he was still having a tough time.
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Wait, who were you shooting at?? :noid
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And speaking about details, do you have more about the remarkable body in third photo, the one near the p51?? :devil
:t :t :rock
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great pics and story, thanks for posting
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The pic doesn't work.. I'll try again later.
Only photo I have of the side gunner positions on the same B24
(http://derstuhl.net/images/b24_witchcraft/IMG_1623.jpg)
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Thanks guys. I know I am very blessed to have grandparents that I have, and I'm realy glad that I live with them. I give them as much cooperation that I can give them, and that's what I get in return.
Junky, I'm not going to have to worry about shooting 50cals. OTS is going to be awsome :D :P.
I do not have any more photos of the side gunner moot, sorry.
I think the next post I'm going to make is this weekend I'm going to have our AJRTOC Drill meet/ Colorgaurd meet. You get to see me in uniform. :)
Nice, you do Armed Drill? I'm in NJROTC in Georgetown, and I tell you, if it wasn't for the fact that the uniforms are very uncomfortable, it would be my favorite class easily :aok
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You lucky SOB
Very nice :aok
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Cool pics. I like the inflight one looking down at the houses, with the engine cowling in the photo.
Those are the Collings Foundation bombers and P-51B (or C, difference was the assembly plant) painted up like Tuskeegee Airmen.
The Mustang is in the colors of the 31st FG, not the 332nd.