Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => Aircraft and Vehicles => Topic started by: earl1937 on August 03, 2013, 10:19:40 AM
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:airplane: In this forum we usually talk or discuss fighters, bombers and some transports, just for the fun of it and for info for those whom have a never ending desire for aviation matters!
During my 7 years as a full time flight instructor, I found that there were 3 "kinds" of pilot want-a-be's! First, you have the trainee who is trying to prove something to someone else! Second, you have the one who is trying to prove something to him or herself! And last, you have the trainee who really wants to learn to fly and is a never ending source of questions, investigations and long hours of study to be become what he or she has always wanted to be: a Pilot!
As far as my love of aviation, I built my first glider, (toy), when I was 10 years old! It didn't fly very well, but boy, did I pride myself for that! I can remember to this day, in 1944, when I saw a flight of 4 B-17's fly low over Thomasville, Georgia, I guess on their way to Moody AFB, and the effect which that had on me!
One thing is for sure, all these B-17, B-24 and fighter pilots were not "born" in those aircraft and they had to be trained! So, I thought it might be interesting to some of you by showing you some of the "trainers" which were used to train pilots during the late 30's and though-out the forties, men and women who went on to help win the "big" war against tyrants and dicktators.
The first aircraft is the one I soloed in 1948, at the ripe old age of 14! We didn't know anything much about the CAA back then, it was just something we had heard about at our little ole 1800 foot dirt strip. (Didn't know you were supposed to be 16 to solo, or get a student pilots certificate). Had a grand total of 174 hours, 30 minutes, when I finally did get a student pilots certificate!
(http://i1346.photobucket.com/albums/p684/earl1937/PT-26_zps3aea7a33.jpg) Fairchild PT26
This aircraft trained many, many pilots in the early forties, but had problems with both the Inverted Ranger, 160HP engine and the "plywood" wings and center section. In Texas, though out the Southeast U.S., the weather played havoc with these aircraft and they were soon replaced by more durable trainers. Here are some of the other trainers which were used:
(http://i1346.photobucket.com/albums/p684/earl1937/BT-13Valiant_zps410b76a5.jpg) Vultee BT-13
(http://i1346.photobucket.com/albums/p684/earl1937/T-50Bobcat_zps76767613.jpg) C-17, or T-50, or UC-78
(http://i1346.photobucket.com/albums/p684/earl1937/BeechcraftC-45_zps23441bc9.jpg) Beechcraft C-45, my favorite multi-engine trainer!
and the one aircraft which trained thousands of pilots and was used by serveral countries as their "advanced trainer" was the famous T-6 and SNJ and Harvards:(http://i1346.photobucket.com/albums/p684/earl1937/300px-AT-6C_Texans_in_flight_1943_zps8819c39c.jpg)
While there many other aircraft used in training pilots during those early war years, it is a testament to the rugginess of these old aircraft as most all of these shown year are still flying, having been rebuilt and re-stored by aviation buffs all over the world!
BTW, this is what I was flying, for 19 years, when I retired in 1998!(http://i1346.photobucket.com/albums/p684/earl1937/800px-VHSGVkingair200_zpsbaddb6ed.jpg)
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That a modified 410? :D
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That a modified 410? :D
:airplane: I guess you are referring to the T-50 "Bobcat"? At any rate, some referred to it as the "Bamboo bomber", while I don't think it ever saw any combat action of any kind, and I don't think it could carry ords of any kind, maybe they had crew chief throw hand grenades out the back door! LOL
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Hand grenades :rofl :rofl :rofl :aok
talk about timeing
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Hand grenades :rofl :rofl :rofl :aok
talk about timeing
My dad was a radar operator in New Guinea during the war, hang grenades were using in lieu of fishing lines.
Earl, the King Air, is it just a file photo or did you fly a VH rego?
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Cool story Earl, thanks! :aok
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My dad was a radar operator in New Guinea during the war, hang grenades were using in lieu of fishing lines.
Earl, the King Air, is it just a file photo or did you fly a VH rego?
:airplane: Its just a file pic! Have some around here somewhere, but guess I am to lazy to scan and post! Most guys wouldn't catch the difference as you did!
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:airplane: Its just a file pic! Have some around here somewhere, but guess I am to lazy to scan and post! Most guys wouldn't catch the difference as you did!
`
Ah, there is a reason for everything, that, IIRC is a Queensland State government plane, mostly used for running the police around the bush in North Queensland, how I used to envy those guys in their airconditioned comfort while I bounced around in my Cherokee 6.
Regards
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Beech King Air!
Very cool Earl!
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:airplane: In this forum we usually talk or discuss fighters, bombers and some transports, just for the fun of it and for info for those whom have a never ending desire for aviation matters!
During my 7 years as a full time flight instructor, I found that there were 3 "kinds" of pilot want-a-be's! First, you have the trainee who is trying to prove something to someone else! Second, you have the one who is trying to prove something to him or herself! And last, you have the trainee who really wants to learn to fly and is a never ending source of questions, investigations and long hours of study to be become what he or she has always wanted to be: a Pilot!
As far as my love of aviation, I built my first glider, (toy), when I was 10 years old! It didn't fly very well, but boy, did I pride myself for that! I can remember to this day, in 1944, when I saw a flight of 4 B-17's fly low over Thomasville, Georgia, I guess on their way to Moody AFB, and the effect which that had on me!
One thing is for sure, all these B-17, B-24 and fighter pilots were not "born" in those aircraft and they had to be trained! So, I thought it might be interesting to some of you by showing you some of the "trainers" which were used to train pilots during the late 30's and though-out the forties, men and women who went on to help win the "big" war against tyrants and dicktators.
The first aircraft is the one I soloed in 1948, at the ripe old age of 14! We didn't know anything much about the CAA back then, it was just something we had heard about at our little ole 1800 foot dirt strip. (Didn't know you were supposed to be 16 to solo, or get a student pilots certificate). Had a grand total of 174 hours, 30 minutes, when I finally did get a student pilots certificate!
(http://i1346.photobucket.com/albums/p684/earl1937/PT-26_zps3aea7a33.jpg) Fairchild PT26
This aircraft trained many, many pilots in the early forties, but had problems with both the Inverted Ranger, 160HP engine and the "plywood" wings and center section. In Texas, though out the Southeast U.S., the weather played havoc with these aircraft and they were soon replaced by more durable trainers. Here are some of the other trainers which were used:
(http://i1346.photobucket.com/albums/p684/earl1937/BT-13Valiant_zps410b76a5.jpg) Vultee BT-13
(http://i1346.photobucket.com/albums/p684/earl1937/T-50Bobcat_zps76767613.jpg) C-17, or T-50, or UC-78
(http://i1346.photobucket.com/albums/p684/earl1937/BeechcraftC-45_zps23441bc9.jpg) Beechcraft C-45, my favorite multi-engine trainer!
and the one aircraft which trained thousands of pilots and was used by serveral countries as their "advanced trainer" was the famous T-6 and SNJ and Harvards:(http://i1346.photobucket.com/albums/p684/earl1937/300px-AT-6C_Texans_in_flight_1943_zps8819c39c.jpg)
While there many other aircraft used in training pilots during those early war years, it is a testament to the rugginess of these old aircraft as most all of these shown year are still flying, having been rebuilt and re-stored by aviation buffs all over the world!
BTW, this is what I was flying, for 19 years, when I retired in 1998!(http://i1346.photobucket.com/albums/p684/earl1937/800px-VHSGVkingair200_zpsbaddb6ed.jpg)
That's the first plane I every was in (last plane in the thread) and the pilot did not have a co-pilot so I had to set in the co-pilot chair . .Back in the early 80's . Anyway we liked to crashed trying to land at a small strip in FL can't say were but broke a gear we hit so hard . So in a way we did crash .
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That's the first plane I every was in (last plane in the thread) and the pilot did not have a copilot so I had to set in the copilot chair . .Back in the early 80's . Anyway we liked to crashed trying to land at a small strip in FL can't say were but broke a gear we hit so hard . So in a way we did crash .
:airplane: Back in the 70's and 80's, before all these regional carriers came into being, a number of start up airlines were flying under FAR 135, which covers charter and on demand flights. Most of these outfits were flying B-99 Beech Kingair's, which were a little longer than the 200 and If I remember correctly would carry 16 passengers and a small amount of luggage. Some of these outfits flew these things without a copilot, as required by FAA regulations back then, because that copilot seat meant the difference between a profit and a loss! Sounds like you were really lucky, as you have to work at making a bad landing in the Kingair 200.
The U.S. Army has always operated a number of these aircraft, some were outfitted as "spook" ships, loaded with listening gear and lots of night vision equipment for who knows what, but most do was is called executive transport for brass and such. I think the DEA and the Border Patrol still fly a number of these aircraft.
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The plane I was in was a 6 passenger . The next year the pilot ran out of fuel not a mile from Memphis and crashed it and I was waiting on him at the airport to head back to FL .
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The plane I was in was a 6 passenger . The next year the pilot ran out of fuel not a mile from Memphis and crashed it and I was waiting on him at the airport to head back to FL .
:airplane: It sounds as tho you were flying in a early "A" model Kingair, many of which only had 4 seats in the rear, arranged in what is called club fashion. Sounds like you need to be flying with another company!
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:airplane: It sounds as tho you were flying in a early "A" model Kingair, many of which only had 4 seats in the rear, arranged in what is called club fashion. Sounds like you need to be flying with another company!
HAHAHA I was with Ford construction company . Big company and I knew his son how I got the job . The pilot was a Vietnam war pilot and was damn good just crazy as hell . He got fired after the last crash .