WW2 pilots flying warbirds

Sorry, but the wings harp thing just got me…

So, if the Devil’s got all the best tunes, does he also have the best planes and the best pilots? There’s a couple of ace flyers I can think of who won’t be allowed through any pearly gates, but as for their flying! No names no pack drill, but just think a mo… 😉

That would curtail his flying activities then, would’nt it? Kind of limit it to a pair of wings and a harp…assuming he made it to the right place?

Had’nt heard about his passing…most unfortunate. Never met the guy, just thought it was kinda nice that he could still fly the Mustang 50 years later…

Mark

Bruce Carr passed away in April of 1998.

…and WWII ace Bruce Carr still flies the P-51 ‘Angel’s Playmate’ on a regular basis.
Ollie Crawford of the CAF was a WWII P-40 pilot and still flies the CAF’s P-40N regularly.

Mark

Thanks for the notes Jim.
Cheers

Dave Tallichet was in the 100th Bomb Group, Bob Collings owns “909” and The Dragon and his Tail….but is not a pilot. Dave is still an active -17 pilot. Bud Anderson and Yeager are active Mustang pilots, **** Dinning is an active pilot from the 351st BG WWII and flew “909” up to a few years ago…

Jim Harley
collings foundation

Originally posted by Mike J
…and not fot the last time either. The very same Buchon received similar damage in an incident at Duxford during filming of ‘Pearl Harbor’ a couple of years ago!

Nope – it was at Lydd.

I know a B25 is not quite a fighter but I’m sure Dizzy Adicot of Aces High fame was a WW2 pilot. I also remember him flying the T33.

And what about the great Ken Wallis, of little Nelly fame.( A strike aircraft of sorts!)

Thanks Mike,
That’s who I meant. But was he a wartime pilot? It’s the sort of thing film companies make a lot of, and it’s often innacurate. Anyone have good gen on this?
Cheers
James

Originally posted by Mark12
.

One famous story goes along the lines of:- He in a Spitfire was scheduled to do a routine with a Buchon at a display. It might have been the support act at the Reno Races, I am not 100% sure. Well they did their bit and the Buchon landed. I won’t mention the pilot’s name but it all went wrong, not for the first time, and ended in a ground loop and a few bent bits. The irrepressible Jerry swooped down in the Spitfire and did his Victory Roll over the stricken Buchon – that was Billings.:)

Sounds like the sort of thing I would do, to be honest! 😉

I thought I read that Tallichet had been a wartime B-24 pilot :confused:

I had heard that Tallichet had wartime hours in B17s, but never knew if it were true – and wasn’t Bob Collings (IIRC) pilot of N17W in the Memphis Belle film a old-time pilot?
Not facts, but someone else here might help…
Cheers

my mistake isc

Originally posted by Firebird
It’s also just occured to me that Dizzy Addicot was a wartime Mossie pilot

Similarly Ed Boulter another wartime Mosquito man who owned and flew a Stearman up until 2002, I believe he is still flying occasionally.

Just off topic –

Almost unbelievable but Ray Hanna flew the Tempest V, still in service in the early 1950’s, when he joined the RAF.

Mark

It’s also just occured to me that Dizzy Addicot was a wartime Mossie pilot and I believe flew the Mossie’s during the filming of Mosquito Squadron, not sure if he ever flew either of the airworthy B.35’s after that prior to them going to the USA.
And of course he was flying Plane Sailing Catalina well into the early nineties.

Originally posted by chuck yeager
didnt robin olds get to fly the phantom he flew in combat at an airshow in the states a few years ago?

Haven’t heard about this….:confused:

Perhaps you are thinking of USAF Vietnam F4 Ace, Bdr.Gen Ritchie, who was re-checked out on the F4 for the USAF 50th Anniversary Airshow and flew one of the Holloman AB F-4’s that was repainted in his Vietnam F4 markings. Bgr.Gen Ritchie has since gone on to display the Collings Foundation F4 at shows, which they possibly re-painted in his markings as well.

Canadian ‘Jerry’ Billings flew Spitfires in Malta and 2nd TAF.

Whilst still in the RCAF he flew CF-NUS /NH188 in the early 1960’s for the official acceptance by the nation.

He flew all the test and support flights on CF-RAF/TE308 in the early 1970’s.

He flew SL721 in the 1980’s to the best of my knowledge

He was display pilot and custodian of Cliff Robertson’s MK923 right up to the mid 1990’s.

Over 50 years of Spitfire flying.

He is still flying I believe and still I am sure as ‘mad as a hatter’.

One famous story goes along the lines of:- He in a Spitfire was scheduled to do a routine with a Buchon at a display. It might have been the support act at the Reno Races, I am not 100% sure. Well they did their bit and the Buchon landed. I won’t mention the pilot’s name but it all went wrong, not for the first time, and ended in a ground loop and a few bent bits. The irrepressible Jerry swooped down in the Spitfire and did his Victory Roll over the stricken Buchon – that was Billings.:)

I flew with him on several occasions. Whilst teaching me the ropes on his Aeronca Champ, that he kept in the back garden, we chased the evening train that ran by the property to wave to the passengers – it was regular and expected. Directed to cruise back over the house at not much more than 50 feet he shut the throttle on me opened the side window shouting down to his wife Karen, “put the chicken on the barbeque” – that was Billings.

I would be pretty sure that given the chance he could still ‘cut the mustard’ in a Spitfire. One of life’s real characters. We need ’em.

Mark

Speaking of Robin Olds’ old mounts,NA F86A Sabre G-SABR of Golden Apple/ARCo at Duxford is another of his old machines.I believe he flew it for a time when he was stationed in Europe in the early ’50’s.IIRC he was reunited with her a few years ago (while she was being operated by OFMC) although he didn’t actually fly her.

didnt robin olds get to fly the phantom he flew in combat at an airshow in the states a few years ago?