Too bad that the music partially drowns out the sound of the Merlins. Hard to imagine 19 year old kids with barely 200 hours jumping in these planes and taking on the Germans.


P-51 Ballet
http://vimeo.com/7743200

Can you imagine how good that would be if the filmmaker knew enough to let the sounds of the engines and turbulence off of the wings and airframe be the main music???

quote:

Originally posted by f224:
Hard to imagine 19 year old kids with barely 200 hours jumping in these planes and taking on the Germans.

I often think that exact thing when I see one of these. At 200 hours now, what do our men fly? The equivalent of a Bonanza? Or are they in a T-37 at that point?

Spectacular show of pros...there are no grayheads in the group either!! WOW.
Always wanted to go to Duxford...guess I better get the lead out and do it!!
Cheers,

quote:

Originally posted by Wendell Reich:

quote:

Originally posted by f224:
Hard to imagine 19 year old kids with barely 200 hours jumping in these planes and taking on the Germans.

I often think that exact thing when I see one of these. At 200 hours now, what do our men fly? The equivalent of a Bonanza? Or are they in a T-37 at that point?

Depends on the service and track, IE cargo/Transport/bomber or fighter. But at thap lint, they are in fighter lead in and close to completion.

quote:

Originally posted by Wendell Reich:

quote:

Originally posted by f224:
Hard to imagine 19 year old kids with barely 200 hours jumping in these planes and taking on the Germans.

I often think that exact thing when I see one of these. At 200 hours now, what do our men fly? The equivalent of a Bonanza? Or are they in a T-37 at that point?

USAF fighter track they'd be in a T-38 by then.

I believe that both Air Force and Navy are using the JPATS Hawker-Beechcraft TEXAN II for primary training....all set up to emulate the next step into a jet....the Air Force uses the T-38.
Although the Texan II has some Bonanza roots, mostly A-36, plus the Swiss Pilatus PC-9 contributions as well, that's where Bonanza similarities stops....a fantastic bird with incredible jet-like performance. Over 1000shp prop-jet out front with 4-blades, tandem seating with ejection seats, fully aerobatic and speeds well over 300kts....that's NO BONANZA!!
I recall that Beech as well as competing Brazilian Tucano and Pilatus have sold these as light strike, COIN fighters to some 3rd world countries as well.
Jorge-can tell you all what this is like....he was the head-swabby at Pensacola training command before retirement.....also what the Navy goes to after Primary!!
Having flown the T-34, which really was a Bonanza with tandem seats.....this gave no ability to manage a P-51....our boys started in Boeing Stearman bi-planes, then the big fire breathing TEXAN or HARVARD "T-6"....if you could handle both of these.....the P-51 was a pussy-cat...unless you got behind the torque on takeoff....
I still think the P-51 is the sexiest bird in the sky...and I try to fly or ride in one every year if I can...a REAL Adrenaline rush just like a Buff Charge!! You all deserve a ride in the front seat of a P-51 with Lee Lauderback in back in the Stallion 51 Mustang at Kissimmee Fl ...that is a ride of a lifetime...and he can even give you a LOA to fly it....otherwise a ride in one of the various museums Mustangs will give you the Mustang fix that is good for your soul....and a good donation to keep these fine birds flying!!
Collings Foundation is all over US every year with their fleet, CAF Midland, Tillamook (OR) Air Museum, and Olympic Air Museum, Olympia, Wa to name a few...you also get to fly with some of the aviation luminaries when you do this...Steve Hinton, Bud Granley, etc. and our active duty and retired military pilots!!
What a RIDE!!
Cheers,

One less P51 as of yesterday, unfortunately pilot and passenger were killed in crash......

quote:

Denton Pilot, Passenger Killed In Wreck Of WWII-Era Plane Near Galveston
October 23, 2013 8:34 PM

GALVESTON (AP) – The U.S. Coast Guard says two people have been killed when their World War II-era plane went down in shallow water near Galveston.

Petty Officer Steve Lehmann says the captain of a charter boat notified authorities after seeing the vintage P-51 Mustang crash in an area between Chocolate Bay and Galveston Bay. He says the plane went down about 11:40 a.m. Wednesday in water some four feet deep.

State officials identified the pilot as Keith Hibbett of Denton and the passenger as John Stephen Busby, a tourist from the United Kingdom.


Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Lynn Lunsford says the plane was operated by the Lone Star Flight Museum in Galveston. He says the pilot was not in contact with air-traffic controllers when it crashed.