B17 Pilot get ride in Cobra

rattlesnakepete · #1 (**permalink**) 08-09-2009, 12:08 AM

I had the pleasure of taking my friend Jack to a car show and then the Evergreen Air Musuem in my Cobra today. He was a B17 pilot in europe and then after the war became a commercial airline pilot for 35 years. Even at 88 yrs old he let out a yell of joy everytime I hammered on it!

A rare man these days for sure!

Stinson Pilot · #2 (**permalink**) 08-09-2009, 08:57 AM

Very cool! Looks like he had a great time. That generation is just about gone.

rbray · #3 (**permalink**) 08-09-2009, 11:03 AM

Cool picture.
My dad was a B-17 pilot too. He is still kicking at 89, which is pretty amazing as he was shot down on the way home from Bombing the heavy water plants in Norway in '43 and spent the rest of the war as a POW.

trularin · #4 (**permalink**) 08-09-2009, 02:04 PM

He looks like he was having more fun than you.

GREAT!!!!!

RedBarchetta · #5 (**permalink**) 08-10-2009, 05:05 PM

This one deserves a bump. ANY of the American WWII veterans has my respect. Nice of you to do that.

We recently lost a family friend (who grew up with my departed Mom) that flew B-29's in the waning days of the war. During a Thanksgiving gathering he brought over aerial targeting photographs showing the before and after images after his squadron's bombing runs. Can't image what it's like when you're on the ground being rained on by 500lb and 1000lb gravity bombs.

-Dean