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Author Topic: I just got this email and had to share it... A P51 Story.  (Read 893 times)

Online Paul Taylor

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I just got this email and had to share it... A P51 Story.
« on: September 06, 2006, 06:45:44 AM »
                                    A P-51 "MUSTANG" STORY


 Old aviators and old airplanes never die... they just fly off into
 eternity."

 This is a good  little story about a vivid memory of a P-51 and its
 pilot by a fellow when he  was 12 years old in Canada in 1967. Some of you may
 know a few others who would appreciate it.

 It was noon on a Sunday as I recall, the day  a Mustang P-51 was to take
 to the air. They said it had flown in during the  night from some US
 airport, the pilot had been tired so landed here for the night.

 I marveled at the size of the plane dwarfing the Pipers and Canucks tied
 down by her.  It was much larger than in the movies. She glistened in
 the sun like a bulwark of security from days gone by.

 The pilot arrived by cab, paid the driver, then stepped into the flight
 lounge. He was an older man, his wavy hair was gray and tossed . . .
 looked like it might have been combed, . . . . . say, around the turn of the
 century. His flight jacket was checked, creased, and worn - it smelled
 old and genuine. Old Glory was prominently sewn to its shoulders.  He
 projected a quiet air of proficiency and pride devoid of arrogance.  He filed a
 quick flight plan to Montreal (Expo-67, Air Show) then walked across the
 tarmac.

 After taking several minutes to perform his  walk-around check the pilot
 returned to the flight lounge to ask if anyone  would be available to
 stand by with fire extinguishers while he "flashed the  old bird up . . . just
 to be safe." Though only 12 at the time I was allowed  to stand by with an
 extinguisher after brief instruction on its use -- "If  you see a fire,
 point, then pull this lever!" I later became a firefighter,  but that's
 another story.

 The air around the exhaust manifolds  shimmered like a mirror from fuel
 fumes as the huge prop started to rotate.  One manifold, then another,
 and yet another barked -- I stepped back with the  others.  In moments the
 Packard-built V-12 Merlin engine came to life with  a thunderous roar,
 blue flames knifed from her manifolds. I looked at  the others' faces, there
 was no concern. I lowered the bell of  my extinguisher. One of the guys
 signaled to walk back to the lounge. We did.  Several minutes later we could hear the pilot doing his pre-flight run-up. He'd taxied to the end of runway 19,
out of sight. All went quiet for several seconds, we raced from the lounge
 to the second story deck to see if we could catch a glimpse of the old P-51
 as she started down  the runway. We could not. There we stood, eyes fixed
 to a spot half way  down 19. Then a roar ripped across the field, much louder
 than before, like  a furious hell spawn set loose---something mighty
 this way was coming!

 "Listen to that thing!" Said the controller. In seconds  the Mustang
 burst into our line of sight. Its tail was already off and it was  moving
 faster than anything I'd ever seen by that point on 19. Two thirds the way
 down 19 the Mustang was airborne with her gear going up. The prop tips
 were supersonic; we clasped our ears as the Mustang climbed hellish fast into
 the circuit to be eaten up by the dog-day haze.

 We stood for a  few moments in stunned silence trying to digest what
 we'd just seen. The  radio controller rushed by me to the radio.  "Kingston
 tower calling Mustang?"  He looked back to us as he waited for an
 acknowledgment. The radio crackled,  "Go ahead Kingston." "Roger Mustang. Kingston tower would like to advise the  circuit is clear for a low level pass." I
 stood in shock because the  controller had, more or less, just asked the pilot to
 return for an impromptu  air show!

 The controller looked at us. "What?" He asked. "I can't  let that guy go
 without asking . . . . I couldn't forgive myself!" The  radio crackled
 once again, "Kingston, do I have permission for a low level  pass, east to
 west, across the field?" "Roger Mustang, the circuit is clear for an east to
 west pass." "Roger, Kingston, I'm coming out of 3000 feet,  stand by." We
 rushed back onto the second-story deck, eyes now fixed toward
 the eastern haze.

 The sound was subtle at first, a  high-pitched whine, a muffled screech,
 a distant scream. Moments later the  P-51 burst through the haze. Her
 valiant old airframe straining against  positive Gs and gravity, wing tips
 spilling contrails of condensed air,  prop-tips again supersonic as the burnished
 bird blasted across the eastern  margin of the field shredding and
 tearing the air.

 At about  400 mph and 150 yards from where we stood she passed with an
 old American  pilot saluting ...... imagine ....a salute to us Canadians!  I
 felt like  laughing, I felt like crying, she glistened, she screamed,
 the building  shook, my heart pounded . . . then the old pilot pulled her up
 . . . . and  rolled, and rolled, and rolled out of sight into the broken
 clouds .....and  indelibly into my memory.

 I've never wanted to be an American  more than on that day. It was a
 time when many nations in the world looked to  America as their big brother,
 a steady and even-handed beacon of security who  navigated difficult
 political water with grace and style; not unlike the  pilot who'd just flown into
 my memory. He was proud, not arrogant, humble,  not a braggart, old and
 honest, projecting an aura of America at its best.  That America will return one
 day, I know it will.

 Until that  time, I'll just send off a story; call it a reciprocal
 salute, to the old  American pilot who wove a memory for a young Canadian that's stayed a  lifetime.
Paul
AMA 842917

Tight Lines = Fun Times

Offline Gene O'Keefe

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Re: I just got this email and had to share it... A P51 Story.
« Reply #1 on: September 06, 2006, 07:38:31 AM »
Ahhh,  the venerable P51 - my very most favorite aircraft. Thanks for sharing.

Geno
Gene O'Keefe
AMA 28386

Offline john e. holliday

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Re: I just got this email and had to share it... A P51 Story.
« Reply #2 on: September 06, 2006, 07:54:18 AM »
Great story.  I remember now when a Junior in high school, our Vo-Ag teacher was a veteran of WWII.  Seems he had P-47 to pilot and was shot up several times.  They say that is why he was such a bundle of nerves.  He never would talk about his experience to us young adults.  DOC Holliday
John E. "DOC" Holliday
10421 West 56th Terrace
Shawnee, KANSAS  66203
AMA 23530  Have fun as I have and I am still breaking a record.

Offline frank carlisle

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Re: I just got this email and had to share it... A P51 Story.
« Reply #3 on: September 06, 2006, 08:41:09 AM »
Cool story. It made me feel a little bit better.
Thanks Paul...................................................................

 **)
Frank Carlisle


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