I'm sure most everyone can remember their first time doing things. The first time deserves a special marker among all the other things we do during our lives. Remember your first love, remember your first train ride, your first home, your first time doing anything? You get the idea. Recently, in a moment of nostalgia, I was remembering the four years I spent serving my country in the United States Navy and I remembered my first airplane ride.
As far back as I can remember, I was an airplane nut. While growing up, I built many model airplanes and would imagine myself sitting in the cockpit flying the oftentimes unfinished model airplane. Military fighter aircraft were always the most fascinating and my favorite of all time was the North American P-51 Mustang. And as I write this short story, there is a large, scale model of a Mustang sits in my little home office and a smaller version sitting on my desk.
When I entered the navy, in 1956, I applied to the naval air cadet training program and was rejected due to my lack of education. A college degree or equivalent was required and I had neither. The navy offered a lot of alternative training programs and I decided to forget aviation for the moment and selected radio communications school. After the 6-weeks learning how to become a Navy radioman I was ordered to a ship in support the Sixth Fleet in the Mediterranean.
Life on board ship was routine and very boring and as luck would have it, I met a special detachment of the guys on my ship who fascinated me. They were the Underwater Demolition Team 21. Apart from flying airplanes they were exactly the kind of macho dudes I wanted to be a part of -- so I volunteered. There was a lot of paperwork, physical examinations, psyc...
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... for comfort. You must wear the harness but it is not required to click onto the actual parachute/seat unless when necessary.
It's dark inside and there are few windows. As the C-119 flies along, there is, however a lot of engine noise and quite a lot of vibration. The shaking and vibration causes the pallets of cargo that are strapped down in the center of the airframe to shift and dance all over the deck. One can simply and vividly imagine being crushed against, or pushed completely through the airplane skin at any moment, although the straps should stop it just short from actually doing that. I suppose because I was nervous, frightened, and very excited at the same time, the flight seemed to take several hours.
My first airplane ride only lasted 30-minutes, but it was one of my life's unforgettable experiences and truly the original white knuckle flight.
...ccess of the P-51. From the early days of the A model all the way to the newly designated F-51D, the Mustang fought through swaths of enemies to allow victory for the Allies and the United States. The P-51 is a recognizable machine that embodies the entire war effort of the time and continues to inspire aviation enthusiasts. Today there are many people and companies that are dedicated to preserving and protecting these pieces of our nations history by reconditioning and donating to capable museums and collectors. Through the work of these individuals the P-51 Mustang will forever be a symbol of air power during the world toughest times.
In today’s world, the use of airplanes in wars or in everyday life has become a part of how we live as human beings. Removing the air forces of the world is like taking a step back in time when wars were only fought on land or sea. WWI began only eleven short years after the Wright brothers achieved powered flight in 19031 and yet aircrafts were being used for surveillance and eventually combat purposes. It is understood that these aircrafts were primitive, but they laid down the foundation for what we know today as fighter jets. The Fokker Eindecker “revolutionized air combat by successfully employing a synchronized forward -firing machine gun mounted on the engine cowling”2. Because this airplane became the first to successfully use a synchronized machine gun, it allowed its pilots to become the first aerial combat tactitions3.
...was recognized for having been travelled remarkably long on its engine before breaking down which exceeded industry standards. The crew were congratulating for their heroics and recognized their arduous task of manning the troublesome submarines.
The P-51 Mustang is regarded by many sources as the greatest fighter plane ever created. With the technological advancements this plane achieved, to it’s service record, to it’s importance in winning World War Two, the Mustang is truly one of the greats. The Mustang played a key role in long range bomber support and saved countless bomber crew’s lives, and pilots loved to fly it. The P-51 had the most aerial victories of any American fighter in World War Two and it was flown by some of America’s top aces. The P-51 was a beast of a fighter plane
As Allied armies fought their way deep into occupied Europe, it was the P-51 Mustang which sought control of the skies from the Luftwaffe and in most cases succeeded. More than just a ferocious dogfighter, the P-51 Mustang was one of the fastest piston-engine fighter and could fly higher and go further than any other combat aircraft of the war. The P-51 Mustang claimed the most Allied kills with no fewer than 281 pilots earning the “Aces” (5 kills) distinction in a Mustang. It was the greatest fighter of the war.
Whether fortunately or unfortunately, the limits of innovation are often put to the test. In the case of a submarine launched to sea in 1938, the USS Squalus, bad luck proved disastrous. Within minutes of a test dive, twenty-six men drowned. Years later, Peter Maas compiled the known information about the tragedy into The Terrible Hours: The Greatest Submarine Rescue in History. Over the heartbreaking journey of hopelessness to hope, crisis to survival, and depths to ascension, Maas weaves the sad tale depicting the unknown dangers that technology possesses.
To begin, the war gave a new perspective of aircraft, ostensibly revisiting and rewriting the previous role and feeling towards aircraft. During major battles, airplanes were used primarily to report enemy infantry and artillery. While it was true aircraft were very useful for reconnaissance purposes, they were capable of much more. Pilots at first had only a pistol to protect themselves in case of danger. When pilots demanded that machine guns be fitted to their airplanes, the air f...
Although I grew up in a military family, I never saw myself going into a military career. Up until I was about fourteen years old, I planned on being a marine biologist in Hawaii. Sounds nice, right? Well, at the end of my eighth grade year I decided that I might as well join NJROTC, because all of my friends were doing it and it seemed okay. I have to say, looking back, I was quite naive. Joining NJROTC was the smartest and most valuable decision I have made to this day.
The new conflict in Korea meant the planes were pulled out of storage and shipped to Asia on an aircraft carrier. USAF Pilots that had flown their last flight in the Mustang less than a year earlier were back in the cockpit. Other Mustangs went from storage into the hands of the ROKAF, and found themselves being flown in battle about a week after arriving. Originally a United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) aircraft, the P-51 Mustang became the F-51 Mustang when the USAF changed the naming convention from pursuit (P) to fighter (F) on June 11th, 1948 (Robertson, Brown, & Heyn, 1961). The F-51 was a more robust aircraft than the new jets, and was able to be based in the austere conditions of Korea. The Air Force’s first jet, the F-80 Shooting Star was initially brought into the Korean Theater, but it didn’t take long to have some of its duties replaced by the trustworthy Mustang. The F-51 could not only takeoff from airfields unsuitable for the Shooting Star, but had a longer range that provided more station time at the fight. Long range escort missions are where the Mustang shined in the previous war. American pilots felt right at home in the Mustang, and were able to defeat all of the initial NKAF piston engine prop fighters. Once the Chinese and Soviet Union started supplying North Korea with The MiG-15, the venerable Mustang
When I entered the airplane I was as excited as a 6-year-old could be about losing the people she loved the most. The greatest aspect of my fear was the idea of losing my mother. As a child, I always
A college education is an essential step towards a successful military career. To some enlisted members, continuing or starting a college education may seem difficult to do. My decision to continue a college education was easy. Being stationed at an Air Base for a year has given me an opportunity to do so without being sidetracked by some of life’s daily responsibilities. Since it is an unaccompanied tour and I have no choice but to live in dorms, going to college is much easier then back in the states. Being stationed here has given me great opportunity to dedicate all my free time towards a college degree. After going to the Education Center I was very pleased. Right now the Air Force will pay one hundred percent of my college tuition fees. So the first thing I did was set a goal. I planned to start small; first working towards my Community College of the Air Force (CCAF) degree. The CCAF is the only degree-granting institution of higher learning in the world dedicated exclusively to enlisted people (The Insider: Air Force Education Programs, par. 4). A CCAF degree, which is equal to an associate degree, helps in numerous ways. Many Air Force special duty assignments require enlisted members to have a CCAF degree. For example, to become a Military Training Instructor or T.I., the member applying is required to have a CCAF degree. The path towards a college degree may be challenging; however, the rewards seem to be endless.
When I first got to college I needed a way to pay for school, so I enlisted in the Army Reserves and was shipped out to basic combat training. At basic combat training I learned of the differences between an officer and an enlisted soldier. I had a phenomenal company commander who was a ROTC cadet who told me all about the program and the responsibilities of an officer. Once I returned from basic combat training I got in contact with the recruiter for UAB ROTC and joined the program. These decisions helped me pay for college, a big reason I initialed joined the Army.
Just after this quick bend, the crew became visible helping people on. Just before I entered the transportation unit, I looked down at the gap left between the door and I. The metal around the entry door was rusted and worn, which gave me an eerie feeling. Reluctantly, I stepped aboard and felt uneasy as I saw those responsible for taking us to our destination. I would soon know for sure, how I felt about my now plausible career.
Difference is something that can be hard to pin-point especially, I think, in hindsight. The first encounter with something unfamiliar can easily be remembered in the context of what was learned following the meeting. To some extent this is true of my first conscious experience of meeting someone who was different from me. When I look back and consider my age, my mindset at the time and the way the meeting was treated by those closest to me; it is not surprising to find that the experience feels incredibly normal.
I can still remember how excited I was before take off, I mean it felt like forever while we sat in the plane waiting to take off. Just all the anticipation that was inside of me had just made the wait even longer for me. Finally, I heard the pilot say 'prepare for take off'. When I heard those words I was so overjoyed I could hardly contain myself. That rush I got once the plane took off was an experience like no other. The plane ride was about hours long and I enjoyed every minute of it. Little did I know, that was less than half of the fun I was going to have at Orlando.