Interview w Jerry Yellin, WW2 Fighter pilot...

Dang. 91 yo and that guy is as sharp as a tack. Very inspiring thanks for posting.

 

I have known many men like Jerry Yellin, some when I was in and some after the war. These men are why I cannot and never will classify myself as a WW2 vet. The younger people now have no idea what greatness was done in WW2, indeed, some don't even know when it started.

 

Yes he is very sharp..ive had the fortune to hang out with some well known great WW2 pilots/aces, over the years, now their minds are going as they age..sad the journey is most important in life..

 

I watched another program about him. Phillip SchlambergKnew he wouldn't come back. I feel bad for him and his family.

 

Great video! Thank you. How did the manage 8 hours in a P51? How did it carry enough fuel, those birds must drink fuel like mad. Never mind being in that seat for 8 hours.

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They carried drop tanks.

Easier to do that when you're 19 years old than now.

 

Here's an article and a pic of Yellin in the cockpit after flying a P-51 at 90 YO.

Letter From Aviation History?September 2014 | HistoryNet

 

I have had the honor of knowing Jerry for the last 20 years. He has boundless energy and is an "idea man", having started the spirit of 45 event.

I had the privilege of flying a 2 ship for display to his hometown airport in Iowa at the time where he was speaking to a class of school children. I remember getting photos of him in the cockpit of my P-51 but I have to fine them.

The P-51 holds 180 gallons internally, another 53 (if I remember correctly) in the fuselage tank, and 2, 75 gallon drop tanks.

Down low around 10,000 feet the Mustang typically burns 65 gph, but up high they would be down to 40 to 45 gph.

I can tell you that after just an hour and a half you are fatigued and there is no feeling left in your seat. And that is just fun flying. At altitude it would be incredibly cold and with no pressurization even more uncomfortable. When you have the gear down if you look down you can see the ground through openings in between panels, so i would bet the cold would be worse then most of us have ever experienced.

And then after 8 hours of flying and critically low on fuel you may have to shoot an approach in bad weather. Bob Frisch who flew Mustang's in Europe once told me that he was letting down and an apple tree flashed by his wing at the same height he was.

Oh and then you get to do all of that again the next day, with fresh losses of friends on your mind, and people shooting at you. And you are 20 years old.

If you get a chance read Jerry's book, he did a great job on that as well.

 

Thanks for the write up. Those guys where real men.

Just read your profile man do you have some cool toys! Ever come to Triple Tree? I bet you know Pat Hartness? He just purchased a P-51.

QUOTE=f4udriver;144811851]I have had the honor of knowing Jerry for the last 20 years. He has boundless energy and is an "idea man", having started the spirit of 45 event.

I had the privilege of flying a 2 ship for display to his hometown airport in Iowa at the time where he was speaking to a class of school children. I remember getting photos of him in the cockpit of my P-51 but I have to fine them.

The P-51 holds 180 gallons internally, another 53 (if I remember correctly) in the fuselage tank, and 2, 75 gallon drop tanks.

Down low around 10,000 feet the Mustang typically burns 65 gph, but up high they would be down to 40 to 45 gph.

I can tell you that after just an hour and a half you are fatigued and there is no feeling left in your seat. And that is just fun flying. At altitude it would be incredibly cold and with no pressurization even more uncomfortable. When you have the gear down if you look down you can see the ground through openings in between panels, so i would bet the cold would be worse then most of us have ever experienced.

And then after 8 hours of flying and critically low on fuel you may have to shoot an approach in bad weather. Bob Frisch who flew Mustang's in Europe once told me that he was letting down and an apple tree flashed by his wing at the same height he was.

Oh and then you get to do all of that again the next day, with fresh losses of friends on your mind, and people shooting at you. And you are 20 years old.

If you get a chance read Jerry's book, he did a great job on that as well.[/QUOTE]