The first Naval aviator to give his life | FerrariChat
Buy

The first Naval aviator to give his life

Discussion in 'Aviation Chat' started by Texas Forever, May 27, 2013.

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

  1. Texas Forever

    Texas Forever Eight Time F1 World Champ
    BANNED Rossa Subscribed

    Apr 28, 2003
    85,600
    Texas!
    #1 Texas Forever, May 27, 2013
    Every time I look at the window and watch the wings of a big ol' jet airliner flex in bumpy air, I am reminded of all those who pioneered this crazy idea that man could fly. The story below is incredible. Apparently, nobody had thought of seat straps.

    Dale

     
  2. snj5

    snj5 F1 World Champ

    Feb 22, 2003
    10,213
    San Antonio
    Full Name:
    Russ Turner
    #2 snj5, May 27, 2013
    The idea of a man or woman flying. It's craziness, I tell you.
    [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TO7-_fGqGTg]Those Magnificent Men In Their Flying Machines Trailer [HD] - YouTube[/ame]

    And the idea they can do it off a boat!
    Lunacy, I say.
     
  3. Bob Parks

    Bob Parks F1 Veteran
    Consultant

    Nov 29, 2003
    8,017
    Shoreline,Washington
    Full Name:
    Robert Parks
    #3 Bob Parks, May 27, 2013
    Ah, YES! One of my favorite movies! I have a book on how the replicas were built for that film and how they had to learn to fly them. Structural stiffness was a problem for the Vickers monoplane, wing loading for the Demoiselle for which they found a 90 pound girl pilot to fly it, Santos Dumont was a tiny little guy and his airplane was a "point design" machine. Flying flat out at 40 mph took some hidden skills on the part of the pilots. Fun fun movie. Thanks for dredging that up, Russ.
     
  4. ralfabco

    ralfabco Two Time F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa

    Mar 1, 2002
    28,029
    Dixie
    Full Name:
    Itamar Ben-Gvir
    #4 ralfabco, May 27, 2013
    Interesting story. I follow the golden age of aviation. After the Phantom II (Pigs), it is just not the same :).


    Unfortunately, manned aviation in the military has just a few more decades of service. Tactical aviation may not have three more decades of service with military pilots at the stick.


    Drones will not go away. sad face.
     
  5. Tcar

    Tcar F1 Rookie

    Jan 2, 2010
    4,739
    Denver, Albuquerque
    #5 Tcar, May 29, 2013
    Here's a relative site...

    Even has a picture of William Billingsly, a B-2, etc.

    Scroll to page 12.

    http://www.history.navy.mil/avh-1910/PART01.PDF
     
  6. Texas Forever

    Texas Forever Eight Time F1 World Champ
    BANNED Rossa Subscribed

    Apr 28, 2003
    85,600
    Texas!
    #6 Texas Forever, May 29, 2013
    Thanks!

    Dale

    PS Here is a related story about learning on the job. My dad flew PBYs in the big war. He said that he almost became a marine. (He was going through OCS at Jax when Pearl hit.) But, he couldn't stand that blood stripe on their uniforms, so he stayed Navy. He said this decision probably saved his life because the Jarheads flew taildraggers, and we lost a bunch of people trying to land on jungle strips when they couldn't see what they where doing.
     
  7. Texas Forever

    Texas Forever Eight Time F1 World Champ
    BANNED Rossa Subscribed

    Apr 28, 2003
    85,600
    Texas!
    #7 Texas Forever, May 31, 2013
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
  8. Texas Forever

    Texas Forever Eight Time F1 World Champ
    BANNED Rossa Subscribed

    Apr 28, 2003
    85,600
    Texas!
    #8 Texas Forever, Jun 1, 2013
    Question: In the carrier pic, is this guy landing or taking off? The caption said landing, but it doesn't look that way to me. But I could be wrong.

    Dale
     
  9. Bob Parks

    Bob Parks F1 Veteran
    Consultant

    Nov 29, 2003
    8,017
    Shoreline,Washington
    Full Name:
    Robert Parks
    #9 Bob Parks, Jun 1, 2013
    I think that this is a landing.
     
  10. ralfabco

    ralfabco Two Time F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa

    Mar 1, 2002
    28,029
    Dixie
    Full Name:
    Itamar Ben-Gvir
    #10 ralfabco, Jun 1, 2013
    No LSO !!!!!
     
  11. Tcar

    Tcar F1 Rookie

    Jan 2, 2010
    4,739
    Denver, Albuquerque
    #11 Tcar, Jun 1, 2013
    Agree.

    If it's in the same plane as the pic above it, (the one with the seatbelt!), it's a take off.
     
  12. Bob Parks

    Bob Parks F1 Veteran
    Consultant

    Nov 29, 2003
    8,017
    Shoreline,Washington
    Full Name:
    Robert Parks
    #12 Bob Parks, Jun 1, 2013
    The picture of the pilot at the controls with the leg belt strapped tight is not the airplane in the take off/landing sequences. The pilot picture is a seaplane with tip floats and no struts emanating from the leading edge of the lower wing. The battleship pictures show a different airplane sans the tip floats and forward struts. That's what I have detected and just my input.
     
  13. Texas Forever

    Texas Forever Eight Time F1 World Champ
    BANNED Rossa Subscribed

    Apr 28, 2003
    85,600
    Texas!
    #13 Texas Forever, Jun 3, 2013
    So does it look like the plane is landing? After looking at it, I think so.

    Dale

    PS How would you like to be the dude strapped into the seat? Talk about a come to Jesus/Alla/Bubba moment.
     
  14. Tcar

    Tcar F1 Rookie

    Jan 2, 2010
    4,739
    Denver, Albuquerque
    #14 Tcar, Jun 4, 2013
    So the arresting 'system' is just sandbags with cables strung between them?

    I guess if the plane only weighs hundreds of pounds...
     
  15. Texas Forever

    Texas Forever Eight Time F1 World Champ
    BANNED Rossa Subscribed

    Apr 28, 2003
    85,600
    Texas!
    #15 Texas Forever, Jun 4, 2013
    Looks that way, huh? Must have been interesting.

    Dale
     
  16. Bob Parks

    Bob Parks F1 Veteran
    Consultant

    Nov 29, 2003
    8,017
    Shoreline,Washington
    Full Name:
    Robert Parks
    #16 Bob Parks, Jun 4, 2013
    Sand bags with rope connecting them. That sytem was used for quite a few years before the hook.
     

Share This Page