Where were you on D-Day 6 June 1944?  John Taylor was flying his P-38 Lightning over the beaches of Normandy, HOW COOL IS THAT!

Earlier in 2009 Flightline Fabrications interviewed retired USAAF P-38 Lightning Pilot John Taylor. Mr. Taylor and his daughter were generous enough to sit down for our Living History Project™ and tell us about his life as a P-38 Lightning Pilot during WWII, Flying with the 8th Air Force in Europe and his flight status on one of the most important days of WWII, 6 June 1944 D-Day! Taylor flew 63 missions in the P-38 Lightning and the P-51 Mustang with the 364th Fighter Group.

Fuel Levels – Check!  Flaps – Check! Wag your rudder and get ready to take off, John’s stories flying the P-38 Lightning will take your breath away!  Oh Yeah… you better have your GLOVES at the ready for this one….!

If you missed PART ONE or PART TWO of John Taylor’s interview, you will not want to miss any more of Col. Mitchell’s interview!

PART THREE of Four: P-38 Pilot John Taylor Interview    

Flightline Fabrications wishes to express its gratitude and thanks to the P-38 National Association for their partnership in making these interviews possible.

If you would like to leave comments,
please click the “Comments” link below.

Do you or someone you know have first hand memories of this or any other historic event, whether you served in the military or as a civilian, Flightline Fabrications Living History Project want to hear from you.  Please contact our Living History Project with your remembrances.  History should NEVER be forgotten.  Your memories are important and should be retained and shared. 

 Flightline Fabrications

In the early morning hours of June 6, 1944, Americans received word that three years of concerted war efforts had finally culminated in D-day–military jargon for the undisclosed time of a planned British, American, and Canadian action. During the night, over 5,300 ships and 11,000 planes had crossed the English Channel and landed on the beaches of Normandy. The goal of every soldier and civilian involved in that effort was to drive the German military back to Berlin by opening a western front in Europe.

General Dwight David Eisenhower was in command of the invasion, which was code-named Operation Overlord.

The operation was the largest amphibious invasion of all time, with over 160,000 troops landing on 6 June 1944. 195,700 Allied naval and merchant navy personnel in over 5,000 ships were involved. The invasion required the transport of soldiers and material from the United Kingdom by troop-laden aircraft and ships, the assault landings, air support, naval interdiction of the English Channel and naval fire-support. The landings took place along a 50-mile (80 km) stretch of the Normandy coast divided into five sectors: Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno and Sword.

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Flightline Fabrications would like to take a moment to give thanks for our freedom and say thank you to all those who have fought for our country and those who have paid the ultimate price, we OWE you a deep debt:   THANK YOU!

A recent Flightline Fabrications Customer Mark shared this photo of his M151 “MUTT” Jeep restoration.

Great looking M151 “MUTT” Jeep Mark!

In 1951 Ford Motor Company was awarded the contract to design a 1/4 ton 4×4 Military Utility Tactical Truck (hence MUTT) to replace the M38 and M38A1 model jeeps. The M151 “MUTT” Jeep was developed with guidance from the US Army’s Ordnance Truck Automotive Command. Design started in 1951 and testing and prototyping lasted through most of the fifties. Although the M151 “MUTT” Jeep was developed and initially produced by Ford, production contracts for the M151A2 were later also awarded to Kaiser Jeep and AM General Corp.

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“People have forgotten how cool and how simple flying is. It’s just man and his machine. It’s getting away and just enjoying life.”
-Trevor Norris

Our friend Tevor Norris recenly launched his website http://www.oregonflying.com based out of Twin Oaks Airpark in Hillsboro, Oregon.

Whether you’ve always been interested in flying, you want to give a flight as a gift, or just have a memorable flying experience, Trevor would love to take you flying!  Trevor offers fights in 2 main aircraft, the CESSNA 172 {1-3 passengers} & J-3 Piper Cub {1 passenger}. Check out the pricing options here: SERVICES

You won’t be disappointed with this ride!

Trevor also offers rides during the monthly 1st Saturday EAA Chapter 105 pancake breakfast at Twin Oaks Airpark from 8-11 am and beyond.

CHECK OUT THIS RIDE FROM LAST YEAR! 

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“RED TAILS” – The re-told story of the Tuskegee Airmen, the first African-American Fighter Pilots to fly in a combat squadron during WWII.  Red Tails was shot last year {2009} and has been in post production since. There have not been any images of footage released to the public, until now!  Visit  Flickr: Hannsmannn’s Photo Stream to check them out!

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A total of 12,732 B-17 Flying Fortress’s were produced between 1935 and May 1945. Of these 4,735 were lost in combat. Following WWII, the B-17 Flying Fortress saw service in three more wars. B-17’s were used in Korea, Israel used them in the war of 1948 and they were even used during Vietnam.

Today, fewer than 100 B-17 Flying Fortress airframes exist and fewer still are in airworthy condition. At one time, more than 1000 B-17’s could be assembled for mass combat missions, now less than 15 of Boeings famous bombers can still take to the sky.

Libery Belle is one of those B-17 Flying Fortress Bombers still flying. This past weekend Libery Belle made a rare stop in Hillsboro, Oregon to share  it’s history, experience and timeless beauty.  Flightline Fabrications was on hand to witness this great event, we hope you enjoy some of the videos we took!

Jim Murphy recently shared this awesome photo of his jeep with our US White Star, P-40 Warhawk & M151 Jeep stickers!

Great Jeep Jim - thanks for letting us take a look! 

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EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. (AP) — The first person to fly a winged aircraft at four, five and six times the speed of sound has died. Retired Air Force Maj. Gen. Robert M. White was 85.  NASA says the record-setting test pilot who flew X-15 rocket planes in the 1960s died March 17. His son, Greg, told the Orlando Sentinel and the Los Angeles Times that White died in his sleep in Orlando, Fla.

White flew in World War II and the Korean War before he became a test pilot at Edwards Air Force Base north of Los Angeles, making 16 flights in X-15s. NASA says White was the first to fly a winged craft at Mach 4, 5 and 6. In 1962, he flew an X-15 more than 59 miles high, earning the Air Force rating of winged astronaut. White later flew 70 missions in Vietnam and retired in 1981.

REST IN PEACE!

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This long awaited miniseries from those who brought you Band of Brothers tracks the intertwined odysseys of three U.S. Marines – Robert Leckie, John Basilone and Eugene Sledge – across the vast canvas of the Pacific. The extraordinary experiences of these men and their fellow Marines take them from the first clash with the Japanese in the haunted jungles of Guadalcanal, through the impenetrable rain forests of Cape Gloucester, across the blasted coral strongholds of Peleliu, up the black sand terraces of Iwo Jima, through the killing fields of Okinawa, to the triumphant, yet uneasy, return home after V-J Day.

THE PACIFIC

You will not want to miss this one!

I just watched a film which impressed and touched me deeply and that I want to share with you all.

BROTHERS AT WAR is an intimate portrait of an American family during a turbulent time.  Jake Rademacher sets out to understand the experience, sacrifice, and motivation of his two brothers serving in Iraq. The film follows Jake’s exploits as he risks everything—including his life—to tell his brothers’ story.  Often humorous, but sometimes downright lethal, BROTHERS AT WAR is a remarkable journey where Jake embeds with four combat units in Iraq. Unprecedented access to U.S. and Iraqi combat units take him behind the camouflage curtain with secret reconnaissance troops on the Syrian border, into sniper “Hide Sites” in the Sunni Triangle, through raging machine gun battles with the Iraqi Army.  Ultimately, the film follows his brothers home where separations and life-threatening work ripple through their parents, siblings, wives and children.  BROTHERS AT WAR provides a rare look at the bonds and service of our soldiers on the frontlines and the profound effects their service has on the loved ones they leave behind. – www.BrothersAtWarMovie.com

Exective produced by Gary Sinise (Forrest Gump, Apollo 13) and shot as a first hand documentary, the film follows Jake, the oldest brother as he sets out to experience on some small level and gain an understanding for what his two brothers have and are going through as they fight in Iraq.  This puts a real face on their experience which can only be seen as typical of the soldiers and Marines currently in harms way.  As an army vet who never saw combat, this was very sobering and moving.

I highly recommend this film.

Thomas Sanders has been photographically documenting WWII veterans for the last three years. His photographs capture a timeless subject with a unique personality and individuality.  Sanders photos capture the a truly unique personal side of each veteran and a side of that veteran rarely seen by the public.  Flightline Fabrications recommends you check out Sanders Faces of WWII, you will not be disappointed.  

 Thomas Sanders Photography

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January 9, 1945 – Armed forces of the United States invade Luzon, in the Philippines, fulfilling the vow made by General Douglas MacArthur when hs famously said “I shall return.”

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Where were you on D-Day 6 June 1944?  John Taylor was flying his P-38 Lightning over the beaches of Normandy, HOW COOL IS THAT!

Earlier in 2009 Flightline Fabrications interviewed retired USAAF P-38 Lightning  Pilot John Taylor. Mr. Taylor and his daughter were generous enough to sit down for our Living History Project™ and tell us about his life as a P-38 Lightning  Pilot during WWII, Flying with the 8th Air Force in Europe and his flight status on one of the most important days of WWII, 6 June 1944 D-Day! Taylor flew 63 missions in the P-38 Lightning and the P-51 Mustang with the 364th Fighter Group.

Fuel Levels – Check!  Flaps – Check! Wag your rudder and get ready to take off, John’s stories flying the P-38 Lightning will take your breath away!

If you missed PART ONE of John Taylor’s interview, you will not want to miss any more of Col. Mitchell’s interview!

PART TWO of Four: P-38 Pilot John Taylor Interview   

Flightline Fabrications wishes to express its gratitude and thanks to the P-38 National Association for their partnership in making these interviews possible.

If you would like to leave comments,
please click the “Comments” link below.

Do you or someone you know have first hand memories of this or any other historic event, whether you served in the military or as a civilian, Flightline Fabrications Living History Project want to hear from you.  Please contact our Living History Project with your remembrances.  History should NEVER be forgotten.  Your memories are important and should be retained and shared. 

 Flightline Fabrications

Thank you to Peter Conomos for sending in these great photos of his motorcycle with his new Japanese Ninja & Serenity Kanji Vinyl Stickers from Flightline Fabrications. If you are not green with envy, you should be, this bike really rocks!

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On a recent visit to Seattle, Flightline Fabrications had the one of a kind chance to visit the Museum of Flight’s rare B-29 Superfortress under restoration in Boeing’s Plant #2.  This visit included a complete behind the scenes guided tour and one of a kind day. 

The Museum of Flight’s rare B-29 Superfortress, known as T-Square 54, fought in the Pacific during World War II, flying 37 bombing missions with the 875th Bomb Squadron, 498th Bomb Group. The bomber was later converted to an aerial refueling tanker for the Korean Conflict. 

Aircraft Details

• Manufacturer: Boeing Aircraft Company
• Model: B-29 Superfortress
• Year: 1945
• Power Plant: 4 Wright R-3350-23 engines
• Registration: 44-69729
• Serial Number: 44-69729
• On Loan From: National Museum of the US Air Force

We hope you enjoy the behind the scenes photos, including a very rare black light instrument panel photo.

 

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 Acquired in 2005, this C-47 Gooney Bird Cowl Flap was originally NOS Military Inventory.  During the restoration of this Cowl Flap the dicision was made to paint the door flap in the colors of the C-47 transports that dropped paratroopers in Normandy, France during the D-Day invasion on June 6, 1944.  In August 2008 while visiting the Seattle Museum of Flight, Flightline Fabrications owner Bryan Heim had the rare opportunity to have Band of Brothers 506th  members Don Malarkey and Buck Compton sign the cowl flap, making it a truly one a kind item!

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*This Virtual Museum artifact is for sale.*

All Artifacts are on Loan From the personal collection of Bryan Heim

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www.AmericanPrideAndPassion.com

This short tutorial video shows how a light painting photo of the B-25 Mitchell Bomber was made. It is an interesting and informative background to the photo and people involved, very interesting of the entire shot was staged and then painting with light.

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