Tag Archives: World War II

The Last Doughboy

Posted on February 1, 2011 by Joe Clark

Sometimes a story reaches out, grabs you by the neck, and demands the telling. This is such a story. Frank Woodruff Buckles will turn 110 years old today, February 1, 2011. That alone is cause for celebration; what is of … Continue reading →

Posted in Life in General | Tagged 1st Fort Riley Casual Detachment, an extraordinary life, Charles Town WV, doughboys, Frank Woodruff Buckles, Japanese, Philippines, prisoners of war, RMS Carpathia, RMS Titanic, survivors, the family Bible, The Great War, The Last Doughboy, the last surviving veteran of World War I, the last survivor, United States Army, veterans, World War I, World War I veterans, World War II | 3 Comments

The 1940s

Posted on January 18, 2011 by Joe Clark

My friend, Mike, sent me an email featuring a PowerPoint presentation about the 1940s. Coincidentally, I spent time earlier in the day researching some of the great airplanes of the period. I came away thinking about the airplanes and the … Continue reading →

Posted in Aviation, Aviation History, Flying, Life in General | Tagged Air Force, airliners, airplanes, altitude, Chuck Yeager, discipline, Douglas DC-7, flying, humanitarian roles, judgment, Lockheed Constellation, Mach, military service, offensive and defensive weapons of war, open cockpit biplanes, pilots, professional pilots, Royal Air Force, The 1940s, the airline industry, the Korean conflict, The World's Greatest Generation, Tom Brokaw, United States Air Force, World War II | 5 Comments

The Aeronca Chief

Posted on January 16, 2011 by Joe Clark

She is another one of those classic airplanes. As with most airplanes coming into production after the war, the Aeronca Chief was an airplane as perfect for personal use as she was for flight training. Not as popular as some … Continue reading →

Posted in Aviation, Flying | Tagged adverse yaw, Aeronca 11AC, Aeronca 7AC Champ, Aeronca Chief, airplanes, Cessnas, classic airplanes, Continental A-65 engine, control sticks, cruise speed of 90 mph, flying, inexperienced pilots, judgment, learning to fly, Middleton OH, not a “nasty” taildragger, pilots, Raymond Hermes, side-by-side seating, student pilots, taildraggers, the Aeronautical Aircraft Company, The Aeronca Chief, training aircraft, World War II | 7 Comments

The North American P-51D Mustang

Posted on January 13, 2011 by Joe Clark

One airplane which has always mesmerized me was the North American P-51D Mustang. Truly, the airplane and the pilots who flew her into combat were in a class of their own. When I started flying in 1971, I came across … Continue reading →

Posted in Aviation, Aviation History, Flying, History | Tagged .50 caliber Browning machine guns, Air Force, air shows, airplanes, Eighth Air Force, flying, grueling missions, incredibly higher return than Wall Street, inexperienced pilots, judgment, long range bomber escort, military service, Mustangs for sale, Packard V-1650-7, pilots, professional pilots, race pilots, taildraggers, the National Championship Air Races in Reno, The North American P-51D Mustang, torque rolls, Trade A Plane, World War II | 3 Comments

Carrots and Night Flying

Posted on January 9, 2011 by Joe Clark

When I talk with my commercial pilot classes about radar, one of my favorite “extra point” test questions deals with carrots. None knew the story of British ace, John Cunningham. Cunningham was a Royal Air Force officer who went from … Continue reading →

Posted in Aviation, Aviation History, Flying, Life in General | Tagged beta-carotene, British ace John Cunningham, carrots, Carrots and Night Flying, fighter pilot, flying, military service, pilots, Royal Air Force, the British High Command, The Germans, the invention of radar, the most dangerous night fighter pilot of the RAF, World War II, “extra point” test questions | 1 Comment

The Eve of Christmas Eve

Posted on December 23, 2010 by Joe Clark

We are beginning such a wonderful period. By now, most of us are in the process of forgetting our jobs, ignoring negative world events, focusing on family, and maybe thinking about the meaning of Christmas. I would hope we are … Continue reading →

Posted in Life in General, Personal | Tagged a sense of duty, a sense of honor and obligation, American minutemen, Christmas, focusing on family, Hanukkah, keeping the faith, Kwanzaa, living in peace, Marines, military members, military service, Navy, safety and security, standing united, The Eve of Christmas Eve, the meaning of Christmas, veterans, Vietnam, volunteer force, World War I, World War II | Comments Off

Heroes

Posted on December 20, 2010 by Joe Clark

My student and I finished our flight a little early and when we returned to the ramp, I saw an early model Cessna 210 sitting in front of the flight dispatch building. From afar, the airplane looked good. As I … Continue reading →

Posted in Aviation, Aviation History, Flying, Life in General, Personal | Tagged a true American hero, aeronautical engineering, airplanes, an older gentleman, Cessna 210, Cessnas, Douglas D-558-II Skyrocket, Eastern Airlines, Edwards Air Force Base, flying, Hawker Siddeley, heroes, just another Cessna pilot, military service, National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics' (NACA), Navy, North American Aviation, pilots, professional pilots, Scott Crossfield, test pilot, the fastest human alive, the U.S. House of Representatives Committee for Science and Technology, the X-15, World War II | 4 Comments

Jimmy Stewart

Posted on December 11, 2010 by Joe Clark

Jimmy Stewart, born James Maitland Stewart in Indiana, Pennsylvania on May 20, 1908, was one of the most beloved movie actors of the Twentieth Century. Stewart was a gentle man who also happened to be an excellent piano player. Moreover … Continue reading →

Posted in Aviation, Aviation History, Flying, Life in General | Tagged 453rd Bombardment Squadron, 703rd, a natural born leader, acting, Air Force, airplanes, B-24 Liberators, building model airplanes, Captain Andy Low, Hollywood, Hollywood star, James Maitland Stewart, Jimmy Stewart, judgment, military service, Old Buckenham, pilots, Princeton, Revolutionary War, War Between the States, World War II, “Old Buc” | 1 Comment

The Navy Corsairs

Posted on December 4, 2010 by Joe Clark

Whenever someone mentions the name “Corsair,” most aviation enthusiasts immediately think of the inverted gull-winged F-4U Corsair from World War II. A few will think of the A-7 Corsair which gained fame as a light attack bomber in Vietnam. Even … Continue reading →

Posted in Aviation, Aviation History, Flying | Tagged A-4 Skyhawk, A-7E Corsair, Coast Guard, Desert Storm, F-4U Corsair, F-8 Crusader, Granada, Iraq, Libya, Lyman Bullard, Marines, Navy, O2U Corsair, Panama, Pratt & Whitney, R-1340 Wasp, R-1690 Hornet, The Korean War, The Navy Corsairs, Vietnam, Vought Corporation, World War II | 1 Comment

The Sunshine Skyway

Posted on November 28, 2010 by Joe Clark

Yesterday my wife, her parents, and I visited her sister in Bradenton. It was a nice afternoon – except for the Gator’s game – that was a pretty hard loss to the Seminoles. Afterward, we started home to my in-law’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Aviation, Aviation History, Flying, Life in General, Personal | Tagged B-26 Marauder, Capricorn, Captain Al Ford, commercial airline flight, Cuba, Fort Brooke, in Tampa Bay”, instrument pilot, Jimmy Doolittle, MacDill Field, Seminoles, snook, St. Petersburg, Tampa, Tampa Bay, Tampa International Airport, Teddy Roosevelt, the birth of scheduled airline flying, the Gator’s game, the Rough Riders, the Spanish American War, the Summit Venture, The Sunshine Skyway, Tony Jannus, USCGC Blackthorne, WDAE 1250 a.m. radio, World War II, “One a day | Comments Off

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Tag Archives: World War II

The Last Doughboy

The 1940s

The Aeronca Chief

The North American P-51D Mustang

Carrots and Night Flying

The Eve of Christmas Eve

Heroes

Jimmy Stewart

The Navy Corsairs

The Sunshine Skyway

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