Cecil, looks like a B-17 setting back there.
A quick story. A friend of my's father was a B-17 pilot over Germany at the ripe old age of 19.
I lived in Houston at the time and had a connection to the Lonestar Flight museum in Galveston that had a B-17. In my discussions with him and his many stories that raised the hair on my neck, I learned he had never set foot in another plane as pilot since getting out alive after 35 missions(another story itself) much less a B-17.
I picked him up one Saturday, did not tell him where we were going and headed straight to Galveston. I had made arrangements with some friends to surprise him in the hanger to see the plane, share some stories and since he had actually flown a 17 they asked him to talk to some of the visitors since they had never had an actual pilot visit.
Then the fun began!! We were taking a "test flight".
As soon as he stepped into the side door where you enter, it was as if it was 1944-45 all over again for him. He began to bark orders, "watch out for your head here", "here is where I had to kick the bombs out of the bomb bay when they jammed" "get forward into the nose that's where the Norden bombsight is", and on and on.
He thought it was a great experience, hell I just experienced a bombing run!!!
He talked about that plane ride every time I saw him and so did I! Absolutely the Greatest Generation!!!
P.S...................at 19 I think I was worried about being caught with a beer in my car and he was dodging Flak and Messerschmitts!!
Our monthly pancake breakfast and fly-in was held jointly today with Impala Bob's sponsoring a car show. Our own Larry Greer was there with his beautiful midnite blue 61.
