Not really backcountry stuff [did use my 180 though ] and not in the States but it's such a unique idea I thought some may be interested...

Ever year in the UK volunteer pilots with their aircraft pick up WWII RAF vets from all over the country and fly them to a location where they have a mini reunion then take them home again...it's called Project Propeller

http://www.projectpropeller.co.uk/

Woke up on the morning and we are was 8/8 fog...not a great start to the day but knew it would clear...morning didn't improve much when I got up to the strip after driving through the fog and ripping back the hangar net thinking "ummm...the right wing was a little low" and was confronted with this....



...s*** !!

Managed to take the weight off the wheel by using my back to raise the wing via the strut and pumping at the same time...knew there was no way I'd be able to get some big tires on a Sat and could see the whole day turning extremely bad, so was relieved that after being pumped up it stayed up....

Picked up one passenger 15 mins away at an old WWII field called Kemble then about 10 minutes to another ex WWII one at Gloucester and then went to Old Warden , home of the Shuttleworth Collection...

http://www.shuttleworth.org/shuttleworth_home.asp

There were around 100 light aircraft there...



180 second to last at the bottom next to a C421



...with around 200 vets...



Great to see some vets from the last one I went to and it was good to see the old mates looking out for each other especially the ones who had found the tea and coffee a little mundane and when the word went round that the restaurant over the way served a nice pint, casting away their walking sticks as they made a bee-line for it...

Wonderful to see the queue of the guys lining up to get the CDs signed that were on sale, by the swing band era music group... I'm sure that was just for the memories the music brought back and not the fact that the ladies were in very trim khakis...



There was a great solo display by a P-40 and then it was time to go...

But I have to say that the highlight of my day was one of my passengers that I had the pleasure and the honour to collect at Kemble...I got the Belle of the Ball....



This lovely lady, Joy Lofthouse was a member of the ATA who ferried aircraft from the factories to the operation bases. She flew mostly Spitfires and 'some' Mustangs...

This is the rest of the crew...



Joe, Joy, Ken...the guys have flown with me before so I must be doing something right. Hopefully Joy will come again with me next year...

Terrific people all.

They are the 'Greatest Generation'.

Great story, Kiwi. That strip is immaculate.

Those brits sure are tiny people....

That is way cool. I once took a B-17 tail gunner for a ride. He hadn't floan since 1945. He told me a few stories and had me in tears.

tim

The really neat thing about living in Germany was talking to their old aviators. Being that they lost, and I'm sure the whole Nazi thing, they felt a lot like our Vietnam vets did, underappreciated. They loved to talk, most spoke decent english, and had some incredible stories. I'm glad I didn't live then, it must have been a horrendous experience.

Kiwi, A great story and a grand deed indeed. I just love to read about stories such as this. You are a good man. Bob

skybobb wrote:Kiwi, A great story and a grand deed indeed. I just love to read about stories such as this. You are a good man. Bob

Bob ... I couldn't agree more; what a wonderful story and beautiful pictures. Thank you Kiwi for sharing this ~ on so many levels, this is what ~ its all about ... and a beautiful example of how aviation and those involved in it - at their best - exemplify them all.

(and Bob ~ that was a great article in AOPA Pilot about your friend "Candy" Gail Halvorsen)

Thanks for all the nice comments ... I'm just one of many pilots that do this....it is really a pleasure even though I feel like, as 1SeventyZ said, 'Gulliver'....

Maybe it might give somebody some ideas to do it in their area...the pleasure it gives these vets is incredible.

I just look upon it that if they, and your vets over there, hadn't have done what they did I wouldn't be enjoying myself flying around today so one day a year is nothing...I'm going to take that lovely lady out to lunch soon though and hear some more of her experiences

Was born in New Zealand after WWII and I'm extremely grateful that the US came to our aid during that conflict especially the 2nd Marine Division that was based there for some time.