WWII Carrier Video

[A4sForever]

Carrier Aviators flew around the boat with their canopy open. They didn't do it to look cool or cool off. They did it because it was the first step in the ditching procedure.

Same-O, Same-O at the field in the Teenie-Weenie and in the T-28 ... and basically for the same reason(s). Opening the canopy was also the first step on a PPEL .... think Four Silo Farm, if it's still there.

And we did it to look ... "cool" ... like the WW2 guys .... ... on STUD solos.

 

[A4sForever]

Heck, not to be outdone by our predecessors, we even flew around with the canopy open in the A-6 ...

Believe it.

 

[CaptainRon]

Awesome video. When that pilot at 4:27 lands, I get shivers, especially with the crank in the volume that happens right when he finally lands and survives.

Pretty good! Prettyyyy prettyy prettyyyy pretty good! - Larry David

 

[Coota0]

I just got done watching the Taffy 3 engagement on Dogfights. That is pretty damn moto. Almost made me think it would be cool to be a SWO with what the Destroyers did during the battle.

The skipper of that desroyer had balls, turning and charging the Japanese ships alone.

On a side note; Dogfights is an awesome show.

 

[scoober78]

It's amazing what technology and a little engineering can do. Back then, a plane a day was no big deal. Today, I can't take a three day weekend w/out having some safety brief.

This gets what has always amazed me...Talking to my Mom's dad, who was a submariner in WWII always amazed me because in comparison with my submarine experience it was stunning how much of the operations/tactics etc...that they just made up or created. There was some real creativity and cleverness to do what they did.

I'd imagine the early days of carrier aviation were the same way...

 

[BrandonJ1780]

Bit of a threadjack: I went to the Navy Museum in DC this past weekend; they had a child's hand-drawn picture of the Thresher on the ocean floor, (even had the flag waving), done by the son of the Thresher's skipper...chokes you up a little. Sub guys then and now, y'all have guts.