1932 A-2 in photo

[deand]

Found during search on ebay:

"PHOTO SIGNED BY 1929 AIR CORPS RECORD FLIGHT PILOT BRIG. GEN. ROSS G. HOYT (1893 - 1983)

HOYT AS COMMANDER OF 17TH FIGHTER SQUADRON, SELFRIDGE FIELD IN 1932

HOYT WROTE: "AT THIS TIME (1932) I WAS A CAPTAIN COMMANDING 17TH FIGHTER SQUADRON, SELFRIDGE FIELD, MICH. PLANE IS A BOEING P-12. TO HARRY BLOCK ROSS G . HOYT. BRIG GEN. USAF. WED NOV. 13, 1968 A & N [ARMY & NAVY] CLUB WASH, D.C."




dean

 

[Roughwear]

Thanks for posting this picture Dean. The SAT is probably less than a year old and has already developed a broken in look.

 

[zoomer]

What an amazing picture. A lot of the fliers of the interwar era seem nonchalant, even jaunty, to us today, real-life Smilin' Jacks and Tailspin Tommys flying quaintly painted box kites that we imagine couldn't ever have fired a shot in anger.

Ross Hoyt, his plane caked with mud, his nearly new jacket already looking like an old boot, his face grim and creased beyond his 38 years, puts the lie to all that. This is a guy you can tell was well acquainted with the grueling, thankless, and dangerous side of flying for a country that had no will nor wallet to think about war, even as he and his contemporaries knew war first hand and knew there must surely be another one. One that, as things looked then, we might never be ready for. One that was already killing airmen as they tried for faster, longer, higher, better.

 

[Dr H]

Love the avatar :lol:

 

[zoomer]

Thanks. I wanted to animate it but VLJ can't take those.

 

[Anonymous]

Love the avatar :lol:

Very funny :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[deand]

Love the avatar :lol:

Very funny :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Ditto! :lol:





dean

 

[EMBLEMHUNTER]

The "avatar" is "Wunnerful a Wunnerful" !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!