The end of an era?

[Pa12]

I can relate. I love flying but I make a horrible passenger.

 

[JonnyCrow]

B-17's 1944

 

[Pa12]

Bitching about the younger generation is a rite of passage to aging. My old man constantly bitched about the lazy useless turds of my generation . Now it’s my turn

 

[Pa12]

Funny semi-related story.

My mom had a friend, an airline stewardess. On one flight she noticed a man sitting in first class looking uncomfortable.

She approached the man, and asked him “do you do much flying?”

He replied, “I’ve done some.”

When she walked over to the other flight attendants and relayed her observation they all snickered and said, “Do you know who that man was?”

It was Charles Lindbergh.

That would have been in the days when most biscuit shooters were registered nurses. Long gone days. Oh boy, I’ve got some flight attendant jokes and stories, but I don’t want to get kicked off the forum

 

[Mark Hutchins]

Don't care if they fly or not.
Even without wing spar issues seems like a few get destroyed due to various reasons/causes. How will it be when the last example crashes? Nice to see them fly, but not necessary to enjoy them.

 

[Micawber]

I think the last page or two of this thread probably illustrates the age demographic of many on this forum.

"Yoof of today tut tut tut, now back in my day..."

 

[Pa12]

What will the next generation complain about? The old days before brain implants when you had to use your hands ?

 

[JonnyCrow]

I think the last page or two of this thread probably illustrates the age demographic of many on this forum.

"Yoof of today tut tut tut, now back in my day..."

At least it's not " during the war " Steve

 

[ES335]

Don't care if they fly or not.
Even without wing spar issues seems like a few get destroyed due to various reasons/causes. How will it be when the last example crashes? Nice to see them fly, but not necessary to enjoy them.

I respectfully disagree. IMO, (and I know we're talking B17s here) few experiences are as visceral as an in-your-face, close up, full throttle & low altitude P-51 pass flown by someone who obviously doesn't give jack shit about $100k+ Merlin anual overhauls... Keep 'em flying!

 

[Chandler]

... flown by someone who obviously doesn't give jack shit about $100k+ Merlin anual overhauls... Keep 'em flying!

They're dwindling quickly.

 

[Pa12]

I respectfully disagree. IMO, (and I know we're talking B17s here) few experiences are as visceral as an in-your-face, close up, full throttle & low altitude P-51 pass flown by someone who obviously doesn't give jack shit about $100k+ Merlin anual overhauls... Keep 'em flying!

It will surely be a sad day when we hear a Merlin, wasp or wright for the last time. That will definitely be the end of an era.

 

[Pa12]

They're dwindling quickly.

If they don’t resurrect the Reno air races that will help. They ate up a lot of engines over the years. Doubling the hp on an engine shortens it’s life drastically.

 

[Chandler]

If they don’t resurrect the Reno air races that will help. They ate up a lot of engines over the years. Doubling the hp on an engine shortens it’s life drastically.

I meant the entrepreneurs with $100k to drop every year on something as obscure as a Merlin engine.

 

[Pa12]

I meant the entrepreneurs with $100k to drop every year on something as obscure as a Merlin engine.

Wouldn’t that be nice position to be in.

 

[Micawber]

I respectfully disagree. IMO, (and I know we're talking B17s here) few experiences are as visceral as an in-your-face, close up, full throttle & low altitude P-51 pass flown by someone who obviously doesn't give jack shit about $100k+ Merlin anual overhauls... Keep 'em flying!

The graceful lines and sound of a Spitfire or Mosquito giving it some welly, or a Lancaster, ranks highly too. Merlin’s are beautiful at full chat.

 

[Pa12]

There’s nothing like it. Music to my ears.

 

[Pa12]

I think the last page or two of this thread probably illustrates the age demographic of many on this forum.

"Yoof of today tut tut tut, now back in my day..."

But to be honest, I didn’t trudge through 4 ft of snow 5 miles to get to school. Only a foot of snow 3/4 of a mile to the bus stop

 

[MauldinFan]

Bitching about the younger generation is a rite of passage to aging. My old man constantly bitched about the lazy useless turds of my generation . Now it’s my turn

People might decry how young people don't know WW2 planes when they see them or the people who flew them, but most older folks couldn't pick out WW1 aircraft or the famous pilots who flew them who were household names to the WW2 era folks.
I'd think only a handful of people on this forum could name more than two or three WW1 pilots or be able to name planes in period photos other than the three or four best known (Fokker triplane, Spowith Camel and one or two others).
I was at an airshow last year and we got onto this very discussion. I had someone call up photos of WW1 planes and pilots and even among people who knew WW2 stuff backwards and forwards were surprised how little of either they could correctly name.
The WW2 vets would be disappointed as I'd bet many in their prime could name most correctly as those were the men and machines they knew well from the past.

 

[Micawber]

But to be honest, I didn’t trudge through 4 ft of snow 5 miles to get to school. Only a foot of snow 3/4 of a mile to the bus stop

You had it easy, we had gravel for breakfast and slept in hole in t’road…

 

[JonnyCrow]

People might decry how young people don't know WW2 planes when they see them or the people who flew them, but most older folks couldn't pick out WW1 aircraft or the famous pilots who flew them who were household names to the WW2 era folks.
I'd think only a handful of people on this forum could name more than two or three WW1 pilots or be able to name planes in period photos other than the three or four best known (Fokker triplane, Spowith Camel and one or two others).
I was at an airshow last year and we got onto this very discussion. I had someone call up photos of WW1 planes and pilots and even among people who knew WW2 stuff backwards and forwards were surprised how little of either they could correctly name.
The WW2 vets would be disappointed as I'd bet many in their prime could name most correctly as those were the men and machines they knew well from the past.

Albert Ball, Georges Guynemer, Spad, nieuport