When I got to my second duty station, a NATO radar bunker about equidistant from Trier and Bernkastel on the Moselle River (but east – picture a triangle) we had 24 hours on duty and 24 off.

So most of my trips were day trips -

One day, I just hopped on a regional train with the idea of seeing Luxembourg. Got off the train and started walking.

Didn’t know what to expect, but after seeing boulevards named after FDR and General George Patton, I knew value these people put in America during the battle of Dec, 1944.

You can discover it in the same sequence I did.

My caption for the above photo says “Main Boulevard and Embassy Row”

…General Patton’s grave is “front and center”, reviewing his men

The Cold War ended more than 20 years ago and things like this still make me realize just how much things have changed.

SPANGDAHLEM AIR BASE, Germany – The U.S. Air Force launched the final A-10 Thunderbolt II tactical sortie in Europe at Spangdahlem AB May 14, 2013.
The airframe belongs to the 52nd Fighter Wing’s 81st Fighter Squadron, which inactivates in June.
“I’m proud to be a part of the last sortie,” said Lt. Col. Jeff Hogan, 81st director of operations and a pilot from today’s flight. “It’s definitely a sad day for the (81st) as we end 20 years of A-10 operations here. I’m just proud to take part in this historic event.”

The A-10 has been a Cold War icon in Europe for over 20 years and was originally deployed to stop the hordes of Soviet armor across the Fulda Gap in then West Germany (amongst other places).

I’d always pictured that operations would look something like this:

Speaking of Soviet Armor, English Russia has an interesting feature on the Armoured Repair Plant №61 in St. Petersburg.

On a side note there’s, as of yet, there is no comment from DoD on whether or not the 81st Fighter Squadron will be reactivated and deployed to counter the “cat-tank” threat that has recently emerged in the Chicago loop (the vid was sent to me by a friend as I was working on this post. She works here.).

There was a flypast by two Spitfires (Griffon engined) painted sky blue, in the colours of the photo-recon units that preceded the raids and then delivered the damage reports over the following days. They landed, taxied and parked in front of the gathered guests. Two Tornados from the current 617 Sqdn made a typical, low entrance on reheat, climbed out and slotted into a circuit then landed and parked behind the Spits. The finale was a grand entrance of our last Lancaster, “The City of Lincoln” which, after several graceful fly-by’s, landed and slowly taxied to a halt, inch-perfect and centre stage, shutting down her engines as the band played the Dambusters March. It was timed to absolute perfection and was emotional enough watching on TV, so how the gathered guests felt, stood behind former bomb aimer Sgt `Johnny` Johnson and former Kiwi pilot Sqdn Leader Les Munro (both in their nineties) I can only imagine.

I wanted to let you know something else about this outwardly `very British` ceremony. As the proceedings opened, the RAF Band marched on playing a specially chosen tune for the occasion, “Eagle Squadron”. This was in honour of those American airmen who came here, as volunteers, to fly with the RAF before America joined the war. I reiterate, this was the tune that opened the ceremony.  Furthermore, I wanted to mention that among the Dambusters was American pilot Joe McCarthy who joined 617 Squadron after having just completed a tour of thirty operations and who was included in one of the tribute programmes shown on television later that evening.  As you know I do love my co-incidences – and here’s another. Joe McCarthy’s son,  former US jet pilot and Vietnam Veteran Joe McCarthy jnr,  is married to Shere Fraser, whose father was Flight Sgt John Fraser, RCAF, and a bomb aimer on the raid. Read his remarkable story here.

It was a wonderful little ceremony honouring the remarkable feat of 617 Squadron, honouring the two remarkable 617 survivors present, honouring the airmen who didn’t return that night and of those souls caught up in the terrible aftermath of the raid and, last but not least, honoring the Americans who came to fly with us several years before this raid and were part of what, arguably, still remains the RAF’s finest hour.

I know that not everyone in the current White House administration is much bothered by `Little Britain` these days and some State Department official said a few years ago that `there’s nothing special about Britain`, but those aforementioned little touches in last nights moving ceremony are a small part of the whole that makes up this Nation of mine, are part of what I believe we still stand for and testament that we don’t forget our friends.

Reblogged from Snigs' Spot:

B-17F “Nine-O-Nine.”

Here’s the mission tally and nose art of Nine-O-Nine.

You’ll need to set aside an hour for this one

(h/t to The Dambusters)

Reblogged from Among The Joshua Trees:

Until about the last 5 years or so, I had been a regular attendee here – from the early 1980s. The modern Reno Air Races started in 1964, in an era when one could buy a P51 Mustang for $7,500-$10,000. Today with about 100 left in flying status the value of these planes  are in the millions, as are their British counterpart, the Spitfire.

 Come to think of it, if it weren’t for the British wanting to try a Rolls Royce Merlin to replace the decent-but-not-spectacular Allison V12, The Mustang would in all probability been another footnote in WW2 aviation.

 Point is, with a few exceptions, the Mustang has dominated the winner’s circle at Reno since 1964.

 With One exception.

 Well, 2.

 Some entrepreneurs have followed the (aeronautical equivalent) path of Sydney Allard in the 50s and Carroll Shelby in the 60s –  mating a British chassis with a powerful American engine – and put the 4,000+ hp P & W R4360 radial into a formidable airframe – the Hawker Sea Fury. The result is a piston plane capable of 500+ mph speeds.

 Then, there was Lyle Sheldon’s Rare Bear – a Grumman Bearcat. This plane, on the drawing boards during WW2, never saw combat before the Pacific war ended.

 But what a machine. It would have made a formidable opponent to the Zero.

 We had a little discussion on the FB page – which aviation piston engine sounds cooler? Well, I’ll have to say on the start up – a radial. One cylinder, 2, 3 all start to fire until all are going in a mechanical symphony.

 But at speed – flying over the deck at maybe 200’ – and nearly 500 mph?

 The Rolls Royce Merlin would be my vote.

 By the way, the original Merlin had a standard horsepower rating of almost 1500 hp – while the teams are pretty right-lipped as to their work results, ratings of 3,400 –3,500 hp keep coming up.

 The Europeans like to cite Formula 1 as the ultimate sport in speed – but to see these magnificent planes – in a tight bank, full throttle over the desert – over 2x as fast as any Michael Schumacher – well, to me that is the ultimate.

 Think these are just a bunch of souped up old planes? Competition is pretty serious – there is even a guy, retired from the famed Lockheed Skunk Works, who helps the teams.

 So, if you can’t join me this September, here is the next best thing.

How the race starts – the planes take off, group up at 2,000′ or so, and fly north of the course. A chase plane is up about another 500-1,000 feet. When they are abeam the stands the pilot in the chase plane says on the radio, “Gentlemen, you have a race”.

The chase plane also helps aircraft with mechanical problems make emergency landings.

When the races started, the chase plane was a P51 Mustang. Because of such increases in speed, the chase plane is now a T33 jet.

The Canadian Snowbirds usually make an appearance – what their little Tuder jets  lack in the power of an F16 or F18, they more then make up in the grace they fly these 9 planes – truly aerial ballet.

One of the mighty Sea Furies – when one appeared in the mid 80s (I think – Dreadnaught) – with the mighty P & W R4360 it swatted away the Mustangs like pesky flies – now you will see several up there. At over 4,000 hp I’d hate to know the GPH flow rate…but then, if you hafta ask….

Not all the aircraft are there for competition – some are on static display…

…a very rare Mustang

You pay an extra $40 or so and you get to wander around in the pit area. The proceeds help the teams pay for the costs of running these thirsty beasts.

This is one of my favorites, Voodoo

This is Strega – it has won numerous times…

BTW (relying on my sometimes flaky memory) – but Strega means witch in Italian – that is what is hanging from the rafter

…pretty much applicable to any form of competition

…Love that Merlin. BTW while Packard didn’t change the design of the Merlin they changed the way it was manufactured – impressing even Rolls Royce if I recall. It is a shame this preeminent automobile company went bankrupt post war, due to bad management.

…one of the Sea Furies

The Sea Fury had the Bristol Centaurus engine originally – 2500 and a 5 blade prop.

This is a Navy Tigercat – like the Bearcat (and I think the Sea Fury) – came out after the war.

I am sure the Royal Navy never anticipated this paint scheme

The Tigercat was not a competitor – just for display and demo. I think its owner owns one of the Sea Furies.

The Skyraider was on static display

…Look at the bottom of the cranshaft here – I guess the result of 3,000 hp and a broken connecting rod . My late friend, Bob Sanigar, transplanted Brit – a master mechanic – said that up until the early 60s one could buy a still-crated-in-cosmolene Packard-Merlin for a pittance.

Now of course they are like gold.

See it here

This came aross my computer just now and thought it was pretty funny. I am sure Lex would have laughed!