Jumbo Tanker Accident

"Gig 601XL Builder" wrDOTgiaconaATsuddenlink.net wrote in message
...

Also keep in mind that the guys who flew these back in the 40's while
getting shot at usually had less than 2 years experience flying.

True. But most of that flying time was training in a phased and regimented
course on a full-time basis. In other words, they were -full time- 90 day
wonders.

A civilian pilot can get his complex, high performance and taildragger
ratings at his leisure and without as much persistence and currency as
somebody who had a full-time flight instruction every day for three months.
In addition, the 90-day wonders who flew Mustangs back in the day were the
ones who weren't washed out first. They couldn't just lay out a few
thousand dollars and buy themselves a checkout in a P-51. If they weren't
skilled and better-than-average pilots by the time they got near a Mustang,
they'd have never flown one.

-c