A aviation & planes forum. AviationBanter

If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

Go Back   Home » AviationBanter forum » rec.aviation newsgroups » Piloting
Site Map Home Register Authors List Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read Web Partners

Jimmy Stewart



 
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old March 15th 04, 10:19 PM
Corky Scott
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Jimmy Stewart

For those who may not know, James (Jimmy) Stewart was the operations
officer for the 445th bomb group which flew B-24's. He arrived in
England via the South America to Africa to Scotland route in late
1943. Even though his position did not require he fly with the
squadron, he never the less did so, eventually flying 20 missions
including some of the toughest: Brunswick, Bremen, Frankfurt,
Schweinfurt and the 1000 plane raid to Berlin. Stewart actually had
300 or so hours prior to enlisting in the Air Force before Pearl
Harbor. He volunteered for combat.

The B-24 was considered to be a more difficult airplane to fly than
the B-17. The narrow Davis wing just did not perform as well at
25,000 feet as did the larger wing of the B-17. The B-17 was an older
design, but it was easier to fly. The B-24 was tough to fly in
formation because at high altitude it mushed and responded poorly to
the controls.

George McGovern was another unheralded B-24 pilot who flew out of
Foggia Italy.

Corky Scott
  #2  
Old March 16th 04, 02:30 AM
G.R. Patterson III
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default



Corky Scott wrote:

For those who may not know, James (Jimmy) Stewart was the operations
officer for the 445th bomb group which flew B-24's.


My favorite Stewart story was the time a few of his people stole a keg of beer
from the officer's club. They had it stashed under one of the bunks. Stewart
walked into the hut and said he needed to talk with the men. As they gathered
around, he walked over to the bunk, lifted the hanging blankets, and drew himself
a cup of beer. Then he told them that the club was missing a keg of beer. "I
know you fellahs don't know anything about that, but, if you hear anything ...."

The keg made a miraculous reappearance at the club.

George Patterson
Battle, n; A method of untying with the teeth a political knot that would
not yield to the tongue.
  #3  
Old March 16th 04, 02:58 AM
Geoffrey Barnes
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

For what it's worth, the airport in Indiana, PA -- Jimmy Stewart's home
town -- is named after him. If you want to make a pilgrimage of sorts, you
could always fly there! While you are at it, you could also go to Arnold
Palmer airport about 30 miles south of Jimmy Stewart and visit yet another
Western Pennsylvania landmark.


---
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.616 / Virus Database: 395 - Release Date: 3/8/2004


  #4  
Old March 16th 04, 05:55 AM
Steven P. McNicoll
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default


"Corky Scott" wrote in message
...

George McGovern was another unheralded B-24 pilot who flew out of
Foggia Italy.


I believe Tom Landry was another.


  #6  
Old March 16th 04, 03:05 PM
Jay Honeck
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

For those who may not know, James (Jimmy) Stewart was the operations
officer for the 445th bomb group which flew B-24's.


At a lodging banquet last week, I ran into an old gentleman who flew B-24s
in the war. He now owns and operates a very successful B&B.

Naturally, we gravitated to his table for dinner, where he regaled me of
tales of flying over occupied Europe. He is in remarkable physical
condition for his age, having spent the last 35 years leading whitewater
rafting tours throughout the desert southwest.

My favorite story was when he was assigned to fly a Liberator to a
maintenance facility for landing gear work. The plane had been "red-X'd"
(as he called it) due to a hard landing, and the nosegear was secured in the
down position with wire. (!)

He grabbed a flight engineer -- not his usual guy -- and proceeded to fly to
the maintenance field which was on a river in Italy. On the way, without
any real navigational beacons or decent maps, they became lost. After
floundering around for over an hour, flying up every river they could find,
they eventually found the field.

On final approach he realized he was too high. Probably something to do
with being so light, or maybe he just screwed up.

Over the years my new friend had discovered that, with the wheels down, the
B-24 simply would NOT fly faster than 180 (?), no matter what you did. So,
as he had done so many times before, he simply pointed the nose down at the
runway and waited. His flight crew was used to this radical approach, but
this particular flight engineer was holding on for dear life, and appeared
to be praying as the ground rushed up at him...

My friend pulled out at the last second, made a normal landing -- and the
flight engineer departed the plane in a dead run as soon as he slowed
down...

Boy, I'm really going to miss these guys when they're all gone. What lives
they have lived!
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"


  #7  
Old March 16th 04, 10:57 PM
Bob Chilcoat
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

http://users.erols.com/viewptmd/Dad10.html

--
Bob (Chief Pilot, White Knuckle Airways)


"G.R. Patterson III" wrote in message
...


Corky Scott wrote:

For those who may not know, James (Jimmy) Stewart was the operations
officer for the 445th bomb group which flew B-24's.


My favorite Stewart story was the time a few of his people stole a keg of

beer
from the officer's club. They had it stashed under one of the bunks.

Stewart
walked into the hut and said he needed to talk with the men. As they

gathered
around, he walked over to the bunk, lifted the hanging blankets, and drew

himself
a cup of beer. Then he told them that the club was missing a keg of beer.

"I
know you fellahs don't know anything about that, but, if you hear anything

....."

The keg made a miraculous reappearance at the club.

George Patterson
Battle, n; A method of untying with the teeth a political knot that

would
not yield to the tongue.



  #9  
Old March 17th 04, 05:47 PM
Tom Pappano
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Corky Scott wrote:
For those who may not know, James (Jimmy) Stewart was the operations
officer for the 445th bomb group which flew B-24's. He arrived in
England via the South America to Africa to Scotland route in late
1943. Even though his position did not require he fly with the
squadron, he never the less did so, eventually flying 20 missions
including some of the toughest: Brunswick, Bremen, Frankfurt,
Schweinfurt and the 1000 plane raid to Berlin. Stewart actually had
300 or so hours prior to enlisting in the Air Force before Pearl
Harbor. He volunteered for combat.

The B-24 was considered to be a more difficult airplane to fly than
the B-17. The narrow Davis wing just did not perform as well at
25,000 feet as did the larger wing of the B-17. The B-17 was an older
design, but it was easier to fly. The B-24 was tough to fly in
formation because at high altitude it mushed and responded poorly to
the controls.

George McGovern was another unheralded B-24 pilot who flew out of
Foggia Italy.

Corky Scott



The Stephen Ambrose book, "The Wild Blue", has a lot about McGovern's
B-24 experiences, and others' too. Not a bad read.

Tom Pappano, PP-ASEL-IA

  #10  
Old March 18th 04, 03:48 AM
bryan chaisone
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Great stories guys. I loved them all. Jimmy's one of my favorite
actors.
My dad's favorite too. My wife's too young to know him. I'm alittle
too young for his movies too, but I try to rent oldies but goodies. I
tried to push old/black & white movies on her, some she liked some she
didn't. Mostly she didn't. We are of different era I guess.

Let's hear some more flying stories or war stories, which ever you may
have.

I truely find them enjoying to read. Thanks again.

Bryan "the monk" Chaisone
 




Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Can you say: Payne Stewart ? - Explosive Decompression? Try it yourself, numbnuts. B2431 Military Aviation 17 January 21st 04 12:13 AM
Help me write 25 Aviation Trivia Questions! Jay Honeck Piloting 92 January 17th 04 07:43 PM
Can you say: Payne Stewart ? - Explosive Decompression? Try it yourself, numbnuts. Todd Pattist Piloting 2 January 15th 04 05:55 PM
Can you say: Payne Stewart ? - Explosive Decompression? Try it yourself, numbnuts. S Narayan General Aviation 2 January 14th 04 11:22 PM


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 05:15 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.6.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright ©2004-2024 AviationBanter.
The comments are property of their posters.