These words from the transcript of audio recordings of the air boss and airshow participant testimony gathered by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) have shed new light on the fatal midair collision of a Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress, known as Texas Raiders, and a Bell P-63F Kingcobra at the Wings Over Dallas airshow on November 12, 2022. 

All five aboard the B-17 and the pilot of the P-63 were killed when the fighter aircraft sliced into the bomber, severing the tail.

Both aircraft were registered to the American Airpower Heritage Museum and part of the Dallas-based Commemorative Air Force (CAF), a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving and showing historical aircraft. The pilots were CAF volunteers.

• READ MORE: NTSB Releases Preliminary Report on Fatal Texas Midair Collision

NTSB’s docket contains more than 1,900 pages of “factual information, including reports on operations and human performance factors, airplane performance, airworthiness, and laboratory examinations.” This information is now available to the public, although the investigation is still ongoing.

The midair collision occurred in front of thousands and was captured on video and in photographs. The NTSB has included much of this information in the docket, along with transcripts of recordings and interviews with CAF volunteer pilots, many of whom were flying that day and witnessed the collision from the air. 

The docket provides insight into the machinations that it takes to put on an airshow. It is documented that the flying is “scripted,” and great care is usually taken to keep separation from all aircraft.

Video of the event at Dallas Executive Airport (KRBD) shows the aircraft were flying on a northerly heading parallel to Runway 31 as part of the parade of planes. The P-63F was third in a three-ship formation of fighters, and the B-17G was lead of a five-ship formation of bombers.

Among the photos compiled by NTSB is one taken from a ground camera that shows the B-17 and P-63 flying toward the camera. The aircraft appear to be at the same altitude, and the P-63 is in a left bank with its belly facing the bomber. This would make it impossible for the pilot of the P-63 to see the larger aircraft.

According to the NTSB preliminary investigation, there were two show lines—one 500 feet from the audience, the other 1,000 feet away. Show lines are established at airshows to keep aircraft from flying directly over the crowd.

According to CAF pilots interviewed, normal procedure is for the pursuit aircraft—also known as fighters—to be flying several hundred feet above the bombers “flying cover.” The bombers fly at a lower altitude in a trail of about a quarter of a mile behind each other.

In more than 500 pages of interview transcripts, pilots told investigators that they were encouraged to voice concerns if they saw a practice or action that they believed to be too risky in the air. The clear message was that as the flying was scripted, meaning the pilots knew the altitudes and positions they were to be flying before they left the ground. During the pre-show briefing, pilots took extensive notes and referred to them during flight.

It is the duty of the air boss to make sure there are no altitude or air space conflicts.

The air boss for Wings Over Dallas was Russell Royce. According to the docket, Royce has worked as an air boss for approximately 20 years.

When asked how he intended to ensure separation as the fighters crossed the flight path of the bombers to get on the 500-foot line as you directed, Royce told NTSB investigators, “They shouldn’t have been there. We do it all the time…It’s never a problem. I never saw the P-63 roll in.”

The NTSB preliminary accident report noted there was no altitude deconfliction briefed before the flight or while the airplanes were in the air. Altitude deconfliction procedures are established in the event pilots find themselves at an improper altitude during the flight.

For those who have ever wondered about how much coordination is required to execute an airshow, the docket is very educational. Hundreds have to work together under the guidance of the air boss.

• READ MORE: Commemorative Air Force Faces Lawsuit in Fatal Midair Collision

Aftermath

According to the recorded audio of the airshow radio transmissions, Royce directed both the fighters and bombers to maneuver southwest of the runway before returning to the flying display area, which was the designated performance area. ADS-B data shows the aircraft complied.

Royce then directed the fighter formation to transition to a trail formation and fly in front of the bombers, then proceed near the 500-foot show line.

The bombers were directed to fly the 1,000-foot show line. In the final transmission before the moment of impact, Royce can be heard saying, “Nice job, fighters. Come on through. Fighters will be a big pullup and to the right.”

The accident happened around 1:22 p.m. in front of thousands of spectators. The collision was captured on multiple smartphones from multiple angles, and these videos and still photos were quickly posted to social media. The images show the P-63F in pieces, raining down on the grassy area on airport property south of the approach end of Runway 31 and the B-17G forward section tumbling forward in a ball of fire. Captured stills of the accident appear to show the copilot of the B-17 holding on to the roof as the forward section of the aircraft cartwheels to the ground.

No injuries were reported on the ground.

Several pilots described witnessing the impact from the air. Some of the most disturbing testimony comes from the crew aboard the B-24 that was flying behind the B-17. As noted by the NTSB investigator conducting the interview, the B-24 crew had a “bird’s-eye view” of the collision and the separation of the B-17 tail and subsequent fireball and crash of the forward section.

The pilots noted that after witnessing the event they were rattled and took special care to focus on the procedures that had been briefed for emergency operations and the checklists for their respective airplanes. There was discussion about appropriate airports to divert to, keeping in mind the needs of the heavier aircraft that require longer runways than most GA trainers.

The docket, while extensive, does not offer any conclusions about “how or why the crash happened.” The NTSB will issue a final report at a later date that “will include analysis, findings, recommendations, and probable cause determinations related to the accident.”

The public docket for this investigation is available here.  Additional material may be added to the docket as it becomes available. NTSB’s preliminary report, along with a link to photos and other information, may be found here. 

The post NTSB Releases Docket for Fatal Wings Over Dallas Airshow Midair appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Jackets on Display

Aviation museums have become repositories for flight jackets, including one of the most storied, the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. According to Alex Spencer, curator of European, British, and Commonwealth military aviation, military flight clothing, and memorabilia, the museum boasts 25 flight jackets in its collection, most from World War II and a few from later conflicts and wars.

Three of Spencer’s favorites are the A-2s worn by Claire Chennault, Thomas Weems, and Kenneth Williams. Chennault was a U.S. major general who commanded the U.S. Army Air Forces in China during World War II and created the American Volunteer Group (AVG), best known as the “Flying Tigers.” Weems served as a navigator aboard Martin B-26 Marauder Winsockie in the 69th Bombardment Squadron at the Battle of Midway in 1942. Winsockie was one of five B-26s sent to attack the Japanese carrier fleet. Only two of the aircraft returned. Williams was a member of the crew of the B-17 Murder Inc.

“The B-17 was named after a mafia group in New York City in the 1920s and 1930s,” says Spencer. “The guys on the airplane thought it was a good idea. When the airplane was shot down by the Germans, the propaganda arm took the name of the aircraft to show they had ‘absolute proof’ [that] the Americans were terror fliers out to murder civilians. It became an international incident and, when it got back to General Hap Arnold, he ordered a review of all airplane names. Anything to do with murder or killing or such were ordered to be erased and renamed.”

Williams was captured and sent to a POW camp.

“He scratched the name of the airplane off the jacket. After the war he had the jacket repainted,” says Spencer, adding that it is not uncommon for the families of the veterans to visit the museum to see a flight jacket that belonged to a relative.

The WASP Jacket

The latest jacket to be placed in the care of the Smithsonian Institute is an A-2 that belonged to Janice Christensen, a member of the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) class of 43-W-5.

According to Dorothy Cochrane, curator for general aviation and aerial photography at the museum, Christensen flew many aircraft, including the B-24, until the WASP program was disbanded in December 1944. After her WASP service, Christensen worked at the U.S.

Airway Traffic Control Center in Chicago and at various weather stations in Ohio, then transitioned to a career in medicine. She continued to fly as a member of the Civil Air Patrol, and in 1949 she joined the Air Force Reserve with the rank of first lieutenant. She received an honorable discharge with the rank of captain on November 7, 1963.

Christensen died in 1965, so she did not live to see the WASP granted veteran status. Her jacket, donated to the museum by her sister, Dagmar Joyce Noll, is scheduled to undergo preservation and restoration before being displayed.

Museum of Flight Jackets

One of the challenges of exhibiting flight jackets is deciding how much history to share, says Matthew Burchette, senior curator at the Museum of Flight in Seattle. The MOF has several jackets on display in the Personal Courage wing that include details of what company made the jacket.

“Not many people realize that there were several manufacturers of A-2s during World War II, ” Burchette says.

Burchette’s favorite jacket on display comes from Richard Jacobson, who was the copilot of the B-17 5 Grand.

“The aircraft was the 5,000th B-17 built since the attack on Pearl Harbor, and nearly every Boeing employee signed it as it rolled off the line,” Burchette says. “Covered in signatures, it flew 78 missions over Germany. I love how the Boeing workers took such great pride in their work that they were willing to sign an object that might not come home. 5 Grand did come home but was scrapped after the war.”

Burchette believes it is important that people realize flight jackets are more than just clothing or protective gear for pilots and crewmembers.

“They are an extension of the planes they flew and took pride in,” he says. “The flight jacket is an item of uniquely American clothing, and the artwork painted on many is even more so. Looking at the jackets on display, it is clear that the owner was proud to wear them. Some show signs of much wear after the war, while others are nearly pristine, showing they were treated with respect and reverence.”

Post-WWII Jacket

Leather flight jackets were still worn up through the Vietnam War. Many military pilots kept their jackets when they separated from the service. Rusty Sachs, a flight instructor for airplanes and rotorcraft, and executive director of the National Association of Flight Instructors (NAFI) from 2004 to 2007, is one of those. Sachs still has the leather jacket issued to him when he was a cadet in the U.S. Marine Corps. He enlisted in 1964 and became a helicopter pilot. According to Sachs, the jacket was handed to him in Pensacola, Florida, in February 1965 upon completion of preflight training.

Sachs, who served in Vietnam, tells the story of an enemy attack that had the soldiers running for cover in the bunker. Sachs left his jacket in the tent. A few weeks after the attack, he noted his jacket “had a few small holes in it made by shrapnel.” He had the jacket relined in 1969 when he entered the Marine Reserve, making the holes more difficult to find. After Sachs separated from the Marines in 1970, the jacket went into the closet but was recently sent out for restoration.

Family Heirlooms, Legacy

John Niehaus, a 5,500-hour airline transport pilot and the director of development for NAFI, wears a jacket that belonged to a Marine helicopter pilot in Vietnam who was a good friend of his uncle.

Niehaus decided on a career in aviation while in high school and received the jacket as a graduation gift.

“The note inside read, ‘I know I haven’t been the uncle you always wanted or needed, but this jacket was earned by my best friend who was a pilot in the military. It served him well, and he left it to me after he passed away. He would have wanted me to pass it on to you. I hope it serves you just as well. Good luck living your dream.’”

Unfortunately, the uncle died before he had the opportunity to share more about his friend. The name “Barthel” is stenciled inside the jacket.

Niehaus says he is very careful about where and how he wears the jacket because he doesn’t want people to assume he served in the military. “I never wanted to misrepresent myself to be something that I am not,” says Niehaus. “When I wear it, people ask questions to which I reply that it is continuing a family legacy of honoring a family friend. The person was special to my uncle as a friend, and…knowing that my uncle parted with something of such high sentimental value as a show of support to me was so incredibly special.”

Someday, the jacket will likely be handed down to Niehaus’ son, who, at age 4, already loves aviation and wears a jacket that looks very much like his father’s.

Receive and Bestow

I have been on both sides of the heirloom equation. In my collection, I have jackets given to me by gentlemen who will never be a size 40 again but who want theirs to be appreciated and occasionally worn on “military days of remembrance and obligation.” A recent acquisition is a pre-WWII A-2 that belonged to Captain Jack L. Martin, U.S. Army Air Forces pilot and father-in-law of Anne Palmer Martin, a college friend and my chosen family. Captain Martin went West in 1970 decades before his son Robert married Anne Palmer.

We’re still trying to determine what Captain Martin did in the war. We’ve been able to figure out that the patch on the jacket is the early version of the 760th Bombardment Squadron, but we don’t know if Martin went overseas. We do know after the war he flew for Flying Tiger airlines.

Recently, I gifted my first flight jacket, a 1980s era distressed leather A-2, to my niece Sophie Keene. My aviation and journalism careers began concurrently. My first “big paycheck” was used for flying lessons and the purchase of the jacket from the Smithsonian catalog. Top Gun had been released, and leather jackets were in style, worn by reporters in the Persian Gulf War. I was known in that small market as “the reporter who flies.” A few years later when I decided to make aviation a career, I upgraded to a new A-2, putting the distressed one into the closet. The day Sophie was born, I packed away the jacket for safekeeping. The jacket was gifted to her for her 18th birthday.

Since we are an aviation family, Sophie grew up hearing stories about my flying adventures and about grandma Kay (my Mom), who took flying lessons during WWII and loved the P-38 Lighting. I am hopeful Sophie values the jacket as more than a fashion statement.

Tribute Jackets

Most vintage jackets are too valuable and fragile to wear every day, but if you are set on sporting a piece of history, consider a replica often known as a “tribute jacket.” Kevin Wisniewski, a skilled artist from Milwaukee has been painting these jackets since 1987. According to Wisniewski, tribute jackets are often designs commissioned by someone to honor a person or commemorate an event.

For replica jackets, he often works off photographs because the original jacket has long since disappeared. Pinup girls are popular.

“They painted these on their jackets and aircraft as good luck, reminding them of what they were fighting for back home,” says Wisniewski. “We have to remember these were young boys in their late teens and early 20s who, if not for the war, would be courting these women and planning futures. Other paintings of aircraft or cartoon characters depicting giving the enemy what they had coming were also a morale booster.”

He has two favorite reproduced jackets.

“One…I painted a while back with the likeness of my wife, Beth, in a classic period ‘nose art’ pose as was on an original aircraft, Bottom’s Up! The other is a jacket that was given to me by a fellow reenactor and friend, George Bruckert’s estate. He had painted it himself quite well and very authentically. He passed from cancer way too young, and I think of him when I see it.”

Wisniewski uses only hand brushes and brush-texture techniques.

“This is how they were done during the war,” he says. “Airbrushing is a bad word in my dictionary. One modern improvement is that I use acrylic leather dyes that, unlike original acrylics, won’t crack over time or chip off.”

Another Kind of Tribute

The A-2 that I wear today falls under the heading of a “tribute jacket,” but instead of paint, it has patches to honor a person and commemorate an event. The first patch was Fifinella, the mascot of the WASPs, and a gift from Florence Shutsy Reynolds, WASP class of 44-W-5. The next patch is from the “Lost Squadron” P-38 Glacier Girl, gracing the jacket to honor Mom and cover a hole I acquired when I rescued a kitten from a tree. There also are multiple patches for my mentors. For Dean Boyd, the man who made an instructor out of me, I display the 8th Air Force. Boyd enlisted at the age of 17 and made a career of it.

There is also the Tico Tiger from the USS Ticonderoga in honor of aviation journalist and retired naval aviator Captain Thomas F. Norton, who flew off the carrier during Vietnam and taught nuggets to fly. There are patches from Lockheed to honor Dad, as well as ones for every B-17 I have been aboard: Memphis Belle, Texas Raiders, Yankee Lady, and Nine-O-Nine. And there are patches for Red Tails and Hemlock Films, which continues to share the stories of vintage aviation.

Aviation education is marked with a patch from the Society of Aviation Flight Educators, as I am a founding member of the group, and it was from it that I earned the master CFI designation several times over. On one pocket there is a vintage Moffett Field (KNUQ) patch to commemorate attending Zeppelin NT school in California in 2009. We are also an airship family, and putting that patch on was a must. I have found the jacket to be an excellent conversation starter. It encourages people to share their aviation stories with me. And I gladly listen.

Protecting Your Jacket

No matter how old the jacket is, if it means something to you, it’s valuable.

Protect it by nourishing it with professional leather care products. You can get these from shoe repair stores. If it is an heirloom, consider storing the jacket flat in a box or footlocker. It will last you a lifetime or more.

If you intend to sell it, have the jacket appraised by a reputable dealer. Authentic World War II jackets in good condition can fetch $1,500 or more.

If you want to buy one, modern flight jackets are not cheap. Expect to pay close to $300 or more for a basic A-2 and as high as $2,000 for an RAF bomber jacket. Beware of scammers who claim to have new authentic A-2 and shearling-lined RAF jackets for ridiculously low prices (less than $200). They may have the design of the jacket, but the materials are subpar. Instead of leather with a sheepskin lining, it looks more like someone tore up a faux leather couch and skinned a muppet.

Save your money and go for the real deal.

Where to find vintage? Prowl swap meets and even garage and estate sales near military bases.

This feature first appeared in the November 2023/Issue 943 of FLYING’s print edition.

The post All Flight Jackets Tell a Story appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

We start with the sad, as I wrote several stories about aircraft accidents this year. Often, my airport children (pilots I have trained or mentored) reach out to me when something happens, but we wait to publish anything on these until the NTSB releases its preliminary report. I often interview witnesses, but there will be no speculation. This is a rule.

I approach all of these stories wearing my flight instructor cap. I submit there has to be something to learn from the misfortune of others. This year, I wrote a lot about midair accidents. 

I had several friends at Reno this year, watching the last Reno Air Races. A few of them are lifers, going to the event every year since they were children. Some work in the pits. A few witnessed the collision of the T-6s Baron’s Revenge and Six Cat. Others witnessed the aftermath. One told me how he struggled to explain what had happened to his kids. I think we can all agree it was a horrible way to end the air races at Reno.

Florida Midair

At approximately 2 p.m. on March 7, 2023, there was the collision of a Piper Cherokee and a Piper J-3 Cub on floats at Winter Haven Regional Airport (KGIF) in Florida, that killed four people: two CFIs and two learners. Both were in their respective patterns—the pilot of the Cherokee was attempting a poweroff 180-degree landing to Runway 29, and the Cub was attempting to land at Jack Brown’s Seaplane Base (F57).

20-plus years of experience as a CFI has given me a very healthy respect for see-and-avoid, and expect the unexpected—especially in the pattern, that is so often crowded with pilots of varying abilities. This one was my worst nightmare, especially when I learned the pilot of the Cherokee was a commercial student attending the aviation program at Polk State College. I know people who teach there.

The pilot of the Piper J-3 Cub on floats was also on an instructional flight. As the preliminary NTSB report noted, the J-3 was not equipped with a radio, and radio communications were not required in that airspace, which is Class Echo. The NTSB noted the pilot of the Cherokee announced a left turn to the base leg of the traffic pattern; then the aircraft collided nearly head-on at an altitude of approximately 575 feet msl. The NTSB is still investigating.

Airshow Collision Lawsuit

The November 12, 2022 midair collision of the B-17 Texas Raiders and the P-63 Kingcobra that took the lives of six during the Wings Over Dallas Airshow came back in 2023 when a lawsuit was filed against the Commemorative Air Force, the organizers of the show, on behalf of the family of Len Root, the B-17 pilot. The lawsuit was filed on the grounds of alleged negligence because, according to the NTSB, no altitude deconfliction procedures were briefed before the flight or applied when the airplanes were in the air. 

The lawsuit also names air boss Russell Royce as a defendant for alleged failure to maintain control of the flight paths of the aircraft involved. Altitude deconfliction procedures are established in the event pilots find themselves at an improper altitude during the flight. Several photographs and videos of the event from multiple angles show the P-63 in a turn, coming up behind the B-17 turning with its belly facing the bomber, then colliding with it, slicing the bigger aircraft in half.

McSpadden Accident

When I write about accidents, it involves studying the airport diagrams and the NTSB preliminary report, often recreating the environment that led to the event in an Redbird FMX AATD. It is my attempt to understand what happened, as written in the preliminary report.

When I wrote about one in Florida that was attributed to spatial disorientation caused by a blackhole departure, I duct-taped a black curtain over the entry to the cab of the FMX. I needed a zero-light situation to see what the pilot saw.

I shared this with Richard McSpadden Jr., who was AOPA’s vice president of safety, and often studied and commented on accidents for AOPA’s Air Safety Institute. I often reached out to him for his insights, as we shared the same philosophy about learning from accidents. I had tremendous respect for him, not only for his work with ASI, but also for his experience as a member of the USAF Thunderbirds. We often discussed how instructors could better prepare their learners to avoid these events.

That ended on October 1 when McSpadden and former NFL tight end turned FBO owner Russ Francis were killed attempting to return to Lake Placid Airport (KLKP) in New York. The Cessna Cardinal RG they were flying developed an engine issue shortly after takeoff. Witnesses told the NTSB that the engine sounded as if it was surging. Someone onboard the Cardinal radioed they were returning because of a problem.

The purpose of the flight was to do a photo mission for AOPA. The photo aircraft, a Beechcraft A36, took off first. Per company procedure for photo flights, the pilot/owner of the subject aircraft (Francis) was to fly the airplane during the takeoff, climb-out and landing, and after joining up in formation, the pilot-rated passenger (McSpadden) would take over the controls and fly the airplane, as photo shoots require formation flying.

The airport is on a plateau. There is a single runway, 14/22, measuring 4,196 feet long and 60 feet wide. There are several obstructions, including trees, which according to the NTSB preliminary report measure 77-feet-high located 884 feet from the runway, and 334 feet left of centerline, which required an 8:1 slope to clear. Additionally, there is a 13-foot-high berm with a road 145 feet from the threshold and more trees some 93 feet from the runway. The Cardinal came down short of the runway, nose first into a ravine. There was no fire, but fuel spilled when the wing tanks were compromised. According to witnesses, both men survived the crash but expired a short time later. The NTSB is still investigating the accident.

Like so many, I was stunned and rattled by the accident—so much so that I spent the better part of two hours recreating the event in the Redbird configured like the Cardinal, practicing the improbable turn. If it could happen to Spad, it could happen to me, I thought. A few times, I ended up in the ravine.  Later I spent two hours flying a Cessna 172 with the most experienced instructor I know in the Seattle area. It felt good to get some dual again.

Death by Time Builder

In October, I wrote Death By Time Builder in response to a crash in Kentucky involving an instructor, Timothy McKellar Jr., 22, who did a night cross-country flight in convective weather with l8-year-old private pilot candidate Connor Quisenberry. They were killed when thunderstorms tore the Piper Warrior apart. It is a sad story, made infuriating because McKellar, who had a pronounced social media presence, documented his frustration with the learner–and the approaching thunderstorms via Snapchat during the flight when, as an instructor, he should have been focused on teaching.

According to social media posts, McKellar soloed at Eagle Flight Academy in Owensboro, Kentucky, in 2020 but did the bulk of his training at ATP. He earned his private pilot certificate in spring of 2022, followed by instrument rating and commercial certificates, and in April 2023, his CFI rating. On his social media accounts, he listed ATP as his employer, but the fatal flight originated from Eagle Flight Academy. 

Based on the track recorded by FlightAware, which shows multiple laps in the pattern at Bowling Green, it appears the flight was done to satisfy the three hours of night flying and ten takeoffs and landings required for private pilot certification.

McKellar’s snaps included disparaging observations about Quisenberry’s intellect made during the flight. That is never okay. The CFI needs to be focused on teaching in the cockpit. Put the damn phone down.

The final Snapchat was made on the return leg and shows a preview of the flight path from Bowling Green to Owensboro overlying a radar image showing severe storms heading toward them. McKellar compares them to ‘pissed off hornets,’ noting that they are heading toward them, yet the flight continues with thunderstorms on either side of the proposed track. 

Flying into thunderstorms or trying to outrun them or duck between them screams ‘get there itis,’ and hazardous attitudes invulnerability, macho, anti-authority, impulsivity, and you might say resignation as when working with primary students the instructor is the pilot in command and responsible for the safety of the flight. The fact McKellar allowed the flight to happen at all with convective activity in the forecast is perplexing. 

In the last contact with ATC, McKellar asks for an IFR clearance, reporting the aircraft was being blown around like crazy. ATC gives a heading to turn to. The radar track from FlightAware shows the aircraft passing through the assigned heading, and there was no further communication. The wreckage was found spread over a 25 acre area.

Aeronautical decision making is a big part of learning to fly, and the ability to make good decisions can be compromised when the CFI is more focused on ‘getting it done’ and or social media presence. One wonders if McKellar had good risk management modeled for him as a learner. 

A few weeks after the event I attended the National Association of Flight Instructors (NAFI) summit and this event was a topic of discussion. A great many professional CFIs and Designated Pilot Examiners (DPEs) are concerned about the time builders who rush through training and don’t have the time to mature as educators. Should we trust them to train the next generation of pilots?

When training  centers on passing the check rides and becoming an instructor to build hours, the focus often isn’t on becoming a good teacher, as it is seen as a stepping stone. It’s the learners who pay for this when their CFI demonstrates poor risk management, such as flying into a thunderstorm at night. I submit Quisenberry would have learned much more about decision making had McKellar canceled the flight. And both families would likely still have their sons.

Business Stories

On the business side of aviation, the announcement this month that Alaska Airlines was buying struggling rival Hawaiian Airlines for $1.9 billion got mixed reviews from my airport sons and daughters who fly for both carriers. The acquisition was several months in the making and included Alaska Airlines taking $900 million in Hawaiian Airlines debt. While it may keep the island-based carrier afloat, it is not clear what impact this will have on seniority numbers. It’s just nice to know Hawaiian Airlines won’t disappear.

The Fun Stories

In early July, we asked our readers to help track down the legacy of Captain Jack L. Martin, a World War II-era aviator who went on to help establish the Flying Tiger Line, one of the first cargo airlines in the United States. Captain Martin went west in 1970, so he never met Anne Palmer Martin, who married his son Bob decades later. Palmer Martin was a college classmate of mine, and I was positively over the moon when she offered me the A-2 flight jacket that belonged to Captain Martin after Bob, who had inherited his father’s jacket, went west. It had been in the closet for years, and she hoped I could help her learn more about the jacket and the man who wore it, as I am a collector. Challenge accepted.

The jacket, dry and brittle with age, was carefully restored and photographed, and I reached out to my warbird and vintage jacket aficionados. There was one photograph of a 20-something Captain Martin wearing the jacket and what appears to be a USAAF uniform standing next to another man in uniform at what appears to be an air base. There are T-6s in the background and one of our readers told us the airplane they are leaning on appears to be a Beechcraft AT-11, which was a bombardier trainer during WWII.

We heard from several readers who knew Captain Martin from his civilian flying career. He flew supply missions to the Defense Early Warning line as it was being built during the Cold War and flew over both poles. He was well-liked and a good teacher, they said, and shared a few images of Captain Martin in uniform—including one that also showed Bob as a little boy with his father and sister.

Stuffy the Kitten Makes it Home

The most fun story came out of AirVenture 2023, and really didn’t have much to do with aviation, but rather the way the aviation community pulls together to help each other—that is the story of Stuffy the toy kitty that was accidentally left behind at KidVenture on July 24. Stuffy belongs to 6-year-old Brayden Eveleth of Grandview, Iowa. Eveleth celebrated his birthday at AirVenture, and one of his gifts was the plush toy cat that when microwaved, gives off a lavender scent. According to his mother, Ashley Eveleth, the whole family was distraught when Stuffy went missing while Brayden was distracted by the activities at KidVenture. The family retraced their steps and contacted EAA lost and found looking for the misplaced toy. As luck would have it, EAA volunteer Gary Sternberg posted a photograph of the found plushy cat on Facebook on July 28, urging readers to help the toy get back to its owner. Sternberg told FLYING he understands how important childhood attachment objects are to their owners, so he takes a vested interest in their return.

Real talk: having had a similar experience as a child when Reckless, the orange plush cat that was my copilot on my B-25/fort in the backyard was stolen, I was all over this one. The FLYING story went up on social media, and both it and Sternberg’s post were copied and shared several times over. We were able to track down the Eveleth family, who were overjoyed to hear the toy had been found.

The kind folks at EAA shipped Stuffy home, and Ashley Eveleth shared a video with FLYING of Brayden opening the box in the back of his mother’s car and weeping with joy to see his kitty again.

The post Stories That Struck a Chord This Year appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The lawsuit was filed last week in Dallas County, Texas, on behalf of Angela Root, the wife of Len Root, and his daughters, Larisa Lichte, Kendra Hockaday, and Rebekah Lowery. Angela Root was at the airshow and witnessed the crash that killed her husband.

• READ MORE: B-17, P-63 Collide at Wings Over Dallas

Len Root, a retired airline pilot, was one of the pilots aboard the B-17G Texas Raiders. Also lost that day were crewmembers Terry Barker, Dan Ragan, Curt Rowe, and Kevin “K5” Michels. Craig Hutain was the pilot of the Bell P-63F. All were volunteer pilots with the Commemorative Air Force (CAF).

The lawsuit seeks monetary relief of more than $1 million for the plaintiffs.

The Accident

The accident occurred on November 12, 2022. The owner of the aircraft at the time of the accident was the American Airpower Heritage Flying Museum. The aircraft were part of a military showcase flying to honor veterans.

According to the preliminary investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), there were two show lines—one 500 feet from the audience, the other 1,000 feet away. Show lines are established at airshows to keep aircraft from flying directly over the crowd.

As previously reported in FLYING, video of the event shows the aircraft were flying on a northerly heading parallel to Runway 31 at Dallas Executive Airport (RBD) as part of the parade of planes. The P-63F was third in a three-ship formation of fighters, and the B-17G was lead of a five-ship formation of bombers.

• READ MORE: NTSB Releases Preliminary Report on Fatal Texas Midair Collision

According to the NTSB, there were no altitude deconflictions briefed before the flight or while the airplanes were in the air. Altitude deconfliction procedures are established in the event pilots find themselves at an improper altitude during the flight.

The lawsuit also names air boss Russell Royce as a defendant, alleging negligence by failure to maintain control of the flight paths of the aircraft involved, failure to maintain safe and adequate lateral, linear and temporal separation between all participating aircraft, failure to conduct a proper preflight briefing, and failure to ensure that a safe and adequate flight plan was properly developed.

In addition, the lawsuit alleges the CAF allowed “an unsafe, unqualified air boss to serve as the primary person responsible for the active taxiways, runways, and flight paths of the subject aircraft; failing to properly monitor the subject aircraft and intervene in a timely manner; reckless incompetence and lack of airmanship awareness in failing to properly direct the subject aircraft flight paths and their operations; failing to establish proper safety management systems for the subject aircraft; and failing to establish safe minimum qualification standards for an air boss.”

According to the recorded audio of the airshow radio transmissions, Royce directed both the fighters and bombers to maneuver southwest of the runway before returning to the flying display area, which was the designated performance area. ADS-B data shows the aircraft complied.

Royce then directed the fighter formation to transition to a trail formation and fly in front of the bombers, then proceed near the 500-feet show line.

The bombers were directed to fly the 1,000-foot show line. In the final transmission before the moment of impact, Royce can be heard saying, “Nice job, fighters. Come on through. Fighters will be a big pull up and to the right.”

When the fighter formation approached the display area, the P-63F was in a left bank. The fighter came up behind the B-17G, striking it on the port side just aft of the wings. The larger aircraft was sliced in half and exploded in flames. The P-63F disintegrated on impact.

The accident happened around 1:22 p.m. in front of thousands of spectators. The collision was captured on multiple smartphones from multiple angles, and these videos and still photographs were quickly posted to social media. The images show the P-63F in pieces, raining down on the grassy area on airport property south of the approach end of Runway 31 and the B-17G forward section tumbling forward in a ball of fire. Captured stills of the accident appear to show the copilot of the B-17 holding on to the roof as the forward section of the aircraft cartwheels to the ground.

The next audio transmission is one of urgency as Royce cries, “Knock it off! Knock it off! Roll the trucks! Roll the trucks! Roll the trucks!”

No injuries were reported on the ground.

The lawsuit alleges that Royce, as an employee/agent/representative of one or more of the defendants, “was responsible for drafting, organizing, and implementing an adequate and safe flight plan for the airshow, and for controlling the aircraft in flight during the airshow, including controlling the flight plans, flight paths and aerobatics of the aircraft during the airshow. The CAF, by and through its employees, agents, and representatives, including all other defendants, allowed Royce to serve as the air boss for the airshow knowing Royce lacked sufficient skill and experience to do so. Allowing Royce to control the flight plan, flight path, and operations of these aircraft significantly increased the risk and danger of the airshow, which was a cause of the fatal crash.”

• READ MORE: Dallas Airshow Tragedy Creates Moment To Educate, Honor

Said Kevin Koudelka, one of the attorneys representing the Root family: “Filing this lawsuit was a difficult decision for the Root family. Angela considers the CAF lifelong friends, and she didn’t want to sue the CAF, but that is the only way to get answers to questions. The lawsuit provides us with legal tools to ask the questions and get answers, and find out if our assumption is correct in that this air boss screwed up and did not do what he was supposed to do.”

Koudelka added that once it is determined who is to blame, the lawsuit will make sure “they are not allowed to do it again” and “help ensure safety for pilots participating in airshows.”

CAF Response

FLYING reached out to the CAF for its response. 

“We learned last week that a lawsuit was filed against the Commemorative Air Force on August 31,” Leah Block, vice president of marketing for the CAF, said in an email. “The suit was filed by the family of one of our members who was tragically killed in the accident at the Wings Over Dallas Airshow in November 2022. Our attorneys are looking into the petition and will respond through the appropriate channels.”   

• READ MORE: Remembering ‘Texas Raiders’

Koudelka noted that there are still many unknowns about the accident. For example, it is not known if Len Root was acting as captain or first officer during the flight. In addition, Koudelka anticipates more lawsuits will be filed, in particular one by the family of Hutain, the P-63F pilot.

Koudelka said both the plaintiffs and defendants are awaiting the conclusion of the NTSB investigation and subsequent final report, which is likely several months away.

The post Commemorative Air Force Faces Lawsuit in Fatal Midair Collision appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

“People want to do something with their grief,” said Leah Block, CAF vice president of marketing. “The CAF is a tight-knit community and we’re family.”

• READ MORE: NTSB Launches Probe Following Dallas Airshow Accident

According to Block, she’s been fielding lots of requests from the public who want to do something to help the families of Terry Barker, Dan Ragan, Leonard “Len” Root, Curt Rowe, and Kevin “K5” Michels, who were aboard the B-17G, and Craig Hutain, who was the pilot of the Bell P-63F. 

The ICAS Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization, has more experience with support collections such as this, Block said, as they have provided places for outpouring of support when other performers have “gone west,” a term used in the aviation community when a pilot dies.

• READ MORE: Dallas Airshow Tragedy Leaves Behind Moment To Educate, Honor

“We thought it best that they take the lead.” she said, adding that the families had to approve the fundraiser before it became active.

H2: How to Donate

• Donations may be made through the ICAS Foundation, which may be found here.
• Select “Donation in honor or memory of an individual” 
• Enter “CAF” as the “Name of Memorialized”

According to a statement from the ICAS Foundation, “100 percent of the money collected through this effort will be provided to the families as emergency funding, with all received funds being split equally amongst those families impacted.”

• READ MORE: Remembering ‘Texas Raiders’

Immediately following the accident, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) launched an investigation into the midair collision between the B-17G Texas Raiders and Bell P-63F. As of Tuesday, wreckage of the P-63F had been recovered and moved to a secure location, however rain had hampered the recovery of the B-17G wreckage.

During a press conference Monday, an NTSB official noted that an electronic flight display from the B-17G and GPS unit from the P-63F were recovered. Although both devices were damaged,  they were sent to a laboratory in Washington, D.C., to be analyzed.

The NTSB anticipates the preliminary report on the accident to be released in four to six weeks.

The post Aviation Community Rallies to Support Airshow Victim Families appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Both aircraft, B-17G, N7227C, and Bell P-63F, N6763, are registered to the American Airpower Heritage Flying Museum. Both were part of the Dallas, Texas-based Commemorative Air Force, a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving and showing historical aircraft. 

The CAF has released the names of the pilots killed in the accident. Aboard the B-17G: Terry Barker, Dan Ragan, Leonard “Len” Root, Curt Rowe, and Kevin “K5” Michels. Aboard the P-63F: Craig Hutain.

The accident happened in full view of the spectators, many of whom caught the event with smartphone cameras. These images quickly flooded social media and the accident was viewed from several angles.

During a press conference held late Sunday, Michael Graham of the NTSB requested that, “If anyone in the public has photos or videos of the accident, we would like to ask that you please share them with the NTSB; send to: witness@NTSB.gov.”

What Happened

The accident occurred at approximately 1:22 p.m. local time at Dallas Executive Airport (KRBD) during the air parade of World War II aircraft.

According to multiple video sources, the P-63F appeared to be at a slightly higher altitude as it came from behind and from the left of the B-17G and then entered a descending left turn. The P-63F struck the B-17G at the bomber’s radio compartment. The impact cleaved the larger airplane in two, and both aircraft disintegrated in a fireball, with the wing and cockpit section of the B-17G cartwheeling towards the ground. The bulk of the wreckage landed on airport property, although some did come down on a nearby highway.

Both the airport and the highway were closed immediately so the accident scene could be secured. The highway was reopened after a few hours, the airport closed for the rest of the weekend, and the remainder of the air show was canceled.

• READ MORE: Remembering ‘Texas Raiders’

The Investigation

According to Graham, the investigation is multi-faceted.

“We are analyzing radar and video footage to pinpoint the exact location of where the midair occurred.

“The debris field is scattered with the majority of the wreckage on the airport property. The debris which landed outside the airfield was documented and recovered by the Dallas police department and turned over to the NTSB,” said Graham.

According to Flightaware.com, the B-17G was in the air for approximately 11 minutes before the collision. The P-63F was airborne for 6 minutes. When the collision happened, there was confusion from the audience, some wondering if it was part of the show—then the realization of what happened sunk in as emergency crews swarmed the scene.

Airshows and aerial displays like the one planned for Wings Over Dallas require meticulous planning and extensive pre-briefings that culminate in a pre-show briefing typically two to four hours in length.

Separation of aircraft is provided both by altitude—for example, having the bombers at one altitude and fighters and liasion aircraft at another—and laterally using ground references such as taxiways or highways near the airport. Some pilots are instructed to fly over certain landmarks while other pilots in different aircraft are instructed not to traverse those areas. This ensures the orbits of the aircraft do not cross.

In addition, emergency procedures are discussed, for example, aircraft may be instructed to depart the pattern and orbit over a specific geographic point at a specific altitude until air traffic control can sort the situation out.

In many of the older aircraft, visibility is minimal because of their design. For example, in the B-17G, the only way the crew can get a rear view is if someone is in the tail turret or looking out of the top turret. Neither of these is standard practice during an airshow, according to sources for this article.

Graham noted that one of the questions the NTSB is looking at is why both aircraft were at the same altitude. “The NTSB is gathering all perishable evidence and our team is methodically and systematically reviewing all evidence and considering all potential factors to determine the probable cause.”

The CAF is assisting in the investigation by sharing the aircraft maintenance records as well as pilot training records. The pilots who fly the CAF aircraft are volunteers, often retired or current airline pilots with thousands of hours, or retired military pilots, or a combination of both.

Pilots must apply to become a CAF pilot, and there is a selection process followed by an extensive training program that is aircraft specific and includes extensive ground schools and check rides that are mandatory and not waiverable, no matter how much experience the pilot applicant brings to the table.

The NTSB will likely have a preliminary report on the accident in 4 to 6 weeks, the final report can take a year to 18 months.

FLYING will continue to provide updates as they are available.

The post NTSB Launches Probe Following Dallas Airshow Accident appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The event, a product of the Commemorative Air Force, was something so many people looked forward to—including me, as the week prior to the event I had written stories mentioning aircraft slated to be at the show, namely the P-51 Tuskegee Airmen and Texas Raiders. I was looking forward to watching the video of the event—and I did see lots of video—just not what I wanted to see.

• READ MORE: B-17, P-63 Collide at Wings Over Dallas

I was home in Seattle when the news of the accident reached me, just moments after the accident, as it turned out. It is never easy to hear of a loss like this. I have seen accidents at airshows, but this one, with the video image of the Bell P-63 Kingcobra slicing into the Boeing B-17 just aft of the radio compartment, will be with me for a long time, as will the frantic cries of a child who just witnessed the accident, asking “Was that supposed to happen? Was that supposed to happen?”

No. No, it wasn’t.

Fallout

Almost immediately, social media erupted in discussions about the wisdom of allowing such rare aircraft to fly because accidents happen. We saw this in 2011 when the B-17 Liberty Belle, 44-85734, experienced an inflight fire in Aurora, Illinois, which led to an unscheduled off-airport landing in an agricultural field. Because of the skill of the crew, there was no loss of life during the landing, and the fire was small enough that the crew had the time to unload the aircraft. There are those who were there that day who stated that the fire would have probably been extinguished quickly had the fire department been able to access Liberty Belle; however, the fire department determined the field was too soft due to recent rains to permit the trucks to get to the aircraft. They watched from the road as the airplane burned.

A week or so earlier, Liberty Belle was in Seattle at King County International Airport/Boeing Field (KBFI). I took a few of my learners to see the airplane on static display. How I wished I’d had the $1,000 to get us all aboard for a flight. When the crew members acting as docents found out we were pilots they let us into the coveted cockpit to take a closer look. Now, in 2022, I am happy to report that Liberty Belle is being rebuilt. It is a story I plan to keep following.

The Loss of Nine-O-Nine

The cry to ground the remaining airworthy B-17s reached a crescendo on October 2, 2019, when the Collings Foundation B-17G, 44-83575, Nine-O-Nine was destroyed in a landing accident at Bradley International Airport (KBDL), Windsor Locks, Connecticut. There were 13 people on board, seven of whom perished. According to the NTSB report, the aircraft experienced an uncommanded loss of engine power inflight. The crash occurred when the aircraft was unable to maintain altitude during the approach to landing and there was a loss of directional control following a loss of thrust on one side of the aircraft. 

My familiarity with the crew and the airplane made the reading of the NTSB report especially painful. I had made several flights on that aircraft and I knew the pilot, 75-year-old Capt. Ernest “Mac” McCauley. The last time I saw Mac was when the tour was at Tacoma Narrows Airport (KTIW), and I brought two of my learners to see the aircraft. Mac greeted me and demanded to know when I was going to join the crew for the tour. He knew I had been supplied with the binders filled with aircraft information that was issued during the ground school. I explained I was never in a financial position to take the time off work.

Keep ‘Em Flying or Keep Them Grounded?

The motto of the Commemorative Air Force is “to educate, inspire, and honor,” and there are those who say this is best done by flying these magnificent machines—yet one of the arguments for the grounding of the B-17s is that they are too rare to risk losing. Of the 12,731 B-17s built, approximately 45 are left today, and most of them on static display, such as Memphis Belle at the Air Force Museum in Dayton, Ohio, and the Boeing Bee in Seattle at the Museum of Flight.

I have mixed feelings on the grounding of the aircraft. I understand that because they are so rare, keeping them on static display protects them in a sense more so than when they are flying —so that future generations will be able to see and learn about them. However, at the same time, I cannot shake the idea that airplanes are made to fly, and an aircraft on display is akin to a vinyl record on display—like a first edition Beatles LP that you can look at, but not listen too. FLYING Editor-in-Chief Julie Boatman advocates to keep them flying, saying “You can always build a non-flying restoration from a data plate. As long as we have airworthy ones, they should take to the sky.”

Because She Was My First

Loss of life and emotional trauma notwithstanding, I think part of the reason this accident hurts so much is because Texas Raiders B-17G-95-DL, 44-83872, was the first B-17 I ever got close to. It was the early 1990s, and I was a general assignment reporter for a television station in Medford, Oregon. I was on-call 24/7. I had a station-issued car and equipment that went everywhere with me. I was also a student pilot, and for reasons I am still not quite clear on, my employers didn’t like the fact that I was learning to fly. One boss told me if I was in the air, they wouldn’t be able to reach me if a story broke. Another boss was afraid of airplanes, and they were sure I was going to crash. Despite this, I flew every chance I could.

I flew out of Grants Pass Airport (3S8) in a rented Cessna 150. It was an August afternoon as I was practicing steep turns in the practice area when I saw the green four engine bomber—Texas Raiders—approaching from the East. It was fire season, and I knew that some World War II aircraft had been configured as water bombers. Was that one of them? Then the aircraft turned and I realized this airplane was wearing World War II markings.

“That looks like a World War II B-17,” I thought as I turned to head back to the nontowered airport I called home. I muttered this observation at least three more times as I followed the aircraft into the pattern. I landed, parked, and rushed over to the airplane now taking up the entire transient area on the ramp in front of the FBO. I stood under the nose, looking up at the impressive machine. “It IS a B-17!” I said to myself as three men wearing tan flight suits were having a very animated conversation with the airport manager. I learned they had been scheduled to be parked at Medford Airport (KMFR) but there was some sort of issue—they wouldn’t be allowed to conduct ramp tours and they were told to leave. They came to Grants Pass because they were low on fuel, and this was the only airport with a long enough runway to allow a safe full-fuel takeoff.

According to Rob Milford, a member of the crew when they were from the Confederate Air Force—the name was later changed to the Commemorative Air Force— they were going to lose a lot of money because of this diversion. The organization relies on donations and volunteers to make it work. Rob, who worked at a CBS broadcast affiliate in Texas was very upset because no one knew Texas Raiders was there, ergo no visitors, no donations.

“I can fix that,” I said, and ran to my car. I came back with my camera gear. I did the interview on the spot and shot the B-roll. Rob allowed me to go into the cockpit to get video—also because I was a pilot and, in his words, had respect for aviation. I rushed back to the TV station and put the story together. It aired on the 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. shows. The next morning, I was there for the Texas Raiders departure—and so were hundreds of other people. Apparently, people saw the story on TV and went to the airport. The donation jug had more money in it now. As a token of appreciation, Rob gave me a scrap from the hem of his B-3 shearling flight jacket as a souvenir.

Some 10 years later, I was an aviation journalist and commercial pilot when I saw Texas Raiders on display at EAA AirVenture. Rob was still in the group. He recognized me, and we had a reunion. I told him I had been on several other B-17s since that day in southern Oregon, but Texas Raiders will always be my favorite because it was my first. And by the way, Rob—I still have that scrap of jacket.

The post Remembering ‘Texas Raiders’ appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

As of Saturday afternoon, the status of the pilots and crew on the aircraft had not yet been released by officials.

The accident occurred around 1:20 p.m. Saturday during Wings Over Dallas, an annual three-day air show at Dallas Executive Airport (KRBD), featuring World War II aircraft.

• Gallery: Wings Over Houston 2021

In a report immediately following the event, the Dallas Morning News said video of the incident showed the P-63 hitting the B-17 while making a turn. The nose of the bomber broke off “and the plane’s wings erupted into flames as they hit the ground,” the newspaper reported.

The videos are heartbreaking,” Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson said in a message on social media. “Please, say a prayer for the souls who took to the sky to entertain and educate our families today.”

As many of you have now seen, we have had a terrible tragedy in our city today during an airshow. Many details remain unknown or unconfirmed at this time. The @NTSB has taken command of the crash scene with @DallasPD and @DallasFireRes_q continuing to provide support.

— Mayor Eric Johnson (@Johnson4Dallas) November 12, 2022

Following the incident, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) took command of the crash site, as the Dallas Police Department and the Dallas Fire and Rescue provided support, Johnson said.

The NTSB and the FAA have both launched investigations into the accident, according to reports.

“At this time, it is unknown how many people were on both aircraft,” the FAA said in a statement following the crash., CNN reported.

• READ MORE: Remembering the Mighty Men of the 381st Bomb Group

The post B-17, P-63 Collide at Wings Over Dallas appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Lucky for me there is a Facebook group, “Bomb Group at Ridgewell During WW2,” that provides a wealth of information. The page is loaded with requests for information from people trying to learn about their family members who served there, and posts from people who have come across military records, personal items that belonged to a serviceman, newspaper clippings, battle reports, letters home, and photographs of daily base life.

While looking through photos on the social media site, I spotted a black and white photo identified as Lt. Colonel William J. Reed, who was stationed at Ridgewell. He looked familiar. I grew up with a family named Reed. Mr. and Mrs. Reed were friends of my parents. I went to school with the Reed kids. Dad said Mr. Reed’s father had served in World War II in the Army Air Corps. I never met Grandpa Reed, but in the photograph I saw his son and grandchildren, who all have a distinctive smile. 

Pulling further on the loose thread, I located his granddaughter on social media, and emailed her the image. She confirmed that was her “Pop” and he had been the executive officer of the 381st Bomb Group. Small world, eh?

Runways and Bombers

Ridgewell, where the 381st was based during the war, is located 7.5 miles northwest of Halstead, Essex, in England. The airfield and base was opened in 1942 with three intersecting runways of 6,500 feet each, 36 hardstands, hangars, barracks, and outbuildings. It was designed for heavy bombers flown by the Royal Air Force (RAF) Bomber Command.

In June of 1943, the USAAF’s 381st Bombardment Group, which was assigned to the 8th Air Force, arrived from Pueblo, Colorado. The group flew Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses, with tails sporting the Triangle-L insignia. The 381st was made up of several squadrons, each with its distinctive fuselage code: the 532nd (VE), the 533rd (VP), 534th (GD), and 535th (MS).

For a time, the RAF and USAAF shared the base, and the facilities were expanded to accommodate the influx of aircraft and men. During the expansion, the number of hardstands was increased to 50 and more barracks and other buildings were added.

When the war in Europe ended in 1945, the 381st returned to the U.S. Ridgewell Airfield was closed and the land returned to private ownership as a farm. The only parts of the base that remain today are the roads and a Nissen hut that had been the hospital.

The hut has been converted into the Ridgewell Airfield Commemorative Museum, which today, along with several memorials on the property, honor those who served there.

Because there is very little left of the airfield today—as most of the buildings and infrastructure, including the hangars, control tower, runways, and hardstands, are gone—the former base has been all but forgotten.

“Many of the people who drive or walk across the airfield have no idea of what went on under their feet,” said Sarah Allen, one of the volunteers at the museum. 

“I first became aware of Ridgewell Airfield as a teenager, over 40 years ago now. I used to spend a lot of time cycling around the lanes and around what was then the perimeter track for the airfield—now a public road,” she said. “Even before I learnt any of the history of the airfield, I knew that something significant had happened on and around that land. There is definitely an atmosphere to the place!”

A Museum Is Born

The Ridgewell Airfield Commemorative Museum was created in 2000 as a means to protect and preserve the legacy of the men who lived, worked, and flew from Ridgewell.

According to Paul Bingley, the chairman of the museum, it was the life’s work of Tony Ince, who had been a local schoolboy during the war.

“He befriended some of the 381st’s ground crews and built up a collection of wartime memorabilia, which he exhibited around Essex,” Bingley said. “Finally, he got permission to display his collection in a small section of the current museum building. Sadly, he passed away before seeing the fruit of his labors. The museum continued on, thanks to his friends, including Jim and Jenny Tennet, together with Alan and Monica Steel, and several others.”

“Around 2014, Alan Steel obtained permission from the landowner to use the entirety of the Nissen hut,” Bingley said. “Over the next few years, significant renovation work was carried out, including the cladding of the ceiling; the addition of a timeline of events; and a large map/diorama of the airfield, which now greets visitors as they arrive through the door.”

There is no cost to enter the museum, which is funded by donations.

“In 2017, we were named ‘runners-up’ in the 2017 Museums + Heritage Awards’ ‘Project on a Limited Budget’ category,” Bingley said. “This has led to more individuals donating and loaning items for display. We are particularly keen on personal items, as the ethos of the museum is to tell their stories. We can see just how deeply these stories resonate with visitors.”

Bingley said he first learned about the 381st in 2003 when he read the book Combat Crew by John Comer, who had served as an engineer and top turret gunner with the 381st at Ridgewell. 

Bingley was surprised. At the time, he was living just a few miles from Ridgewell, “Yet I knew nothing of the base or the 381st. It was the start of a long journey of discovery. The more I discovered, the more I wanted to know,” he said.

Bingley, who works in aviation cargo operations, said his day job has given him a greater appreciation of the logistical challenges of moving airplanes and people and cargo around Europe and operating such a large base.

“It could accommodate around 3,000 people at any one time—we don’t know exactly how many were based at Ridgewell throughout its entire existence,” he said. “It is stated in Roger Freeman’s Airfields of the Eighth; Then and Now that public roads use more old taxiways at Ridgewell than on any other Eighth airfield.”

Ridgewell is acknowledged as Essex’s only long-term heavy bomber base during World War II. While other Essex airfields hosted a variety of different aircraft types, Ridgewell was only home to Short Stirlings (the RAF’s first four-engine bomber) and the USAAF B-17 Flying Fortresses.

The base was located in a rural area straddling the border of Essex and Suffolk counties. The airfield is in Essex.

“It is a little hard to find, as is the museum, which is tucked away from a main road,” Bingley said. “The museum building is a wartime Nissen hut that was once part of Ridgewell’s base hospital, so it is an exhibit in itself. However, it is also on private land and is the property of a local landowner, so we’re unable to use permanent signs to direct the general public.”

Bingley noted that the landlords, Robert and Vanda Root, “have been unstinting in their support for the museum.”

Because of the limited space, museum volunteers have learned to be creative with the donations they receive, as they recognize how important they are to the story of the 381st.

“In 2021, we were sent an entire collection of uniforms, medals, and personal items from the U.S. by the son of a 381st tailgunner,” he said. “His father survived 30 missions before being transferred to the Pacific, which he also survived. It’s an awesome collection, which includes his secret combat diary, sunglasses, and ‘short snorter.’” 

Short snorters were paper currency signed by people you flew with or people you met. If someone signed your short snorter and you couldn’t produce it upon request, you owed him a dollar or a drink, aka—a short snort. They were rolled up and depending on how many people you flew with or met, they could grow to be as thick as cigars.

If You Visit

The museum is open on the second Sunday of the month, between April and September, although sometimes it will open for group visits and for the relatives of those who served at Ridgewell. There are five volunteers who make up the core group of museum staff, and others are ready to assist as they have time.

“We have an in-house historian,” Bingley said, “although we all try to assist in research for those who request it. The stalwart staff for most of the time the museum has been in existence are husband and wife, Alan and Monica Steel. They’re the glue that keeps everything together.”

Ridgewell stopped being a military airfield when the 381st left in 1945. The RAF briefly used the facility for bomb storage and disposal, then decommissioned the base in 1957. The land was reverted back to farm land for the most part, Bingley said, with one notable exception.

“The Essex Gliding Club continues to use Ridgewell during the summer months, and has even painted one of its gliders in the markings of the 381st. It has also given pleasure flights over the base to veterans and their relatives,” he said.

Museum volunteers also organize guided walks for visitors, who are often the families of veterans.

“This really gives them a sense of the scale of the airfield, and they are able to see the remaining buildings and the stories connected to them. They really are walking in the footsteps of their fathers and grandfathers,” Allen said. “We are always very honored and privileged when we meet veterans’ families, it is always emotional for us and more so for them. They often go and stand alone in quiet reflection.”

One of those visitors was John Weston, who arrived at Ridgewell in June 2022. Weston had been connected to the 381st Facebook group, and when he was in the United Kingdom for work, he took the opportunity to visit.

“My father was John Wezowicz, a pilot/aircraft commander in the 533rd who flew 31 missions in early 1944 and was based at Ridgewell. My dad later changed his name to Weston and remained in the USAF [U.S. Air Force] until retiring in the 1970s. He passed away in 2016 at 99. It was a very emotional experience, both being able to walk in my father’s footsteps and also seeing the dedication that Paul, Alan, and others have in ensuring that the memory of the 381st and veterans stays alive.”

Most visitors—they get about 100 a day when they are open—do some research before they come to Ridgewell. Sometimes the visitors surprise the volunteers with what they bring.

“For example, we were recently handed a one-hour, 16 mm vintage movie of Ridgewell and its sites that was filmed by one of the 381st’s senior officers across his two years at Ridgewell,” Bingley said. “To say we were all overcome, is an understatement. It was almost like finding a lost Beatles’ song.”

Sometimes relationships are forged between visitors, such as the day when two American families came to visit.

“Neither knew the other was coming, or had any contact before,” Bingley said. “Yet, their veteran fathers and grandfathers, who had both passed away, were in the same squadron, and at exactly the same time. There is no doubt they would have known each other. The families also discovered another connection: one of them lived in the town where another from the other family had been born. Sometimes, strange forces [are] at work. I’m lucky to have made lifelong friends with several of those whose fathers were once based at Ridgewell. I find it endlessly fascinating that something that happened 80 years ago can still have such a profound effect on us today.”

• READ MORE: A Recovery Mission Continues—Nearly Seven Decades Later

Virtual Memorial Meets Virtual Library

If you have access to a computer and the internet, you can have access to Ridgewell. Alan Steel created the Bomb Group at Ridgewell During WW2 on Facebook in 2013. Today, it has more than 2,000 members. The page is “dedicated to all the Men and Women who served with the 381st Bomb Group based at Ridgewell Airfield, Essex, UK during WW2,” and on it you will find pages and pages of information, often in PDF form that make research fairly easy. Members are always adding items.

One of the frequent contributors is Don Madar, an author and historian. Madar has written several books about military history, all of them with a family connection. His interest in the 381st is tied to his uncle Andy Piter Jr., a member of a ground crew at Ridgewell who did not make it home.

Piter arrived at Ridgewell on June 23, 1943. “That day, improperly loaded bombs on the B-17 #42-30024 Caroline exploded, killing 23 people including a civilian. I have my uncle’s notes on the accident,” Madar said. His uncle was not injured in the explosion—he would spend more than a year more at Ridgewell.

While flight crews were rotated home after a set number of missions—at first it was 25, then it was raised to 35 missions—there was no such rule for ground crews, Madar said, although as the war in Europe was starting to wind down, duty schedules relaxed a bit.

“My uncle was one of 31 men killed just 15 days before the end of the war in an airplane crash on the Isle of Man. They were heading to Northern Ireland for a week’s leave.”

Deadliest Crash on the Isle of Man

On April 23, 1945, a B-17G, 43-38856, flown by a two-pilot crew was transporting 29 servicemen. Many of the men had been at Ridgewell since the 381st arrived in June 1943. Keep in mind the usual crew complement of a B-17 was 10 men.

The aircraft took off at 8 a.m. and headed north. The flight was supposed to take about two hours. At approximately 10:15 a.m., the B-17 was on the northeast coast of the Isle of Man at an altitude of approximately 500 feet.

“The pilot was Charles Ackerman,” Madar said. “He had previously lost a friend in that location in a crash, and there are those who think he was flying low to get a better look of where his friend went in and misjudged the altitude. The airplane failed to clear the hill by about 300 feet. It was controlled flight into terrain. The airplane exploded in a fireball. It was—and still is—the deadliest airplane crash on the Isle of Man.”

The death of Andy Piter, especially so close to the end of the war, had a profound impact on the family, Madar said. 

“My uncle was the only son of six children. He’d been sending his money home and he bought his parents a house,” he said. “They had a room waiting for him.” 

The bodies of the servicemen were painstakingly recovered from the Isle of Man, returned to Ridgewell for identification, then buried at the military cemetery in Cambridge.

“They were later disinterred and brought back to the United States for burial at home,” Madar said.

Madar has made the trip to Ridgewell and roamed the places where his uncle spent his last hours. He said he was struck by the enormity of the facility, and noted that even though the runways were removed decades ago, they can still be discerned from the air as there is a faint imprint of them.

As part of the trip, he walked the parts of the base that had been the athletic fields, the hangars, and looked for the area where his uncle’s billet had been.

“When I was there, Paul Bingley and I found where Andy lived, and when I walked by there, I got goosebumps and started to cry,” Madar said. “It hit me. It was his last residence, where he would last have a smile. The other significant thing for me was the morgue, as morbid as that sounds, as that was the last place they were before their bodies were shipped to Cambridge.”

Madar said three of Andy’s sisters are still alive, and they and Madar have plans to return to Ridgewell to walk in the footsteps of Andy Piter Jr. and to remember him on the 80th anniversary of the crash.

“We wanted to go for the 75th anniversary, but the pandemic got in the way,” he said.

Remembering the Bomber Boys

According to Bingley, while Americans view all airmen as heroes, the men in the RAF Bomber Command were not seen in the same light, as the attention was more focused on the pilots who flew fighters.

“The men of RAF Bomber Command were only given their own memorial 10 years ago,” he said. “Winston Churchill didn’t help by failing to mention them in his victory speech, as he had done with ‘The Few.’ Museums like Ridgewell help to tell the story of those bomber boys who answered the call of duty—most of them volunteering, before serving thousands and thousands of miles away from their friends and families,” he said.

“Of course, many never returned home. We should never forget that,” he added.

While there are other veterans associations and organizations that provide educational support to the children of those who served with the 381st, there aren’t many places to visit where their family members once served. 

“That is why it’s so important that the Ridgewell museum is preserved and continues to be used as a focal point for the families,” Bingley said. “It is an honor to be a part of it.”

How To Locate Information About a Relative Who Served

• Use an internet search engine. The internet has greatly expedited the task of locating information about someone who served in the military. If you have the person’s name and the war they served in, often that’s all you need to begin your search. Commemorative associations often have their own webpages and the members can be very helpful.
• Facebook may be a resource. There are many groups dedicated to the preservation of information about military organizations. Often the persons involved have a familial interest in the organization and are open to sharing stories.
• Consult museum archives. Museums may have detailed information about military groups. For example, if the city has or had a large military component during the war, there is a pretty good chance the local museum will have photographs and records from that time.
• Consult university archives. Some universities have information as they have records of what the university did during the war. Others are repositories for select military groups, such as Texas Women’s University, which is the keeper of information about Women Airforce Service Pilots. Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University has information about the training of British pilots on American soil (No. 5 British Flying Training School).
• Don’t forget about memorabilia collectors. You may be lucky enough to find a collector of memorabilia, who are often historians because they research the items they find. They may be able to point you in the right direction—and may even help in your search.
• Veterans centers can also be helpful. They often keep written or recorded accounts of the experiences their members had. They also hold reunions, and if you’re really lucky, you may actually find someone who served with your family member and can tell you stories.

The post Remembering the Mighty Men of the 381st Bomb Group appeared first on FLYING Magazine.