May 16, 2010 - Form Flight with the Ohio RVators
We met three Ohio Valley RVator pilots -- Bill "Popeye", Gary "Shiner" and Damon -- at Rostravor and spent over an hour talking formation over coffee and donuts in the EAA Clubhouse. They were much more experienced in formation flight than we were so it was a good learning session for us. We split into two flights -- one four-ship and one three-ship and went up for a 45 minute session. I was in the three ship with Lead "Shiner" and Damon. The rest of Dragon flight was in the four-ship with Lead "Popeye"
Damon's RV-4 on the Rostraver ramp in front of the on-field restaurant.
From left to right: Popeye, Cuban and Tulip.
The first flight was a pretty good workout for me. We did the steepest formation climbing and descending turns I have done to date.
We landed, debriefed, then briefed a second flight. I was in the 3-ship again, this time with Shiner as lead but Cuban as #2. We also would be landing at Jimmy Stewart airport where we would get lunch.
Jimmy Stewart memorabilia is all over the place. The airport is very proud of their namesake. And why shouldn't they? Jimmy Stewart was a class act and a true war hero. After viewing It's a Wonderful Life, President Harry Truman concluded, "If Bess and I had a son, we'd want him to be just like Jimmy Stewart."
Jimmy Stewart had many ties with aviation. He earned his private and commerical pilot's license prior to WWII and had over 400 hours flight time two years prior to Pearl Harbor. He was the first major American movie star to wear a military uniform in WWII, joining the Army Air Corps in March 1941.
Stewart enlisted as a private and began pilot training in the USAAC. During this time the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, bringing the US into direct involvement in the war. Stewart continued his military training and earned a commission as a second lieutenant in January, 1942. He was posted to Moffett Field and then Mather Field as an instructor pilot in single- and twin-engine aircraft.
In August 1943 Stewart was assigned to the 445th Bombardment Group at Sioux City AAB, Iowa, first as Operations Officer of the 703rd Bombardment Squadron and then as its commander, at the rank of Captain. In December, the 445th Bombardment Group flew its B-24 Liberator bombers to RAF Tibenham, Norfolk, England and immediately began combat operations. While flying missions over Germany, Stewart was promoted to Major. In March 1944, he was transferred as group operations officer to the 453rd Bombardment Group, a new B-24 unit that had been experiencing difficulties. As a means to inspire his new group, Stewart flew as command pilot in the lead B-24 on numerous missions deep into Nazi-occupied Europe. These missions went uncounted at Stewart's orders. His "official" total is listed as 20 and is limited to those with the 445th. In 1944, he twice received the Distinguished Flying Cross for actions in combat and was awarded the Croix de Guerre. He also received the Air Medal with three oak leaf clusters. In July 1944, after flying 20 combat missions, Stewart was made Chief of Staff of the 2nd Combat Bombardment Wing of the Eighth Air Force. Before the war ended, he was promoted to colonel, one of very few Americans to rise from private to colonel in four years.
Personal note: it's hard to imagine one of today's big name movie stars putting their career on hold to go fight for their country.
Stewart starred in three classic aviation films: as Charles Lindberg in The Spirit of St. Louis, Strategic Air Command, and Flight of the Phoenix.
We said goodbye to the Ohio Valley RVators, and Dragon flight headed for home.
The weather had steadily improved throughout the day. Here we are winging our way home with Tulip in the lead.
Here's a shot of me during my low pass down the runway.
How did the wedding party like the flyby? In the father-of-the bride's own words:
Bill:
You would not believe how thrilled we, and all the guests
were the fly-by! The timing was perfect. I was starting to
worry because we were taking the obligatory photos back in the forest
where we could not see much of the sky. I was thinking that I got to
get this group out of the forest before Bill arrives. The way it
turned out was that you showed up just as we walking out of the forest to
the runway. And with smoke! Wow! I told everyone that
you might be coming back again, probably from the South, and then when you
guys showed up in a right eschelon I was thinking; "Boy they are set up
for pitch out - wouldn't that be neat!" Sure enough, it was.
Bill, it was exactly perfect. I know just enough about
formation flying to appreciate how carefully everything was thought out,
and professionally done. The smoke even came on and off
together. And having it organized the way you did. Long
straight in approaches, thinking ahead and knowing that the pitch out of
the eschelon should be to the west, so you had to be in right eschelon,
etc. You charged the whole wedding party with excitement. By
the second pass even the people in the tents were ready and out by the
runway, most with cameras. I heard that one of the guys got a
picture of you that is so clear you can be recognized in the
cockpit. I will try and get a copy of it for you. It was like
there was electricity in the air! Josh and Gorgeous were totally
bowled over - they had no idea that this was in the works. They and
a bunch of others had tears in their eyes. People kept coming up and
talking about it for the rest of the party, which lasted well past
dark. I guarantee you that the wedding will be remembered most for
your fly-by!
Thanks, Bill, from the bottom of our hearts. You
made the day doubly special. Please pass our thanks on to your
wingmen - you guys are a top flight group!
Bill
