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Alan Renga
7/17/2002 12:21:36 PM | I have a question about pilots.ššI know that some units had a to be pilot fly as co-pilot with an experienced crew for his first 5 missions.ššI was wondering if this was also the case for the 401st during the summer of 1944.ššAlso, I work as Assistant Archivist at the San Diego Aerospace museum, and we have an extensive archive on all things aerospace related.ššIf you have any questions, feel free to contact me at arenga@sdasm.org, and I will try to help you.
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Scott McElvain
8/12/2002 3:31:27 AM | I probably need to refresh myself on my dad's records, but I know that he did not fly his first mission with his crew. I had heard that a new pilot would fly with an experienced co-pilot on his first mission and likewise with a new co-pilot and experienced pilot. He got there in Sep/Oct of 1944. Not sure if this was a set procedure or not in the summer of 44 or if it changed.
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Jake Shepherd
9/13/2002 4:13:22 PM | I arrived at Deenethorpe early November 1944 with my crew. I was pilot and had a full crew ready to go. Only one problem....I had never flown a B-17 before....in fact had never even been inside of one. We did all of our training in the United States in B-24's. There were four B-24 crews who arrived at Deenethorpe at the same time. We had to have special ground school training to get knowledge of how the B-17 worked. Then I had to have special flight training to learn how to taxi and fly the B-17 since it was a traditional landing gear with a tailwheel and the B-24 was tricycle gear and taxied like a big truck. Captain(later Major) Locher gave me the flight training. By January 1, 1945, I was ready to go on my first mission. I flew this mission with Lt. McKittrick and his crew....they had flown about half their tour by this time. I learned a lot by having this special training and was so glad that I had been lucky enough to change over to B-17 from the B-24. My crew and I completed 23 missions before the war ended and we flew most of our missions in a plane we had named "BOTTLE BABY.' I was in 613th Sqdn. and am a member of the Board of the Association. I look forward to the reunion in October.
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Jake Shepherd
9/13/2002 4:17:32 PM | I arrived at Deenethorpe early November 1944 with my crew. I was pilot and had a full crew ready to go. Only one problem....I had never flown a B-17 before....in fact had never even been inside of one. We did all of our training in the United States in B-24's. There were four B-24 crews who arrived at Deenethorpe at the same time. We had to have special ground school training to get knowledge of how the B-17 worked. Then I had to have special flight training to learn how to taxi and fly the B-17 since it was a traditional landing gear with a tailwheel and the B-24 was tricycle gear and taxied like a big truck. Captain(later Major) Locher gave me the flight training. By January 1, 1945, I was ready to go on my first mission. I flew this mission with Lt. McKittrick and his crew....they had flown about half their tour by this time. I learned a lot by having this special training and was so glad that I had been lucky enough to change over to B-17 from the B-24. My crew and I completed 23 missions before the war ended and we flew most of our missions in a plane we had named "BOTTLE BABY.' I was in 613th Sqdn. and am a member of the Board of the Association. I look forward to the reunion in October.
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