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One my greatest flying experiences came in an airplane that was parked on a ramp and chocked.
The Lost Nation Airport (now Lake County Executive Airport KLNN)) in Willoughby, Ohio is very near my home in Mentor. For several years, it was the scene of an air show each summer. It was common to see many visiting airplanes, many of them WW II veterans. It was an opportunity to view some very unusual aircraft and talk with their crews.
One year one of the visitors was a B-17, a G-model backdated in the markings of the Memphis Belle. This is a particular interest of mine, and I have never missed an opportunity to look a Flying Fortress over closely. Many other people had the same idea. The B-17 is said to be one of the most recognizable warplanes of its era, known to people who can’t identify any other airplane by name. This one came with a bonus, a wartime B -17 pilot who was there promoting a book.
I have never missed an opportunity to look a Flying Fortress over closely.
He was a very engaging man—a pleasant conversationalist with a good story to tell. He did this very effectively, and I was struck by the fact that he was doing it in the shadow of the airplane he had flown in the 8th Air Force. Time was rushing past. He was in his 70s then and the events he related were a half century in the past. After a conversation with him, I proceeded to wander among the other airplanes. Returning to his table forty-five minutes later, I found him sitting there alone. I had an idea.
I asked him if we could continue our conversation in the airplane. He readily agreed and climbed through the escape hatch into the nose just as easily as I did. He took the left seat. I sat in the copilot’s seat. He gave me an excellent commentary about the operation of the airplane, describing what it was like to fly in formation with a full bomb load at forty degrees below zero, never mind flak and fighters. He couldn’t have been more gracious, thoughtfully answering all my questions and in no apparent hurry to leave the airplane.
The pilot gave me an excellent commentary about the operation of the airplane, describing what it was like to fly in formation with a full bomb load at forty degrees below zero
As much as I enjoyed all this, it occurred to me that I had no right to monopolize his entire afternoon. Offering him my profound thanks, I reached over and shook hands with Robert K. Morgan in the cockpit of the Memphis Belle.
Postscript: Robert Morgan’s book,
- A Great Flying Experience on the Ground - February 26, 2025
- A Night Flying Experience I’ll Never Forget - January 20, 2025
- A Long Buried Story Resurfaces - June 3, 2024
Nice article, Tom. Airshows are a great way for people to experience aviation and have great conversations. I have very fond memories of taking military aircraft to my hometown airshow and having the very same interactions I sought out as a young kid dreaming of flying.
My now 8 year-old son (with multiple types in 737, 747, A320, J-3, Beaver – note that whatever toy he acquires he types in it within 5-10 minutes max) loves WWII warbirds due to airshows! And all the pilots have been incredibly gracious to allow him to sit in all kinds of planes most children his age only dream of! Funny story: He had a pinewood derby recently and someone called their block of wood a `P-51` and asked the scouts does anyone know what that refers to? He knew.
Hi Alexander,
My grandfather taught flying from 1930 to 1973. He always said the best student pilots were the kids who grew building model airplanes. You’re starting your boy off on the right foot !
Tom, I am jealous of what you got to do! My wife’s father was a B-17 top turret gunner who passed away too early from the effects he suffered at the hand of the Germans after his airplane was shot down and he was captured on the crew’s second mission and then held as a POW. You can read that story here on Air Facts: https://airfactsjournal.com/2021/03/the-story-of-a-winged-boot-and-the-men-who-wore-it/
A decade or so ago, we were at an air show in Ft Worth and there was a B-17 sitting on the ramp and for $5/person, you could enter through the escape hatch and walk through this old warbird from the front to the back. Of course, I told the wife we were going to do just that and she enthusiastically agreed. We started in the nose where the bombardier was stationed and then climbed into the cockpit. There were two guys sitting in the pilot and copilot seats to make certain nobody started flipping switches (wise move!). As we turned to walk back through the bomb bay, I stopped my wife and pointed to where she was standing. The ‘plate’ on which the top turret would turn as the gunner fought off attacking German fighters was under her feet (the turret was not there, just the hardened floor to support the turret and it’s actions in the heat of combat). The ‘water works’ were instantly turned on and continued to run for a while, but my wife thought that $10 we spent was worth way more than what it cost us!
Thanks Dale,
Your comment recalls a vivid memory. The first time I was in a B – 17 was more than 35 years ago. I was standing on the exact spot you describe when a man in his sixties and two small boys emerged from the nose and stood in the cockpit. Two things became obvious. The man was a former B -17 AC, and the children were his grandsons. He pointed out various features in the cockpit and then began reciting the pre take off checklist for a four engined bomber from memory.
The grandsons were in awe as I was too. The younger child was probably around eight years old. He spoke up and said, “ Gee Grampa, could you still fly this plane ? Grampa’s reply ?
“ You’re goddamned right I can ! “
The cockpit of the B-17 is/was a wonderful place to hear a story from a veteran. While I was learning to fly in Victoria BC, Canada, sometimes, I used to hear a word ‘hangar-flying’. I did not know what that meant. I understood later. For some reason like the weather, if there was no flying, pilots sat around with coffee and smoked. They told stories and their experiences. They also mentioned certain laws that were not written but accepted by many. This was a great moment pick-up great ideas and known flaws. Hangar flying. I loved that.
Thank you Suresh.
Thanks to my grandfather and his pilot friends I was the beneficiary of practical flying wisdom that extended back to the late 1920s. Their stories lodged in the imagination of an impressionable child and linger to this day.
I appreciate your comment.
A well-written article and a great tribute to Robert Morgan. Thanks for sharing your experience with one of The Greatest Generation.
Thank you.
I knew I was in the presence of greatness. I’m glad you enjoyed the story.