Bruce Urie
The Ventures,CCR forever!
- Joined
- Dec 30, 2006
Well, fellas, I've just GOT to share this with you! Yesterday I finally realized my dream to fly in a B25 Mitchell bomber! My God was it fantastic!
As you may know, (or not), my late Dad (the original owner of my '87 GN) flew the B25, B26, P38, P61s during WWII, and I've heard all about it for years and years from him. I used to catch Dad sitting on the couch and say, "Dad, fly the B25 right now, tell me how." With that, he'd go through the whole procedure on how to start, check the instruments, taxi, wind it up, build up oil pressure and take off, and long flying times every where.. All of his training procedures, flying experiences, all the accidents with them, I couldn't get enough of it. Dad's name with the class was Deadstick Urie, as he had landed so many Stearmans, SNJs and B25 with no engines, as being new, a lot quit in flight! He was able to get them all down without crashing, lots of them! I have his graduating class photo with all of his buddies in it, autographed by them, calling him "Deadstick Urie."
So, yesterday, my wife and I headed off to the airport in our old '69 Vette to see the air show. There was a B25 bomber there, and rides were available. We did arrive someone late, so, luckily I was the last to be able to buy a ride. Man, that was close.
I got to sit, I was told, in the best seat in the plane, right where the waist gunner and tail gunner sat. After take off, I was allowed to crawl all over the thing, forwards and back, at an altitude of 1600 feet. We flew over the Blue Ridge Moutains, and it was just beautiful!! The engines were so darn LOUD that I still have trouble hearing right now. The plane shook like a high performance race car! But the pilots piloted the thing like butter on ice, I mean those guys did great!!! I got to swing out the .50 caliber machine guns, and sit in the tail gunner position with a fantastic 360 degree view! Needless to say, at that position, I just lost it, cried like a baby, and somewhat embarrassed. I was carrying Dad's silver wings and his dog tags on this flight, as the last time they were flown was with him in 1943-1945. I just couldn't help it, I was bawling like I've never done before.
Maybe that was me missing him so much, I don't know. But it was the most thrilling thing happening to me since I was married to my wonderful wife, Shirley. Man, what a plane! It gave me such deep, deep appreciation of the guys who had to fly these things into combat. Very primative, very to the point, no luxury, no comfort at all, just a plane made to shoot and drop bombs, then return home. My God, the inside was like being in an aluminum can with machine guns! The stainless steel cables that ran to the rudders, alerons, tail fins just ran through the structural braces of the sides of the plane!!! I watched them move back and forth while the pilots were flying! I just couldn't get enough of it! I moved all through that plane during the whole flight, couldn't keep still.
Can you imagine being 19-21 years of age and going out to war like our Dads did? The only thing between you and the enemy is aluminum LESS than 1/16 inch thick!!! Man, think about it. It gave me such appreciation for these guys!
The only sad part for me was landing.....but I got to talk with the pilot and co pilot for quite a long time....they were such nice guys.
Of course, I HAD to make a mistake...while I was inside waiting for take off, I happen to mention a B25 that slammed into the mountian at Peaks of Otter in Virginia, on February 2, 1944, with the loss of five crew members. The plane is still there to this day!! Engines, props, everything! As I was telling this to a crewmember, he was looking at me strange. I said, "Whoa, is it bad luck to be talking about a crashed plane on this flight?" The way he looked at me confirmed that greatly. I then, wisely, shut my big mouth, thinking "Bruce, you are so darn stupid at times!" I've got to think first, THEN talk.
Finally, I got to experience somewhat of what Dad went through and was feeling when he was 19 years old and pilot of a B25 Mitchell bomber. I just had to share this with you fellas. I have to really stop now, I'm getting tears in my eyes just writing this. It just meant so darn much to me. I'll take this with me forever. Thanks for reading.
Bruce '87 Grand National
As you may know, (or not), my late Dad (the original owner of my '87 GN) flew the B25, B26, P38, P61s during WWII, and I've heard all about it for years and years from him. I used to catch Dad sitting on the couch and say, "Dad, fly the B25 right now, tell me how." With that, he'd go through the whole procedure on how to start, check the instruments, taxi, wind it up, build up oil pressure and take off, and long flying times every where.. All of his training procedures, flying experiences, all the accidents with them, I couldn't get enough of it. Dad's name with the class was Deadstick Urie, as he had landed so many Stearmans, SNJs and B25 with no engines, as being new, a lot quit in flight! He was able to get them all down without crashing, lots of them! I have his graduating class photo with all of his buddies in it, autographed by them, calling him "Deadstick Urie."
So, yesterday, my wife and I headed off to the airport in our old '69 Vette to see the air show. There was a B25 bomber there, and rides were available. We did arrive someone late, so, luckily I was the last to be able to buy a ride. Man, that was close.
I got to sit, I was told, in the best seat in the plane, right where the waist gunner and tail gunner sat. After take off, I was allowed to crawl all over the thing, forwards and back, at an altitude of 1600 feet. We flew over the Blue Ridge Moutains, and it was just beautiful!! The engines were so darn LOUD that I still have trouble hearing right now. The plane shook like a high performance race car! But the pilots piloted the thing like butter on ice, I mean those guys did great!!! I got to swing out the .50 caliber machine guns, and sit in the tail gunner position with a fantastic 360 degree view! Needless to say, at that position, I just lost it, cried like a baby, and somewhat embarrassed. I was carrying Dad's silver wings and his dog tags on this flight, as the last time they were flown was with him in 1943-1945. I just couldn't help it, I was bawling like I've never done before.
Maybe that was me missing him so much, I don't know. But it was the most thrilling thing happening to me since I was married to my wonderful wife, Shirley. Man, what a plane! It gave me such deep, deep appreciation of the guys who had to fly these things into combat. Very primative, very to the point, no luxury, no comfort at all, just a plane made to shoot and drop bombs, then return home. My God, the inside was like being in an aluminum can with machine guns! The stainless steel cables that ran to the rudders, alerons, tail fins just ran through the structural braces of the sides of the plane!!! I watched them move back and forth while the pilots were flying! I just couldn't get enough of it! I moved all through that plane during the whole flight, couldn't keep still.
Can you imagine being 19-21 years of age and going out to war like our Dads did? The only thing between you and the enemy is aluminum LESS than 1/16 inch thick!!! Man, think about it. It gave me such appreciation for these guys!
The only sad part for me was landing.....but I got to talk with the pilot and co pilot for quite a long time....they were such nice guys.
Of course, I HAD to make a mistake...while I was inside waiting for take off, I happen to mention a B25 that slammed into the mountian at Peaks of Otter in Virginia, on February 2, 1944, with the loss of five crew members. The plane is still there to this day!! Engines, props, everything! As I was telling this to a crewmember, he was looking at me strange. I said, "Whoa, is it bad luck to be talking about a crashed plane on this flight?" The way he looked at me confirmed that greatly. I then, wisely, shut my big mouth, thinking "Bruce, you are so darn stupid at times!" I've got to think first, THEN talk.
Finally, I got to experience somewhat of what Dad went through and was feeling when he was 19 years old and pilot of a B25 Mitchell bomber. I just had to share this with you fellas. I have to really stop now, I'm getting tears in my eyes just writing this. It just meant so darn much to me. I'll take this with me forever. Thanks for reading.
Bruce '87 Grand National
