Post by kanowarrior on Apr 10, 2012 12:13:47 GMT -5
Two WWII-era pilots relive glory days at Deer Valley Airport
2 WWII veterans take to air again at Deer Valley Airport
by Betty Reid - Apr. 10, 2012 08:43 AM
The Republic | azcentral.com
Two World War II-era U.S. Navy aviators flew over north Phoenix last week, reliving their glory days when they piloted missions to defend their country.
Lt. Col. Vincent Bennett, 86, of Houghton, Mich., and Lt. Col. Elwood Sanders, 86, of Sun City West, flew for 45 minutes from Deer Valley Airport. Nearly seven decades ago, the men spent time on battleships and attended pilot school.
After becoming a civilian after the war, Bennett joined another armed-services branch, the Air Force, for 20 years. Sanders also enlisted in the Air Force after leaving the Navy and flew during the Korean and Vietnam wars.
Bennett and Sanders, with the help Thursday of younger pilots, performed formations known as the finger tip, diamond and trail.
Sanders, who flew with retired Col. Mike Lynch, walked away from military airplanes in 1972. He enjoyed the experience, he wrote in an e-mail.
"Not having been in a cockpit for approximately 40 years, it brought back memories that had long been forgotten," Sanders said. "The part of the flight that I enjoyed the most, of course, was when Mike gave me the controls and let me fly the plane. I was rather rough on the controls at first, but finally settled down and it wasn't too bad."
Sanders was a rear gunner on a torpedo bomber in World War II. His aircraft was credited with one of nine hits on the Japanese battleship Yamato, among the largest battleships ever built.
Thursday's flight jarred memories for Bennett, who joined retired Lt. Col. Mike Carter. Unlike Sanders, Bennett flies frequently.
"I liked it when we went back to the number two, so I could see the other aircraft," said Bennett, explaining how his airplane dropped back. "When I got to handle the control, that was a big thrill."
The flight evoked memories of that time when he was young and had free time to fly.
"Sometimes I would climb through the clouds and dive down into the clouds," Bennett said. "You always remembered the time when you could do what you want and you don't have the instructor hollering at you."
The two veterans earned a combined 9,500 flight hours, enough to qualify to fly a commercial airline today.
The children of the veterans got them to take last week's flight. Bennett's son, Mike, who is a commercial airline pilot, met a friend and his father, who happened to be Sanders, at a Thanksgiving dinner. The friends discovered their fathers had similar backgrounds.
Their fathers enlisted in the Navy during World War II and had 20-year careers in the Air Force as pilots.
"They served in the same battle group in the Pacific during World War II, Woody on the USS Essex, and my dad on the USS Pasadena," the Mike Bennett said.
Bennett and Carter met when they flew together at Southwest. Carter, whose father also served on the Essex, flew with an organization called Red Star Pilots.
The plan was hatched to get the two veterans to fly a formation together. There were challenges, Mike Bennett said.
"Eighty-six-year-old bodies do not bend like they did when they were 20, and military aircraft are not designed to accommodate inflexible bodies," Bennett said. "Woody's recent leg surgery and his stubbornly swollen knee presented Mike Lynch with a few challenges as he helped Woody into the CJ-6, but he let Woody know that he had all the time in the world and that 'we will get that leg into the aircraft.' "
Bennett's father chimed in, "My legs didn't bend that much," either.
2 WWII veterans take to air again at Deer Valley Airport
by Betty Reid - Apr. 10, 2012 08:43 AM
The Republic | azcentral.com
Two World War II-era U.S. Navy aviators flew over north Phoenix last week, reliving their glory days when they piloted missions to defend their country.
Lt. Col. Vincent Bennett, 86, of Houghton, Mich., and Lt. Col. Elwood Sanders, 86, of Sun City West, flew for 45 minutes from Deer Valley Airport. Nearly seven decades ago, the men spent time on battleships and attended pilot school.
After becoming a civilian after the war, Bennett joined another armed-services branch, the Air Force, for 20 years. Sanders also enlisted in the Air Force after leaving the Navy and flew during the Korean and Vietnam wars.
Bennett and Sanders, with the help Thursday of younger pilots, performed formations known as the finger tip, diamond and trail.
Sanders, who flew with retired Col. Mike Lynch, walked away from military airplanes in 1972. He enjoyed the experience, he wrote in an e-mail.
"Not having been in a cockpit for approximately 40 years, it brought back memories that had long been forgotten," Sanders said. "The part of the flight that I enjoyed the most, of course, was when Mike gave me the controls and let me fly the plane. I was rather rough on the controls at first, but finally settled down and it wasn't too bad."
Sanders was a rear gunner on a torpedo bomber in World War II. His aircraft was credited with one of nine hits on the Japanese battleship Yamato, among the largest battleships ever built.
Thursday's flight jarred memories for Bennett, who joined retired Lt. Col. Mike Carter. Unlike Sanders, Bennett flies frequently.
"I liked it when we went back to the number two, so I could see the other aircraft," said Bennett, explaining how his airplane dropped back. "When I got to handle the control, that was a big thrill."
The flight evoked memories of that time when he was young and had free time to fly.
"Sometimes I would climb through the clouds and dive down into the clouds," Bennett said. "You always remembered the time when you could do what you want and you don't have the instructor hollering at you."
The two veterans earned a combined 9,500 flight hours, enough to qualify to fly a commercial airline today.
The children of the veterans got them to take last week's flight. Bennett's son, Mike, who is a commercial airline pilot, met a friend and his father, who happened to be Sanders, at a Thanksgiving dinner. The friends discovered their fathers had similar backgrounds.
Their fathers enlisted in the Navy during World War II and had 20-year careers in the Air Force as pilots.
"They served in the same battle group in the Pacific during World War II, Woody on the USS Essex, and my dad on the USS Pasadena," the Mike Bennett said.
Bennett and Carter met when they flew together at Southwest. Carter, whose father also served on the Essex, flew with an organization called Red Star Pilots.
The plan was hatched to get the two veterans to fly a formation together. There were challenges, Mike Bennett said.
"Eighty-six-year-old bodies do not bend like they did when they were 20, and military aircraft are not designed to accommodate inflexible bodies," Bennett said. "Woody's recent leg surgery and his stubbornly swollen knee presented Mike Lynch with a few challenges as he helped Woody into the CJ-6, but he let Woody know that he had all the time in the world and that 'we will get that leg into the aircraft.' "
Bennett's father chimed in, "My legs didn't bend that much," either.
Attachments:
