B17, P51

[Tom Rudisch]

Hello everyone I am looking for a little help in locating an photos of B17 2nd patches no.238201 346th BS/99BG italy and P51 no. 66 that was in the checkertails that was flown by Norman L mcDonald of the 325 fg Thank You

[Jack Cook]

I HAVE QUITE A BIT OF MATERIAL ON NORM McDONALD WHEN HE WAS CO OF THE 318th FTR. SQ. WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR???

[Tom Rudisch]

HI there i was looking for a photo of his plane no.66 called shu shu chuck o Thank you

Last edited by Tom Rudisch on Fri Jan 07, 2005 4:36 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[Waltz41]

Tom, you aren't a corgi diecast collector by chance are you?

brian

[Tom Rudisch]

you are correct there ,really I started it for my son and its me who seems to do most of the searching.

[Waltz41]

Tom, i have a really great shot of 2nd patches in the air being escorted by 2 checkertail p-51's. and i think if have some shots of shu shu/ chuck o too. give me a couple days and i'll send them your way if you like.

brian

[Tom Rudisch]

that would be great thank you very much

[Don Martin]

Don.
I was command pilot. other then my first few, when I flew copilot in order to get combat experience. I finished my tour Feb '44 pre D day.

Jules Horowitz, pilot, 99th B.G.

Tom,
You might want to PM "jhor9". In another thread, he offered to answer any questions that he could.
Don

[Jack Cook]

I have forwarded 3 pictures to Scott and asked him to upload them here for me. The are of Major Norm McDonald CO 318th FS 325th FG in his P-51D and 2 other shots of P-51D-20-NA s/n 44-63512 #66 SHU SHU on the left side and CHUCK-O after crew chief SSgt Chuck Owen on the right. Mac previously flew Spits in the 52nd FG. Before the war he was the leader of a outlaw motorcycle gang! With the 318th he had his own GI Harley-D motorcycle.


Here you go Jack - Scott

Last edited by Jack Cook on Sun Jan 09, 2005 8:19 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[Tom Rudisch]

wow thats great thank you very much for all the help

[Jack Cook]

Actually Maj. Grant Smith (318th FS OPS officer) had THE best looking P-51D. #00 "DOUBLE NUTHIN" with German and Japanese kill flags painted in full late war 325th FG markings.

[Tom Rudisch]

I do not know how to thank you they are just great thanks again for all the help

[Jack Cook]

Just glad to help a fellow wixer!

[jhor9]

Tom,
If you send me your e-mail address, I will send some shots of the B17. I don;t know how to put them on this website.

I was in the 348th Sqdn, 99th BG

[jhor9]

To Friends of the Collings Foundation:

HIGHEST LEVEL OF URGENCY: EFFORT TO KEEP THE B-17, B-24, & B-25 FLYING

Good evening everyone. You are getting this email because you signed up for the Collings Foundation’s eNewsletter and have shown an interest in helping to keep our historic aircraft flying for many years to come. We are sending this letter to you in the hope that you will find time to help us fight the latest issue that would potentially devastate our ability to fly the B-17 Flying Fortress, B-24 Liberator, and B-25 Mitchell.

These three aircraft operate under a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Exemption letter that allows The Collings Foundation to fly these aircraft for “flight experiences” where you may actually fly in the aircraft for 30 minutes. These flights are the primary fundraising effort and are literally the driving force that keeps the bombers flying.

These exemption letters are issued for two years and then are renewed at the end of each term for the organization that wishes to continue it. We have done so for many years without a problem.

Our current exemption letter expires on Oct 31, 2005 and we are reaching a very high point of urgency. Despite having a request at the FAA Office of Rulemaking for the past nine months for renewal of the exemption letter that would continue allowing us to offer flights in the B-17, B-24, and B-25, the FAA still has not issued a renewal or an extension of the exemption letter. We are two weeks away from the expiration of the letter and bureaucracy has tied the process up and no one has given us an answer, nor has been able to give us the status of this request.

We need your help! Please contact anyone at the FAA that you feel could/should help, including:

Marion Blakey – FAA Administrator – marion.blakey@faa.gov
Ida Klepper – Office of Rulemaking – ida.klepper@faa.gov
Or your local representatives or senators.

Make sure and reference the FAA Exemption Letter 6540F and note this is for The Collings Foundations B-17 (N93012), B-24 (N224J), and B-25 (N3476G).

Please write to the FAA people especially people from the UK and down under, it will impress them to know that people from far away care.
Please send me a copy of your letter
jhor9@comcast.net