Flight Journal February 2008

Yak Attack
A mistaken WW II dogfight between Mustangs and Russian fighters
By Jim Busha

During an escort mission over eastern Germany, Mustang pilots mixed it up with what they thought were Bf 109s. Turns out these fighters were Russian Yaks, which wound up on the receiving end of the flying bullets.

“Look Ma, No Hook.”
Carrier-qualifying a KC-130F
By Jim Busha

Rear Adm. James Flatley was tasked with the mission of trying to land a C-130 on a carrier’s deck. Author Jim Busha relates Flatley’s story on how he did it and what it took to get this monumental job accomplished.

Luftwaffe Weapons of Desperation
Their final days: too little, too late
By Dr. Alfred Price

Had the Allies not had enough in terms of bomber and fighter numbers to tear up the German war machine, they might have faced these weapons of destruction in mass quantities.
The Germans were producing weapons that were clearly ahead of their time, but fortunately for the Allies, they outnumbered and annihilated the Axis’ efforts.

Elling Weeks
An aviator at the beginning
By Tom Weeks

He learned to fly by doing it. Early aviator Elling Weeks did it all: gave rides, built planes, flew newspaper deliveries, set endurance and altitude records and many other feats, all in the early 1900s.
And, he even experienced the dreaded crashes, but always managed to survive to fly again.

The Great Risinger Raid of 1968
It seemed like a good idea at the time
By Maj. Gen. Don Shepperd

Misty pilot Capt. Ed Risinger had a bright idea: go after a SAM site he had seen on his last mission. So he gathered up two other F-100 Misty pilots, sort of got a go ahead and went off to kill the site. Luckily for them, Mother Nature stepped in and saved their butts for the chewing out they received from their CO.