# hey watch it dude !



## Erich (Mar 11, 2005)

Frickin non-coms, never looking where they are going....

ZG 76 boys getting the snowed trampled down for another anti-bomber mission


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## GT (Mar 12, 2005)

Update


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## Nonskimmer (Mar 12, 2005)

I don't think they're forgotten at all. The job of the ground crewmen wasn't as flashy or famous as that of the aircrewman, especially the pilot, but anyone who takes any kind of an interest in the subject is certainly aware of the vital part they played. It's a part that they continue to play, across the globe. Without them, the birds don't fly. Period.

Nice pics, guys. 8)


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## cheddar cheese (Mar 12, 2005)

I like that last Fw-190 pic! 8)


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## GT (Mar 12, 2005)

Update


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## Nonskimmer (Mar 12, 2005)

You do have a point. Books and the media in general often overlook the mechanics, armourers, and so on. It was often a thankless job compared to the reverence that was bestowed upon the aircrews.


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## Udet (Mar 13, 2005)

I couldnt agree more!

Gunther Rall on several of the interviews made to him, has devoted kind of first-rank remarks to the technicias who kept their planes in shape to continue flying.


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## kiwimac (Mar 13, 2005)

Rudel had a lot of good things to say about the "black men" too!

Kiwimac


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## GT (Mar 13, 2005)

Update


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## the lancaster kicks ass (Mar 13, 2005)

i don't thing they're forgetten, especially in bomber command, the crews were extremely gratefull to their gorundcrews, indeed the ground crews saw the aircraft as their own, they simply let the flying crew borrow it for the night (or day), a view which the flying crews didn't have a problem with...............


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## CharlesBronson (Mar 13, 2005)

Very busy Hungarian groundcrew, working on Bf-109G


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## cheddar cheese (Mar 13, 2005)

Great picture. Looks like that guys fallen into the cockpit


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## the lancaster kicks ass (Mar 13, 2005)




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## evangilder (Mar 14, 2005)

Robert Morgan, who flew the Memphis Belle mentioned his mechanics in his biography. In it, he said that if that guy got any sleep, he never knew of it.


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## BombTaxi (Mar 14, 2005)

Both the 8th Air Force and Bomber Command had a lot to thank thier groundcrews for, especially Bomber Command, as every mission was a 'Maximum Effort' requiring maximium aircraft availability. And Fighter Command wouldnt have been able to fly the number of sorties it did through the Battle of Britain and Overlord without the dedication of the groundcrews. Thier feat is even more rmarkable during the BoB as the airfields were frequently attacked.


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## the lancaster kicks ass (Mar 14, 2005)

yes but as i've said the crews of bomber command (i can't really speak for fighter command) were extremely gratefull to their ground crews and they enjoyed healthy relationships...........


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## BombTaxi (Mar 14, 2005)

I didnt mean to imply that wasnt the case...I've read how aircrews liked to bring the plane back in one piece to keep the crew chief happy!


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## the lancaster kicks ass (Mar 14, 2005)

well you're crew got a bit pissed off with you if you bought their bird back with a scratch, and they'd kill you if you didn't drop your bombs and came back with a full load!!


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## DerAdlerIstGelandet (Mar 20, 2005)

BombTaxi said:


> I didnt mean to imply that wasnt the case...I've read how aircrews liked to bring the plane back in one piece to keep the crew chief happy!



That is deffinatly true. As a crew chief I hate pilots that mess up my aircraft. The cool thing about the Blackhawk is though I fly with them so I get to try and keep them from doing stupid things and messing her up.


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## hellmaker (Mar 27, 2005)

I know I'd get really pissed if careless pilot messed up my work... By the way... Nice pics gents... Though omitted the grouncrews will never be forgotten, they are to this day the most important variables in mannaging a plane...


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## toffigd (Mar 28, 2005)

I think a groundcrew men could also tell many interesting stories about the planes they had to repair. How much damage they took, how difficult it was to get them ready for next flight, etc. etc. etc.


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## the lancaster kicks ass (Mar 28, 2005)

that's very true, we can learn just as much about a plane from the groud crew as we could from a pilot..............


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## DerAdlerIstGelandet (Mar 28, 2005)

Believe it or not ground crews and mechanics no profoundly more about the there respective aircraft then the men who flew it.


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## the lancaster kicks ass (Mar 28, 2005)

yes i can believe that.......


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## DerAdlerIstGelandet (Mar 28, 2005)

I am not a pilot for my Blackhawk but I know every sound she makes, I know how fast she can go, I know when the limits are being pushed to far. I love flying her and dont like flying other peoples, I feel safe in mine not in others.


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## evangilder (Mar 28, 2005)

Makes sense, Adler. You only know the maintenance and idiosyncracies of your own aircraft.


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## DerAdlerIstGelandet (Mar 28, 2005)

Yeap sure do.


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## Anonymous (Mar 29, 2005)

*A View From the Flight Line

Vast columns of words have been put to paper on the subject of aviation history, and especially that of the wide-ranging conflict of WWII. Few of these words make reference to the little matter of aircraft maintenance, or the aircraft mechanics. Hundreds of in-depth articles and books have poured forth on airplane types and unit histories, their writers going into great detail about the development problems and solutions, the designers, the test pilots and the test programs then into operational service, and the pilots who fly them. Most of the exhaustive tomes say nothing whatever about maintaining the birds once they are in squadron service. 
....*

Continues at: http://www.cebudanderson.com/viewfromtheline.htm

Enjoy,

=S=

Lunatic


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## DerAdlerIstGelandet (Mar 29, 2005)

Very true.


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## GT (Apr 3, 2005)

Update


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## Nonskimmer (Apr 3, 2005)

Yikes!


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## GT (Apr 3, 2005)

Update


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## the lancaster kicks ass (Apr 3, 2005)

ouch!!


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## wmaxt (Apr 3, 2005)

Ya, the ground crews had much invested all nighters I heard where one of the top pilots just wondered to his crew chief if his P-51 (in camo) would be better if it was clean bare metal at about 5 or 6pm. When he came out at 6:00 the next morning the crew chief was just finish polishing the brite shiney clean plane for that days mission.

Art Heiden tells about his crew cheif still a close personal friend and the work he did in the war. His crew cheif got a bronze star because Art's plane a P-38 never lost an engine in over 300 hrs of combat missions at a time when engine problems were common.

The Memphis Bell had (I think I caught this in passing on a documentary) 2 wings, 9 engines 1 tail groupe and a whole slew of other pieces replaced before she made her 25 missions.

Without a good ground crew no one flies!


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## Gnomey (Apr 3, 2005)

That's got to hurt.

Yes, ground crew are the forgotton heros of air operations.


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## the lancaster kicks ass (Apr 4, 2005)

the same could be said for the mission planners as well though.........


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## DerAdlerIstGelandet (Apr 4, 2005)

Whenever we go someplace and are performing high optemp operations or combat operations we have a day crew and a night crew for ground maintenance as well as flight crews. That way now crew member or maintenance worker has to work all nighters and such. They are assigned 12 hour shifts and then you hand it over to the next shift. It works out quite well.


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## the lancaster kicks ass (Apr 4, 2005)

still long shifts though........


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## DerAdlerIstGelandet (Apr 4, 2005)

How?


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## the lancaster kicks ass (Apr 4, 2005)

well 12 hours............


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## DerAdlerIstGelandet (Apr 6, 2005)

Thats standard in the military when you are deployed. When we are at our home station we work more 9 to 5, but when we are in combat we work 12 hour shifts and 24 hours a day.


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## the lancaster kicks ass (Apr 6, 2005)

that makes sence i suppose.............


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## DerAdlerIstGelandet (Apr 7, 2005)

You get more work done that way.


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## evangilder (Apr 7, 2005)

Yep, and there is always someone on hand to get stuff done. I remember those days. It sounds long to hear, but it's not bad when you get used to it.


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## DerAdlerIstGelandet (Apr 7, 2005)

In all actuallity you get less burned out this way because you can hand it off to someone else.


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## the lancaster kicks ass (Apr 8, 2005)

well that was what struck me, i thought they'd all just get really tired.......


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## GT (Apr 8, 2005)

Update


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## evangilder (Apr 8, 2005)

HOLY SHIT! That is one very lucky man!


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## Nonskimmer (Apr 8, 2005)

I'll say! If it'd been me, I think I'd still be wiping my drawers!


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## cheddar cheese (Apr 8, 2005)

Bloody hell!


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## the lancaster kicks ass (Apr 9, 2005)

my god!!


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## GT (Apr 9, 2005)

Update


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## cheddar cheese (Apr 9, 2005)

Man, that would be a good pic for a caption competition


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## the lancaster kicks ass (Apr 9, 2005)

well stick it in there now then


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## cheddar cheese (Apr 9, 2005)

When I get a few mins.


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## DerAdlerIstGelandet (Apr 10, 2005)

When you get hit in your armor it almost always breaks ribs now a days. It alteast bruises them up really bad to the point where you have a hard time breathing and walking. But I would rather have broken ribs and hard to breathing then be dead. The vests today are better but leave more room for error.


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## the lancaster kicks ass (Apr 10, 2005)

more room for error??


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## DerAdlerIstGelandet (Apr 10, 2005)

What I meant was they are smaller and leave more room for a round to slip by and get under the vest.


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## the lancaster kicks ass (Apr 10, 2005)

ah- not a good thing..........


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## DerAdlerIstGelandet (Apr 12, 2005)

No sure is not!


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## the lancaster kicks ass (Apr 12, 2005)

so what do you have to waer when flying??


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## mosquitoman (Apr 12, 2005)

Clothes?


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## cheddar cheese (Apr 12, 2005)

I should hope so


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## the lancaster kicks ass (Apr 12, 2005)

i was really talking in terms of armour.........


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## cheddar cheese (Apr 12, 2005)

This kind of armour?


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## FLYBOYJ (Apr 12, 2005)

cheddar cheese said:


> This kind of armour?


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## cheddar cheese (Apr 12, 2005)

Stay away, Ye olde Iraqi MiG's


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## DerAdlerIstGelandet (Apr 14, 2005)

the lancaster kicks ass said:


> so what do you have to waer when flying??



We have system now called the Airwarrior. It is pretty neat and very light weight. I will see if I can find some pictures of my system.


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