Hello P-38 Fans:

What an amazing month it's been! 

We had a tremendously successful 20th Anniversary celebration, and another P‑38 which was hidden by nature for 50 years has turned up.  Read more below.

Kelly

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Nature Gives Her Back

Yet another P-38 has been discovered after having been concealed by Mother Nature for over 50 years. 

We all know about Glacier Girl, the P‑38 buried beneath a Greenland icecap for decades.  This time a long-buried P-38 has been washed ashore in the tiny town of Harlech, Wales.

Dubbed the Maid of Harlech, it is the hope of the TIGHAR (The International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery) team to recover and restore her.  Visit their website for more information and to help in the effort.

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P-38 Association 20th Anniversary Celebration a HUGE success for the Vets

We've all just returned from the 20th Anniversary celebration, and boy are we tuckered out. Some of you realize what's involved in putting together a gathering like this, but it was worth every minute of it.

We had nearly 100 P-38 pilots and crew members registered to attend, and the crowds at the Nellis Air Show were thrilled to have the chance to gather so many of their autographs...a rare opportunity.

We brought in "23 Skidoo," the P-38 from the Planes of Fame in Chino, CA -- and many of these men (and women...we had one WASP attend) had not seen a P-38 since they flew one.  One of our vets literally had tears in his eyes from the overwhelming emotion of the experience.

Another highlight of the event was the program presented by the Clifford O. Findlay Middle School, a Las Vegas school which is named after the late "Pete" Findlay, a long-time Vegas resident and P-38 pilot.  The students and the entire faculty were just tremendous. 

The school walls were papered with their WWII and P-38 history research papers, drawings and photographs done by the students.  They hosted a "Stage Door Canteen" dinner for our group and put on a play with 40's music, dancing, singing and costumes (including 40's hairstyles!). I personally saw at least 15 WWII vets tapping their toes to "In the Mood." The production value was phenomenal, and the vets were speechless when they received a prolonged standing ovation from the student body!  A truly memorable experience.  Here are a few photos from the event. Fantastic! Thanks Findlay.

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Tom Bunce Photography

I recently met an extraordinarily talented photographer, who has taken aviation artwork to a whole new level.  While it's difficult to really grasp the beauty of his photography on the internet, have a look at his website, Riveting Photos.  Seeing his art in person is a whole other experience for P-38 buffs, but you'll at least get an idea of the exceptional quality by visiting his site.

Tom was part of our 20th Anniversary celebration in Vegas and he took yet more gorgeous photos.  Here's a sample of his work (click to enlarge):

Can a Horse Beat a P-38?

Of course not.  But this guy had a good time trying!  Here's a fun story of a boy who tried to keep up with three P-38s.

Thanks to subscriber James Humberd for this story.

Now, that's Camouflage!

If you haven't seen these amazing photos of the way the P-38 plant in Burbank was hidden from aerial detection during WWII, check them out here.  Incredible!

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The Rearview Mirror

Check out the archives if you've missed past topics.

Don't Forget Your Oxygen!

Fighter pilots in every theatre have blessed the 38's ability to climb faster and higher than their opponents.  Yes, the 38 has a high ceiling, but carelessness  in checking oxygen flow and pressure on the ground, or forgetting to test your mask for leaks can get you in a hell of a lot of trouble at 25,000 ft.

"With vapor locks between his ears
And thoughts much un-collected,
All in a stew he flew the blue
His mask was disconnected."

- George McEntire
Lockheed Production Test Pilot

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Other P-38 Articles of Interest on the Web

"Tom Beatty's Lakester, a 243-mph Bonneville record-holder, was fashioned from an extended fuel tank from a P-38 Lightning fighter plane."  Story here.

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Update on Glacier Girl

Wikipedia P-38 Lightning page

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