Keeping history alive

Last Saturday (Sept. 15), I had a little brush with history.  I drove down to Paine Field in Everett, WA for the Flying Heritage Collection (FHC) Free Fly Day.  The Flying Heritage Collection is a private collection of vintage WWII aircraft owned by Microsoft billionaire Paul Allen.  The planes have been fully restored and are in flyable condition, and housed at the FHC museum for the public to view and enjoy.  On this day, there were two planes from the collection that would take flight, and I was there to see one in particular.  The FHC's Ilyushin IL2M3 Shturmovik is the only plane of its kind left in the world that actually flies!  This 1943 ground attack fighter defended the Soviet Union as they battled the Germans during WWII.  The IL-2 is a plane I'm somewhat familiar with, having flown one myself...in a computer game!

Sadly, I don't have much time to play video games anymore.  Yes, they ARE time consuming, especially when you get pretty obsessed about killing those tanks!  Thankfully, I'm able to satisfy my interest in WWII planes at air museums like the FHC.  In addition to the IL-2, the other plane to take to the air on Free Fly Day was the Republic P-47D Thunderbolt. This fighter was one of the backbones of the U.S. Air Force during the war, and earned a reputation for its ruggedness.  When I got to the museum, both aircraft were outside on display, and there were a lot of people there to see them.

 

After firing up their engines, the planes taxied out in front of the assembled crowd before taking off.  It was the IL-2's first public flight, and it didn't disappoint.  Both planes circled overhead, sometimes solo, other times side by side.  It was breathtaking to watch.

But, all good things must end, although it was equally thrilling just to watch the two planes land.  Before returning to the hangar, the pilots taxied one last time before the appreciative audience.

 

I didn't have time to actually visit the museum, but I will some day.  Just watching the two magnificent planes flying makes one thankful to all those involved in keeping such history alive.  And, even more importantly, those brave pilots of WWII who risked and gave their lives to defend their countries.