In defense to the increasing price of fuel, some American airlines are flying slowly to save on fuel.

Southwest Airlines started flying slower two months ago and prediction shows its will save $42 million in fuel this year by extending the flights to one to three minutes only. A slow flight of Northwest Airlines from Paris to Minneapolis already saved 162 gallons of fuel and saving the airline $535 which only added eight minutes to the flight making the whole flight to eight hours and 58 minutes.

And the savings add up, JetBlue adds on average of two minutes to each flight and saves about $13.6 million a year on jet fuel. Adding four minutes to its flights to and from Hawaii saves Northwest Airlines $600,000 a year on those flights alone.

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The slower flights are not necessarily inconvenient to passengers, especially to the airlines, though there are still some who opposes and demands to ticket price decrease. Since they are already saving a lot on fuel, it wouldn’t hurt to cut-off few dollars to not-so fast flights.

Pacific Aircraft has enabled me to explain and display an important part of our family military history. By purchasing and displaying scale models of aircraft my father flew in the Air Corps and the Coast Guard in World War II and the Army Liaison aircraft that I flew in post war years, the display provokes friends, members of the family and most importantly my grandchildren to inquire and discuss the family history.

The quality and markings of the models has been right on and the presentation entertains all that study the collection. My Father’s aircraft include the PBM, PBY, Goose, Duck, Widgeon, Kingfisher, N2S, N3N and others, while mine is limited to the L-19, L-20 and soon the L-5. I may order a scale supercub painted and marked as an L-21 as well.

The presence of the models has led my sons to want me to write down the history and the stories that go along with it. I will be adding to the collection which will necessitate several custom models to match what I experienced. I do have an L-19 that is marked exactly like the one I flew, complete with the day-glo trim in the right places. It really does bring back the memories and the 2.75 rockets are authentic. I am looking forward to putting the dialogue in writing and showcasing the planes as a display.

Only yesterday did I give to a friend your sale on Navy Carriers brochure since he served on tow of them and will probably purchase those for his home collection. Thanks for the opportunity to purchase such high quality models and even offer them on sale on occasion. My budget is limited but I can mange an occasional purchase with your reasonable offerings.

As the last Chief of Staff for the Commander, US Naval Forces Europe stationed in London, I was tasked to put on a Midway mess night for our staff - an event that would prove memorable for over 100 Naval Officers and senior Navy civilians.

Our formal “dining in” in “mess kit” was held in the main Hall of London’s Imperial War Museum amidst the tanks, aircraft, rockets and artillery pieces - a setting steeped in military history and brave deeds.

Up from his regular HQ in Naples, Italy, the Commander, U S Naval Forces Europe presided over the affair as President of the Mess. Our guest of honor was a survivor of Midway and of Torpedo 8, then Ensign Albert Earnest.

He recalled how he flew one of six new TBF Avenger torpedo planes against the Japanese Carrier Battle Fleet. The new TBFs formed a detachment from the same Torpedo Squadron Eight (VT-8) that flew from USS Hornet (CV-8) (and lost all of their TBD Devastators). Launching from Midway’s Eastern Island airfield as the Japanese raid approached in the early morning of 4 June 1942, he remembered the savage fighter and anti-aircraft fire his crew encountered while they made their historic torpedo run. Though he and a fellow crewman survived, the aircraft was much shot up and one other crewman killed.

That night, though, as he remembered events 61 years ago and yet still fresh, his every word held our full attention. Alongside the dias, we displayed a print of the flight and a TMC Pacific model of his aircraft, TBF T-8-1.

As a gift of our esteem and appreciation for his remarks and service in combat, we presented him with the print of his famous VT-8 torpedo run and the TMC model TBF Avenger, T-8-1.

As he told the story in the hall of the Imperial War Museum, his words, the model and combat art were inspirational, vivid reminders of DUTY.

Today in my study, I also display the print of the flight, signed by now Captain Earnest, along with my own TMC T-8-1 on a wall mounted display stand.

- info4nelsons
Sanford, FL

When I opened the box and took my first look at the A7E model aircraft the memories flooded over me.

It was March 30, 1972, and I walked by this very aircraft piloted by Commander Riley Mixson, USN. He was going on a strike mission over South Vietnam because the Eastertide Offensive had started that day. He was going through his preflight in the cockpit. When he looked up and saw me, an announcement came over the speaker that was heard across the ship and flight deck. The Boatswainsmate whistle was followed by, “Petty Officer Ward departing,” and the ring of one bell. The tears welled up in my eyes and I looked at Mixson. He winked and gave me a sharp salute. I saluted him back, and got on board the C2-COD for the flight to Da Nang. I was going home.

It wasn’t until twenty years later that I saw him again. In 1992 he invited me to a change of command ceremony on the USS America. He had been promoted to Vice Admiral and was to be Assistant Chief of Naval Operations - Air Warfare. He was relieved by the America’s former Captain, now promoted to Rear Admiral, James Lair USN. He was the last pilot I flew with in the attack squadron (VA-195, “The Dambusters”). I didn’t know it until that day but Jim Lair saw what happened that morning as he was in another A7E parked across from the COD.

Thanks for the memories!

- Vetswithamission
Newberry, SC