I met a Mosquito pilot in 1986 by the name of Jack Stapley. When the war started he delivered telegrams, then was heavily involved in the early development of Radar, then made three combat glider landings he walked away from, then finished the war in Mosie. He was one of the most brilliant people I have known. I met him when he was an electronics instructor at Rediffusion Flight Simulation. He taught the class entirely out of his head while drawing complex electronic schematics on the blackboard that matched the paper ones we students were given.
I'm 47. My father was born during WWII. My Grandfather left Perth, Western Australia in a Mosquito built there to fly to Africa as the mechanic and navigator. His father - my great grandad - helped build that plane as he was a cabinet maker and boatbuilder. I've always loved the Spitfire - but the greatest aircraft of WWII has always been the Mosquito. My Granddad flew halfway across the world in one and then kept the engines running, the guns working and the airframe in one piece for the luckiest pilots ever who flew the greatest aircraft of that time. Thank you. I cried. I'm so pleased there's one still flying and you got to fly in it. All my life THAT is the one thing I want to do. I wanted to be born back then just to fly her. God bless you.
Amazing story of your great granddad. I don't know what it is about the aircraft but it makes me emotional. I love it above all others. Thanks for sharing.
I WAS IN EGYPT IN 1944 FLYING "MOZZIE" GREAT PLANE. THANKS FOR SHOWING NICE TO REMEMBER, SO FORGOTTEN NOW, NOT MUCH TIME LEFT FOR ME, SO NICE TO SEE WE ARE REMEMBERED :):):)
It so touched me to see this disabled young man get his dream fullfilled. I was brought to tears. And i give thanks to the pilot and club to allow him that dream to come through. This documentary was one of the best ive ever watched, both emotionally and literally. Well done my good man!
As I near my retirement (June 2021) 46 years of flying it’s wonderful to see young men and women as excited as I was and have been about flying airplanes... thank you for this video and I’m so happy you enjoyed to finally get in that mosquito and experience flying in that fashion... well done! I got teary eyed seeing how teary eyed you got... the same way I got when I got in my first simulator to get my Flight Engineers license on the B707... I was smiling ear to ear just walking into the simulator down in Miami’s pan am training Center! Wish you all the best!
I teared up seeing the tears well up in his eyes, and many times prior!!! Merlin Engines-then I move onto, Merlin's Cave ,and Halls of Amenti. Be with Jesus, and the paperback book: "The Light Shall Set You Free"
Cool heritage. Hat's off. Amazing what can be done with wood, still a respectable composite structural material today if not cost competitive....technically a plastic.
It would have been nice if the presenter had mentioned that the aircraft he was fortunate enough to have had a ride in was resurrected by a New Zealand company based at Ardmore Airfield Papakura near Auckland New Zealand. All the wooden parts had to be made from scratch. This was a major engineering achievement from the production of the mold on which the fuselage was constructed to the wings and empennage. Then the incredible amount of work that went into assembling this beautiful aircraft. Since the production of this aircraft a second has been completed and flown. A third one is already on the production line. Without the dedication and skill of the New Zealand engineers that took on the almost impossible task of constructing an airworthy Mosquito and the skill of the New Zealand pilots the flight tested this beautiful machine he wouldn't have had the privilege of taking a fight in a Mosquito.
Friends of mine saw this fly at my home town Masterton NZ at the Hood Aerodrome. They were impressed with the skill, time & dedication those clever kiwi engineers put into it. I am happy for the presenter who went for a ride as its always been a boyhood dream of mine too.
I watched the construction of this aircraft over many years, when you saw what they started with and how it ended up, you just have to be in total awe of the skill of the guys at Avspecs! I had the rare privilege of sitting in the thing while it was being built and seeing the detail it was completed with. You might notice that all the guns appear on the outside, they are complete on the inside as well, replicas made by Weta Workshop who did most of the props for ''Lord of the Rings'' and complete with all of the correct ammunition feeds etc. The whole aircraft is just a work of art.
In the 1970's I mowed the lawn for Andrew Wilson who owned a woodworking shop in WWII. Andrew Wilson Displays Ltd. on Weston Road in Toronto Ontario. He got his start in business making Mosquito parts. He was a cranky cigar chewing old man then, but when you asked him about his shop, his face became like an angel's face and talked for ages and ages about jigs and fixtures and glue and bending plywood.
When it was tested in New Zealand, all of south Auckland ground to a halt to get to the airfield to watch it. My brothers went and got to see it fly. I went down the next day when no one was there and got to help them push it out of the hangar. And yes, ladies and gentlemen, I briefly fondled the cannons.
My late cousin, who lived in Greenhithe, went to Ardmore, with her husband, to watch the flight. It took them an hour to get there and the traffic around the airfield was so dense they couldn't get anywhere near the place.
The passion, the love for flying and the wonderful wooden flying machine that is the Mossy are expressed by the young man in a striking way. I understand and move me. A unique experience, it will remember it for a lifetime. Great young man. Really good. Love for the flight moves the spirit and every difficulty.
Many of these great Airmen are disappearing every day, so I'm glad to see these stories are being captured and their aircraft being preserved for future generations. Jerry Yagen is a hell of a good man to put his money into keeping these machines flying.
I appreciate your story and your father’s service to the world. I would love to hear more if it is possible. My father flew an SBD Douglas Dauntless Torpedo plain for the US Navy. He was second seat copilot and gunner. It’s my perception that this plane unfortunately was too slow to deal with Zeros and often was the first wave without adequate fighter cover. If I remember, and my father wasn’t involved in the Pacific at the time of the Battle of Midway, a flight of SBDs were sent in when the Japanese carriers were located. It was comprised of 44 men? 11 planes ? Attacked and struggled to hold formation at altitude and the survivors entered their attack dive which of course was the fastest that it flew as they leveled into their runs at the carriers and the survivors dropped Torpedos. None were hits. But, planned or not, what the SBDs had accomplished was to get the Zeros to expend their ammunition and fuel and they had to land and refuel and reload. They were in that process with fuel all around them when the dive bombers arrived. One bomb destroyed one of four (I believe) carriers. Of the 44 airmen in the SBD Flight, I believe that there were 4 survivors. I feel sure that the crewmen knew what they were facing that day and the importance of the moment as they mounted the Plains already warming up by their crew chiefs who told them good hunting and they began to attack the humid air facing in a good wind for taking off. One by one they entered their circular flight path as the last plain got to altitude and into formation. They headed towards the last visual confirmation of the Japanese fleet. As they settled into the over sea flight, the drone of the Allison 12 cylinder engines created a false sense of normalcy and the crews enjoyed the cool air contrast to the hot humid air aboard ship. The Japanese Navy never recovered from that distraction and made the remaining battles at sea defensive for the remaining days of the war. The sacrifices that day was tempered by the success of the battle and both Navies put water between the remaining members of the fleets after rescuers completed their final run for survivors, cared for their wounded and performed emergency repairs at sea while under maximum speed of the slowest damaged ships heading for Honolulu and Pearl Harbor and repairs and replacement crew members while the next moves were evaluated against the risk and importance of the next deployment. I lost two uncles, one sailor and one of the original Darby’s Rangers. He fought in the Africa campaign, the Italian campaign and the ill advised slaughter called Anzio where a battalion, I believe, of Rangers were sent into an ambush of German artillery. I believe that less than 20 survived and they had to be rescued by another division (I am not familiar with army group sizes and I might be incorrect above where I said battalion) to rescue those trapped survivors. He was moved to England and was involved in the D-Day Invasion and fought until the end of July when the Allies were desperate to breakout and begin the offense against the Germans before larger Tiger Tanks were relocated to Normandy and used to repel the invasion. He was wounded during the breakout, captured and summarily executed by a Nazi officer. He received the Distinguished Service Cross, the second highest medal of valor, and he was returned to the Mountains of Virginia were he rest next to his father who rode with Theodore Roosevelt’s Expeditionary Force in Cuba. He died from malaria around age 50. My great grandmother, his wife, lived to be 98 and received a pension of less than 75 dollars until her death in the 1980s. My father’s oldest brother was killed in April before D Day off of the SW coast training for the invasion as a crew member on an LST landing vessel that carried men, vehicles, and supplies. They were carrying full troops and materials and were to go half way of the 20 miles between England and German occupied France and to turn around and land and discharge me and equipment. They were to have a British Destroyer as escort. Germany only had E boats in the area. E boats were high speed Torpedo boats like our PT Boats in the Pacific. In a case of breach of protocol by the British Destroyer Commander, he put into port for repairs and failed to report to command for a replacement patrol for the LSTs. A German E boat caught the larger slower transport vessels in open water and sunk 3 I believe with varying reports on loss of life between 300+ to close to 900 men and 3 LSTs. The soldiers were in full gear with no life jackets and were drowned. I met a lady in Hexum that was a nurse down there when it happened. She said that the entire medical staff were brought together in a large space and told that they would be seeing something that they would be court marshaled for if they ever spoke of it to anyone including their families. It was approximately 7 weeks until D Day and allied command could not afford any bad press for morale and political reasons. She said that large trenches were dug with heavy machinery and used as mass graves for the dead and no report was made about the action. She also said that Eisenhower was livid for the loss of the troops as well as the LSTs that had taken a longtime in design, production and the cost to the nation for both. My grandparents died believing that my uncle was killed during D Day, and it was in the late 1980s when the youngest brother, who served in the Pacific Navy, came across a newspaper article that told the truth after a request for information submission. He did not tell his parents the truth at that point of their lives. War is a dirty business even when your on the right side morally. That generation can never be honored adequately . Sorry this was so long. It’s probably not the correct forum, but I am 72 and I just have the need to get it out there for all of them. I have no children, and it’s gone when I am gone. The old professor Live Free or Die!
@Jack Tangles "WE...." had an assortment of planes that did the job necessary to get the job done !!!! Fact of history deal with it !!!! IF our planes and equipment were so "crap" in your view why did you Limeys have to use 38,000 of all types of aircraft ???? IF you limeys were so great why was ALL the help required ???? Think about it and deal with history !!!!
My Gramps flew in the RCAF in BR-10 Squadron out of Gander . They hunted U-Boats up by Greenland and over to Iceland. He finished a full combat tour and his crew had crashed 4 times . And that's on Wing Commander John Youngs crew. A full time officer in the RCAF. My Gramps flew DH-98's Mosquitos built in our hometown London Ontario in the heart of the British Commonwealth training program. My Grandmother built Mossies at dE Havilland in London Ontario and my Gramps finished on Mossies getting ready for Japan. The greatest Allied Aircraft of the war. To all of the brave men on Mossies , you were the Bravest of the Brave . Amen.
I've been to the Warbirds over Va. Beach show many times, but never fully appreciated the Mosquito until watching this video. What an unassuming name for such a powerful aircraft!
The Mosquito is beautiful. Its engines are monstrous. I am very happy that you were able to fly one. It was cool that you spoke with an engineer who designed the aircraft. God bless engineers. :)
Have a look at the head on view and the swept area of the propellers, relative to the total frontal area. That will tell you why it was so fast. Even at the end of the war, you won't find any other aircraft with those kind of proportions.
Such a beautiful aircraft. There is something so graceful about that rounded streamlined form. I like the Spitfire but think the Mosquito is even more beautiful.
The sound of the engines is beautiful. I was fortunate to be at an airshow in Wairarapa where they flew all of the De Havilland aircraft including this one (this particular one) before it went to the USA.
Dam Busters, that was a mission, Bomber Command Museum, Nanton Alberta, had a special day to commemorate them. Fired up the engines. W that musicvto the ears. They are restoring a mosquito currently. They have a camera for it but not this cannon mount. My father was a navigator in a Halifax. I have some pictures of bombing raids they did must have been taken by the mosquitoes after the bombing run.
Very pleased for you to have flown in such a remarkable flying beauty. Now, a bit of an unusual story. A very good friend of mine, who died about 20 years ago, was an instructor pilot in the RCAF during WWII. He tried and tried to get assigned to combat duty. Finally, he got the green light and was shipped to Britain. A month or so after arrival, he was about to take his first flight in a Mossie. The following day the war ended. He never got to fly the Mosquito.
I love it! The joy on this man's face says it all. I'm not sure that I wouldn't rather see someone fulfilling their lifelong desires than myself completing my own. It was wonderful that a Yank could step in and get one Mosquito flying.
Please give us more, I consider you to be the most sympathic, humble and competent young man on youtube. Thank you very much for your time and efforts, sir.
That was an exceptional documentary. I have worked on airplanes for 34 years, and can appreciate the work it must have taken to recreate a mosquito and make it fly. It's a real privilege to have been involved with aviation for so long.
E X C E L L E N T video! Terrific footage and documentary material. Well done, young man. Many thanks for bringing this feature video about the memorable Mosquito marvel.
Great video... my dad flew Mossie's throughout the entire war with the Pathfinder Squadron out of Turnberry Scotland.He loved this plane like no other... and his career between the RCAF and the USAF spanned almost 40 years. He trained in bi-planes in 1939/40 and finished his career in SR-71's. When I watch this video it reminds me of why my dad chose a career in the air force as a fighter/ reconnaissance pilot. Eisenhower offered everyone in his Pathfinder Squadron promotions, transfers to the USAF and US citizenship. My dad took the offer and never looked back. Ironically, his flying in the SR-71 for The Company would eventually take his life from acute leukemia.
> Brad Chang What a splendid record of achievement-- from a 1939 biplane trainer to SR71, a total transformation in aircraft technology, and piloting skill required. Pathfinder squadron pilots had to have charmed lives, because the Luftwaffe desperately sought to divert or shoot them down, before they could drop their signal flares.
The whole story sounds fishy. First of all, if he flew in 1939 he would have been too old to have been flying SR-71's. Really, now. And the pathfinders were RAF units. What do you mean,"Eisenhower offered everyone in HIS pathfinder squadrons?" And what right would he have to offer foreign pilots U.S. citizenship!? And how would flying the SR-71 give anyone leukemia!!?
Reminds me of the time I told my 5 yr old that I used to play for the Boston Bruins!! She came home from school a few days later telling me that the gym teacher had never heard of a Bruins player by that name .apparently from the tears streaming down my face she thought she had better ask this next question which was .does this mean I'm not a princess too .
Thank you for experiencing, filming and sharing! Another Mosquito accomplishment: A daring Mosquito, I think 3 of them, successfully raided Gestapo HQ in Denmark, to free Danish Resistance prisoners held and about to be executed. I learned in a detailed book on the Danish Resistance. I was born in Denmark, to American teacher parents, so a special interest. Not everything came out right in the mission: One of the Mossie's got disoriented and accidentally bombed a school. The Gestapo HQ was severely damaged and the prisoners freed.
Nice job by the host and you can feel his love for aviation and this plane in particular. When he was crying in the plane... that made me cry along with him.
I stumbled upon this wonderful video today. I wasn't planning on laughing and crying at the same time today but I did. Only because of the beauty of this wonderful story. God Bless!
Thanks for putting this video together. I have a friend who's his own post-production staff of one, so I have some idea how much work it is. Love the wheelchair-height camera work in some scenes. Happy you got to fly, and that the people down the road from me (in central Virginia) have learned from others' sad mistakes, and should be able to keep this Mossie flying for decades more.
Outstanding story! You lucky stiff!! I was quite moved. I have been an WW2 AC enthusiast since I was a boy. I read every book in my school library, some more than once but, the DH Mosquito was and still is my absolute favorite AC. This is why your video inspired me so. I was living vicariously through you! Keep up the good work and keep us up to date on the Mosquito for GB.
My uncle Lt. John Milsom, ret’d flew these birds in the war! He carried on this last year at age 99. He will Rest In Peace.....You did a nice job on the presentation. I’m looking for the part one.....
Late to see this lovely story, I know. Dad was a ball turret gunner,in a B17G. 8th Air Force,487 bg, 839 bs. Field near Lavenham. He said it was" people "that beat the Axis. The planes were tools. I still can't imagine the guts it took to crawl into that plane each mission. I want to see the pub in that town. The Swan. Maybe Dad signed the wall. Regards from Omaha.
Man I got so emotional watching this video. That would be my event of a lifetime as well. To fly in such a monumental aircraft that had such a influenced in the outcome in WW 2 . I would be like you, trying to keep my composure while all my senses were taking everything in . . What a thrill.
@Geo Thomas Nothing won the war buy it's self. But it did play a great role and the Germans hated it because it was so fast it would be on top of you before you knew what was happening. My Grandfather was a corpsman on LST 775 I think that they played a VERY important role! They were like the tractor trailers of the ocean. I think that they could not have won the war without them. I'm sure that everyone who played an attack role think that they were very important. Is the brunt more important than the cook or the woman who built PT boats more important than the man on his first patrol in a submarine? The important thing is that everyone worked together like a machine an it would not run missing any part. So if he thinks that they won the war you didn't see what he saw an the times he came back from a sortie an see the bunk next to yours sitting there with the mattress rolled up an not knowing what happened to your friend that you played cards with the night before. So who do you think had won the war?
The airshows are incredible here...i'm lucky to live here and see it all anytime i want....love this video and all the guys that keep em flying...tears streamed down my face the first time i saw my dads plane from ww11 fly.... an sbd dauntless dive bomber...
Hats off to everyone involved in this venture. I too have always wanted to fly in one and had no idea any existed until I saw this clip. I agree with Max Hastings that the mosquito was probably a better plane than the Spitfire although thankfully both of them served with distinction when they were most needed.
Awesome footage and documentary. Well done dude. I must say I was lucky enough to see the maiden flight of Mosquito JUP after an extensive rebuild by Avspec Ltd here at Ardmore Auckland New Zealand. She is a stunning piece of aviation history and the sound is incredible, sadly, she has re-homed to the USA with her owner . Ever since I began building model kits (1:24th scale) the Mosquito was my all time favourite. Such a beautiful machine, just wish I could fly in one. There is something about the Mosquito that just oooozes aeronautical design brilliance.
@soaringtractor You have a real attitude problem pal. This guy is just saying that it is sad (for NZ) that the aircraft was shipped so soon..... nothing more. It would have been nice to mention that it was restored in NZ, but no big deal. If nothing else doing the job in NZ saved your rich American some of that load of money..... if that's what's important.
@@haroldfiedler6549 Do you have any idea as to how many " Day Rangers " were carried out by " Mossie " Intruder units ? Of Mosquito losses to fighters / flack. Flack by far claimed more than did the fighters.
A few minor points. The Mossie that crashed didn't crash due to an engine power loss (although an engine did lose power), the aircraft entered the maneuver with inadequate speed. Additionally, the aircraft was mishandled during the attempted recovery and was stalled repeatedly, assuring its demise. Secondly, the Mossie could glide well enough if the props were feathered and the speed was kept in the proper range. For that matter, Mosquitos were occasionally displayed back in the day executing a full aerobatic show with one engine shut down!
The Spitfire had similar problem and there was a temporary fix for that designed by Beatrice Shilling. Then they installed a pressure carburetor. My observation of that film of that accident causes me to agree with your diagnosis. Not enough speed and mishandling the resulting aerodynamic stall. The young man in the story was astounding.
I used to have pictures and models of the Mosquito as a kid. It is amazing that a pilot could aim his plane precisely enough to hit a U-Boat. Love these old historic war documentaries.
this video captures everything I love about the WWII culture and flying. the organic passion & uncertainty, the seriousness of flying, the mutual respect from both sides...and here we have the merging of childhood dreams with a dash of luck. When they're taxiing and he's got his head on the seat-back. That's almost how I felt on my first solo in a Warrior. the most I can relate to this is flying on a C-47 (DC-3) back in 2003. Love this. Flight is always beautiful regardless of what you're in. But this is really special...
@@darrenjones2933 : the A-10 was designed by combat pilots and by military men, not by suits and slide rules. the Mosquito was desinged by a man with a vision, not a team. not even a GUN! the first mossi was weaponless. but, it went in low and got the job done. heck I think they could have sent in a dozen mossi's and not sent 100 B52's and the accuracy on target would have knocked out more than carpet bombing.
@@dave-in-nj9393 I think that the simplicity is what makes the USAF hate it so much. Give it to the Marines. They're allowed to operate fixed wing aircraft. Take the A-10 budget completely away from the USAF and watch them scream like banshees.
@@giantgaming600 The P-47 Did have the armored tub around the pilot. That was obviously a feature that was utilized in the A-10. However, the A-10 was a twin engine dual tail platform. There were a lot of logical features that went into the A-10. That's why the Air Farce hate's it.
A brilliant design and beautiful to boot. The doc's title is a little overstated though. Spits & Hurries saved Britain at the crucial hour. Mossies & their Big Brothers (British & American) did their jobs well.
The less glamorous workhorses of the RAF like the Hurricane and Beaufighter which held the line on many fronts in the early part of the war when there was nary a Mosquito and precious few Spitfires in sight never seem to get the credit they deserve.
Display of genuine gratitude from this young man. And total respect and appreciation for tje pilot. And no words for the ones who built and paid for this to become a reality. Thank you so very much...
Kudos to you and the video crew who shot, wrote, and completed this series... The joy, the astonishment, very moving. Up until a couple years ago, I knew little to nothing about the Mosquito. Thanks to TH-cam, historic channels began bring this aircraft to light for me. I've always been a fan of WW II aircraft... the penultimate piston driven birds... elegant brute force... all designed and built during one of the darkest times in history.
Simply AMAZING!! You did yourself proud mate! What a privilege to fly in (and take control of!) a Mossie!! I had tears of joy watching this! Mosquitos are such beautiful and elegant aeroplanes!!
Deeply moving video. I only regret we never had a Mosquito aircraft flying here in Uruguay. Our air force had T-6s, P-51s,, B-25s, but no British aircraft except DH Chipmunks. Argentinians had Meteors and Canberras. As the young man said, Mosquitoes are a legend.
I feel very good inside that this young man got to live out his dream. My Pop was in the RAF, flew in a Lancaster Bomber, until he was shot down over Germany late in the war. He survived, ans came to america, joined the U.S. Army, then Korea. They don't make planes nor Men like that anymore.
After Jerry Yagen bought this Mosquito in parts in 2004, he sent it to New Zealand where it was restored at Ardmore Airfield. After completion, it was painted in the colours of Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) Sqn 487, which played a major role in the famous prison raid. Here is the story of this plane: www.milavia.net/airshows/mosquito-launch-2012-ardmore/
WW2 vets are All so full of wisdom. Both confident & humble. With no disdain towards the "enemy" [youths starkly similar to themselves] & they tell wonderfully inspiring tales.
No words for this.What an amazing achievement! And after the best day of your life, the rest of the best days of your life are waiting for you. What an emotional video. I don’t know you but I am so proud of you!
The mosquito has to be one of the most beautiful planes ever. And, what a marvel of engineering. Manufactured from wood but clearly, a very solid airframe. The recoil from that cannon must've been fantastic.
I was in a hanger with two wrecked ME 109s and was looking at them closely. One of the 109s had a salvo of 20 mm shells into its rear. I looked into the wing and found a spent 20 mm shell lodged next to the spar. I was the first person that touched this shell since it was fired back in WWII I surrendered the shell to the 109 owner. Both 109s were found in Russia.
A lot of Mosquitos were built out of the huge Sitka Spruce tree that grows on the Pacific Coast of Canada, the wood had the qualities they required for the plane.
Got to meet George Stewart in Hamilton Ontario in the mid 60’s when he came to our model flying field to watch us fly. What a gentleman, quiet with no ego. So much so that I did not realize how famous he was. I am flying a scale model of the Mossie with a 68” wingspan, scratch built by a aircraft engineer who had worked on the original Whittle jet engine and the Arrow who just passed away at 91 years. I think of him during every flight. DKINCH
@ Jim Wind; Check out DeHavilland's successor to the beautiful and outstanding "Mossie," the DH 103 Hornet/Sea Hornet was a smaller, faster and even more maneuverable single-seat fighter with two Rolls-Royce Merlin 130/131 engines (2,070 horsepower each) for blistering power and speed. The Sea Hornet continued serving on Royal Navy carriers well into the 1950's. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_Havilland_Hornet To this day, the Sea Hornet still holds the all-time speed record for a wooden aircraft of 474.72 mph.
@soaringtractor: Yes, they did. Lightened to the point that their defensive armament was unloaded & replaced with broomsticks painted black, but they did take off... on a one-way mission.
I am sitting beside the original radio installation manuals for the mosquito as I am watching this video...given to me by my pilot friend who has since passed away last year. I will soon make a video about the contents of these interesting and priceless documents. I really love the emotion in this documentary, great job !
I met a Mosquito pilot in 1986 by the name of Jack Stapley. When the war started he delivered telegrams, then was heavily involved in the early development of Radar, then made three combat glider landings he walked away from, then finished the war in Mosie. He was one of the most brilliant people I have known. I met him when he was an electronics instructor at Rediffusion Flight Simulation. He taught the class entirely out of his head while drawing complex electronic schematics on the blackboard that matched the paper ones we students were given.
Do great they let u fly go fly go usa
*I met a mosquito pilot
I'm 47. My father was born during WWII.
My Grandfather left Perth, Western Australia in a Mosquito built there to fly to Africa as the mechanic and navigator.
His father - my great grandad - helped build that plane as he was a cabinet maker and boatbuilder.
I've always loved the Spitfire - but the greatest aircraft of WWII has always been the Mosquito.
My Granddad flew halfway across the world in one and then kept the engines running, the guns working and the airframe in one piece for the luckiest pilots ever who flew the greatest aircraft of that time.
Thank you. I cried. I'm so pleased there's one still flying and you got to fly in it. All my life THAT is the one thing I want to do. I wanted to be born back then just to fly her.
God bless you.
Amazing story of your great granddad. I don't know what it is about the aircraft but it makes me emotional. I love it above all others. Thanks for sharing.
The passion of this young man for this particular plane is truly heart felt.
Know the feeling well with the spitfire Due to my grandpa
Battle of Britain.
I WAS IN EGYPT IN 1944 FLYING "MOZZIE" GREAT PLANE. THANKS FOR SHOWING NICE TO REMEMBER, SO FORGOTTEN NOW, NOT MUCH TIME LEFT FOR ME, SO NICE TO SEE WE ARE REMEMBERED :):):)
God bless you and all your good works, sir.
"Reap the Wild Wind" Airman!
God Bless you, my friend. Much respect to you !
always remembered
With great respect I say thank you.
It so touched me to see this disabled young man get his dream fullfilled. I was brought to tears.
And i give thanks to the pilot and club to allow him that dream to come through.
This documentary was one of the best ive ever watched, both emotionally and literally.
Well done my good man!
What a plane and what a delightful young man. It was heart warming to see his dream come true. Wonderful doco.
As I near my retirement (June 2021) 46 years of flying it’s wonderful to see young men and women as excited as I was and have been about flying airplanes... thank you for this video and I’m so happy you enjoyed to finally get in that mosquito and experience flying in that fashion... well done! I got teary eyed seeing how teary eyed you got... the same way I got when I got in my first simulator to get my Flight Engineers license on the B707... I was smiling ear to ear just walking into the simulator down in Miami’s pan am training Center!
Wish you all the best!
I teared up seeing the tears well up in his eyes, and many times prior!!! Merlin Engines-then I move onto, Merlin's Cave ,and Halls of Amenti. Be with Jesus, and the paperback book: "The Light Shall Set You Free"
A beautiful plane . In memory of my father who served in the R A F . 1940 TO 1945 . Groundcrew , armourer and leading aircraftsman , 1914 to 2008.
Cool heritage. Hat's off.
Amazing what can be done with wood, still a respectable composite structural material today if not cost competitive....technically a plastic.
It would have been nice if the presenter had mentioned that the aircraft he was fortunate enough to have had a ride in was resurrected by a New Zealand company based at Ardmore Airfield Papakura near Auckland New Zealand. All the wooden parts had to be made from scratch. This was a major engineering achievement from the production of the mold on which the fuselage was constructed to the wings and empennage. Then the incredible amount of work that went into assembling this beautiful aircraft. Since the production of this aircraft a second has been completed and flown. A third one is already on the production line. Without the dedication and skill of the New Zealand engineers that took on the almost impossible task of constructing an airworthy Mosquito and the skill of the New Zealand pilots the flight tested this beautiful machine he wouldn't have had the privilege of taking a fight in a Mosquito.
Friends of mine saw this fly at my home town Masterton NZ at the Hood Aerodrome. They were impressed with the skill, time & dedication those clever kiwi engineers put into it. I am happy for the presenter who went for a ride as its always been a boyhood dream of mine too.
The second one was finished and flown right next door to where I live at CYYJ. The shop is Victoria Air Maintenance.
Certainly an achievement to be proud of. I first learned of the aircraft from the movies. Many a young person has dreamed of flying a Mosquito.
Thanks guys!
I watched the construction of this aircraft over many years, when you saw what they started with and how it ended up, you just have to be in total awe of the skill of the guys at Avspecs!
I had the rare privilege of sitting in the thing while it was being built and seeing the detail it was completed with. You might notice that all the guns appear on the outside, they are complete on the inside as well, replicas made by Weta Workshop who did most of the props for ''Lord of the Rings'' and complete with all of the correct ammunition feeds etc. The whole aircraft is just a work of art.
4-10-20 Age 84 my memories of WW11 and this video left me in tears for the last 10 minutes. Thanks to all for your great work!
In the 1970's I mowed the lawn for Andrew Wilson who owned a woodworking shop in WWII. Andrew Wilson Displays Ltd. on Weston Road in Toronto Ontario. He got his start in business making Mosquito parts.
He was a cranky cigar chewing old man then, but when you asked him about his shop, his face became like an angel's face and talked for ages and ages about jigs and fixtures and glue and bending plywood.
When it was tested in New Zealand, all of south Auckland ground to a halt to get to the airfield to watch it. My brothers went and got to see it fly. I went down the next day when no one was there and got to help them push it out of the hangar. And yes, ladies and gentlemen, I briefly fondled the cannons.
My late cousin, who lived in Greenhithe, went to Ardmore, with her husband, to watch the flight. It took them an hour to get there and the traffic around the airfield was so dense they couldn't get anywhere near the place.
You lucky guy!
To the victor is given the accolades: Adaptability, versatility, ingenuity.
the emotion of this guy broke my heart.
Well said. When he left the aircraft after the flight you could see he was moved beyond words.
MrSebfrench76....Broke my heart also. This gentleman has guts!
The passion, the love for flying and the wonderful wooden flying machine that is the Mossy are expressed by the young man in a striking way. I understand and move me. A unique experience, it will remember it for a lifetime. Great young man. Really good. Love for the flight moves the spirit and every difficulty.
A wonderful documentary - thank you! Brings back memories of my father's stories and love of engines.
Another TV series called Flying to the Ends shows more about him. Arthur indeed a very passionate person in aircraft worlds.
Many of these great Airmen are disappearing every day, so I'm glad to see these stories are being captured and their aircraft being preserved for future generations. Jerry Yagen is a hell of a good man to put his money into keeping these machines flying.
This was interesting in every way, but it was a rare thing to see a person's longtime dream come true that way.
One of the most touching vids I've seen. Had years in my eyes when he cried on first flight. You, sir, are a flyer. And a gentleman. I salute you.
Very well said.
Very few men get to finally live their dreams. He was one of the fortunate ones. They should build him one for himself !
My dad flew Mossies out of Turnberry RAB in Scotland for the RCAF. He was one of the few Asian Mossie pilots. He loved this plane!
Wow that's cool to hear . Thanks to his service !!
Here Here! That's fantastic. Thank you.
Or is it Hear Hear! Lil help?
(I was born in Kansas)
But my Mum loved all thing English.
I appreciate your story and your father’s service to the world. I would love to hear more if it is possible.
My father flew an SBD Douglas Dauntless Torpedo plain for the US Navy. He was second seat copilot and gunner. It’s my perception that this plane unfortunately was too slow to deal with Zeros and often was the first wave without adequate fighter cover. If I remember, and my father wasn’t involved in the Pacific at the time of the Battle of Midway, a flight of SBDs were sent in when the Japanese carriers were located. It was comprised of 44 men? 11 planes ? Attacked and struggled to hold formation at altitude and the survivors entered their attack dive which of course was the fastest that it flew as they leveled into their runs at the carriers and the survivors dropped Torpedos. None were hits. But, planned or not, what the SBDs had accomplished was to get the Zeros to expend their ammunition and fuel and they had to land and refuel and reload. They were in that process with fuel all around them when the dive bombers arrived. One bomb destroyed one of four (I believe) carriers. Of the 44 airmen in the SBD Flight, I believe that there were 4 survivors. I feel sure that the crewmen knew what they were facing that day and the importance of the moment as they mounted the Plains already warming up by their crew chiefs who told them good hunting and they began to attack the humid air facing in a good wind for taking off. One by one they entered their circular flight path as the last plain got to altitude and into formation. They headed towards the last visual confirmation of the Japanese fleet. As they settled into the over sea flight, the drone of the Allison 12 cylinder engines created a false sense of normalcy and the crews enjoyed the cool air contrast to the hot humid air aboard ship.
The Japanese Navy never recovered from that distraction and made the remaining battles at sea defensive for the remaining days of the war. The sacrifices that day was tempered by the success of the battle and both Navies put water between the remaining members of the fleets after rescuers completed their final run for survivors, cared for their wounded and performed emergency repairs at sea while under maximum speed of the slowest damaged ships heading for Honolulu and Pearl Harbor and repairs and replacement crew members while the next moves were evaluated against the risk and importance of the next deployment.
I lost two uncles, one sailor and one of the original Darby’s Rangers. He fought in the Africa campaign, the Italian campaign and the ill advised slaughter called Anzio where a battalion, I believe, of Rangers were sent into an ambush of German artillery. I believe that less than 20 survived and they had to be rescued by another division (I am not familiar with army group sizes and I might be incorrect above where I said battalion) to rescue those trapped survivors.
He was moved to England and was involved in the D-Day Invasion and fought until the end of July when the Allies were desperate to breakout and begin the offense against the Germans before larger Tiger Tanks were relocated to Normandy and used to repel the invasion. He was wounded during the breakout, captured and summarily executed by a Nazi officer. He received the Distinguished Service Cross, the second highest medal of valor, and he was returned to the Mountains of Virginia were he rest next to his father who rode with Theodore Roosevelt’s Expeditionary Force in Cuba. He died from malaria around age 50. My great grandmother, his wife, lived to be 98 and received a pension of less than 75 dollars until her death in the 1980s.
My father’s oldest brother was killed in April before D Day off of the SW coast training for the invasion as a crew member on an LST landing vessel that carried men, vehicles, and supplies. They were carrying full troops and materials and were to go half way of the 20 miles between England and German occupied France and to turn around and land and discharge me and equipment. They were to have a British Destroyer as escort. Germany only had E boats in the area. E boats were high speed Torpedo boats like our PT Boats in the Pacific. In a case of breach of protocol by the British Destroyer Commander, he put into port for repairs and failed to report to command for a replacement patrol for the LSTs. A German E boat caught the larger slower transport vessels in open water and sunk 3 I believe with varying reports on loss of life between 300+ to close to 900 men and 3 LSTs. The soldiers were in full gear with no life jackets and were drowned. I met a lady in Hexum that was a nurse down there when it happened. She said that the entire medical staff were brought together in a large space and told that they would be seeing something that they would be court marshaled for if they ever spoke of it to anyone including their families. It was approximately 7 weeks until D Day and allied command could not afford any bad press for morale and political reasons. She said that large trenches were dug with heavy machinery and used as mass graves for the dead and no report was made about the action. She also said that Eisenhower was livid for the loss of the troops as well as the LSTs that had taken a longtime in design, production and the cost to the nation for both. My grandparents died believing that my uncle was killed during D Day, and it was in the late 1980s when the youngest brother, who served in the Pacific Navy, came across a newspaper article that told the truth after a request for information submission. He did not tell his parents the truth at that point of their lives.
War is a dirty business even when your on the right side morally. That generation can never be honored adequately .
Sorry this was so long. It’s probably not the correct forum, but I am 72 and I just have the need to get it out there for all of them. I have no children, and it’s gone when I am gone.
The old professor
Live Free or Die!
Hi I'm jet and I'm interested in hearing this story
The Mosquito has always been one of my favorite planes since I was a boy. What a beautiful plane.
The Mosquito was one of the greatest warplanes ever built. Thank you for making this.
Andrew It was a great aircraft just like so many other warplanes, but NOT "THE" greatest !!!!!
@@wilburfinnigan2142 Yes its Magnificent but oh that P-51D . THATS my love :)
@Jack Tangles "WE...." had an assortment of planes that did the job necessary to get the job done !!!! Fact of history deal with it !!!! IF our planes and equipment were so "crap" in your view why did you Limeys have to use 38,000 of all types of aircraft ???? IF you limeys were so great why was ALL the help required ???? Think about it and deal with history !!!!
@Jack Tangles BUT........"WE...." saved YOUR asses !!!!! P40 out performed your hurrycane especially in the Med !!!! and beggars can't be choosey !!!!
My Gramps flew in the RCAF in BR-10 Squadron out of Gander . They hunted U-Boats up by Greenland and over to Iceland.
He finished a full combat tour and his crew had crashed 4 times . And that's on Wing Commander John Youngs crew. A full time officer in the RCAF.
My Gramps flew DH-98's Mosquitos built in our hometown London Ontario in the heart of the British Commonwealth training program. My Grandmother built Mossies at dE Havilland in London Ontario and my Gramps finished on Mossies getting ready for Japan.
The greatest Allied Aircraft of the war.
To all of the brave men on Mossies , you were the Bravest of the Brave .
Amen.
Canusa> British Commonwealth jesus what about Australia. You Canucks are becoming more Yankified every day
@@jacktattis143 "You Canucks are becoming more Yankified every day" Now those are fighting words! We at least know how to punctuate. :p
I've been to the Warbirds over Va. Beach show many times, but never fully appreciated the Mosquito until watching this video. What an unassuming name for such a powerful aircraft!
Amazing video! The team behind the restoration should be very proud!
The Mosquito is beautiful. Its engines are monstrous. I am very happy that you were able to fly one. It was cool that you spoke with an engineer who designed the aircraft. God bless engineers. :)
Have a look at the head on view and the swept area of the propellers, relative to the total frontal area. That will tell you why it was so fast. Even at the end of the war, you won't find any other aircraft with those kind of proportions.
Maybe I'm getting a little soft, this put a couple of tears in my eyes. She is one beautiful machine.
Beautiful aircraft. I did not know about its "dark side". Looks like he certainly enjoyed the ride. It is good to see someone's dream come true.
A stellar documentary and most nostalgic for one who's father survived WW2 and had many stories to tell including some about the Mosquito.
Such a beautiful aircraft. There is something so graceful about that rounded streamlined form. I like the Spitfire but think the Mosquito is even more beautiful.
The sound of the engines is beautiful. I was fortunate to be at an airshow in Wairarapa where they flew all of the De Havilland aircraft including this one (this particular one) before it went to the USA.
i admire to this guy, such dedicated to the theme, to flying, to ww2 birds...joy and happiness shines from his eyes
My father in law flew 46 missions in an unarmed mosquito, including recon for Dam busters mission, crashed twice and is now 98 years old. john R
Great respect to your grandfather
Dam Busters, that was a mission, Bomber Command Museum, Nanton Alberta, had a special day to commemorate them. Fired up the engines. W that musicvto the ears. They are restoring a mosquito currently. They have a camera for it but not this cannon mount. My father was a navigator in a Halifax. I have some pictures of bombing raids they did must have been taken by the mosquitoes after the bombing run.
A salute to your dad.
Very pleased for you to have flown in such a remarkable flying beauty. Now, a bit of an unusual story. A very good friend of mine, who died about 20 years ago, was an instructor pilot in the RCAF during WWII. He tried and tried to get assigned to combat duty. Finally, he got the green light and was shipped to Britain. A month or so after arrival, he was about to take his first flight in a Mossie. The following day the war ended. He never got to fly the Mosquito.
I love it! The joy on this man's face says it all. I'm not sure that I wouldn't rather see someone fulfilling their lifelong desires than myself completing my own. It was wonderful that a Yank could step in and get one Mosquito flying.
Yes like they stepped in some 70 odd years ago !
Look at his reactions... Man... there are few things in life that make you so awestruck... He found his that day... It brings tears to your eyes...
My to sir...😭
Please give us more, I consider you to be the most sympathic, humble and competent young man on youtube. Thank you very much for your time and efforts, sir.
That was an exceptional documentary. I have worked on airplanes for 34 years, and can appreciate the work it must have taken to recreate a mosquito and make it fly. It's a real privilege to have been involved with aviation for so long.
Thank you for sharing these necessary events, interviews and milestones of such a pivotal era.
E X C E L L E N T video! Terrific footage and documentary material. Well done, young man. Many thanks for bringing this feature video about the memorable Mosquito marvel.
Querencias7 Kiwi cajon
Agreed. Too bad the audio is out of sync :-/
Great video... my dad flew Mossie's throughout the entire war with the Pathfinder Squadron out of Turnberry Scotland.He loved this plane like no other... and his career between the RCAF and the USAF spanned almost 40 years. He trained in bi-planes in 1939/40 and finished his career in SR-71's.
When I watch this video it reminds me of why my dad chose a career in the air force as a fighter/ reconnaissance pilot. Eisenhower offered everyone in his Pathfinder Squadron promotions, transfers to the USAF and US citizenship. My dad took the offer and never looked back. Ironically, his flying in the SR-71 for The Company would eventually take his life from acute leukemia.
WOW! That's one hell of a flying career!
> Brad Chang
What a splendid record of achievement-- from a 1939 biplane trainer to SR71, a total transformation in aircraft technology, and piloting skill required. Pathfinder squadron pilots had to have charmed lives, because the Luftwaffe desperately sought to divert or shoot them down, before they could drop their signal flares.
You say he began his career in the RCAF. Where in Canada was he from?
The whole story sounds fishy. First of all, if he flew in 1939 he would have been too old to have been flying SR-71's. Really, now. And the pathfinders were RAF units. What do you mean,"Eisenhower offered everyone in HIS pathfinder squadrons?" And what right would he have to offer foreign pilots U.S. citizenship!? And how would flying the SR-71 give anyone leukemia!!?
Reminds me of the time I told my 5 yr old that I used to play for the Boston Bruins!! She came home from school a few days later telling me that the gym teacher had never heard of a Bruins player by that name .apparently from the tears streaming down my face she thought she had better ask this next question which was .does this mean I'm not a princess too
.
Made a Airfix model of this plane when I was six and have loved it ever since. Good for you man and thx for sharing this with us!
Thank you for experiencing, filming and sharing! Another Mosquito accomplishment: A daring Mosquito, I think 3 of them, successfully raided Gestapo HQ in Denmark, to free Danish Resistance prisoners held and about to be executed. I learned in a detailed book on the Danish Resistance. I was born in Denmark, to American teacher parents, so a special interest. Not everything came out right in the mission: One of the Mossie's got disoriented and accidentally bombed a school. The Gestapo HQ was severely damaged and the prisoners freed.
Built in NZ by a small group of enthusiasts. and they are building others. Extraordinary that he did not mention them. The rich man came later.
The most impressive clip I've ever seen! Thank You from Germany.
Nice job by the host and you can feel his love for aviation and this plane in particular. When he was crying in the plane... that made me cry along with him.
Ever since I saw 633 Squadron as a kid, I have loved the look and sound of the De Havilland Mosquito! Thank you for posting your excellent video too!
His reaction was absolutely priceless! Looked absolutely amazing!
That was a wonderful beautifully narrated and filmed segment on the De Havilland Mosquito. Thank you! -- I watched both Part 1 & 2.
Lol my to and crying in end😭😢
I stumbled upon this wonderful video today. I wasn't planning on laughing and crying at the same time today but I did. Only because of the beauty of this wonderful story. God Bless!
Thanks for putting this video together. I have a friend who's his own post-production staff of one, so I have some idea how much work it is. Love the wheelchair-height camera work in some scenes. Happy you got to fly, and that the people down the road from me (in central Virginia) have learned from others' sad mistakes, and should be able to keep this Mossie flying for decades more.
I too, always wanted to fly a Mosquito! One of my favorite aircraft.
Outstanding story! You lucky stiff!! I was quite moved. I have been an WW2 AC enthusiast since I was a boy. I read every book in my school library, some more than once but, the DH Mosquito was and still is my absolute favorite AC. This is why your video inspired me so. I was living vicariously through you! Keep up the good work and keep us up to date on the Mosquito for GB.
00
My uncle Lt. John Milsom, ret’d flew these birds in the war! He carried on this last year at age 99. He will Rest In Peace.....You did a nice job on the presentation. I’m looking for the part one.....
everyone in this recording was amazing. I remember hearing about the mosquito about 5 years ago and the plane was amazing fast and maneuverable
Late to see this lovely story, I know. Dad was a ball turret gunner,in a B17G. 8th Air Force,487 bg, 839 bs. Field near Lavenham. He said it was" people "that beat the Axis. The planes were tools. I still can't imagine the guts it took to crawl into that plane each mission. I want to see the pub in that town. The Swan. Maybe Dad signed the wall. Regards from Omaha.
Tell that story at the Swan and a grateful Englishman will buy you a pint.
Sure it's people who win the war. But if you have shitty planes you ain't gonna survive the war.
Man I got so emotional watching this video. That would be my event of a lifetime as well. To fly in such a monumental aircraft that had such a influenced in the outcome in WW 2 . I would be like you, trying to keep my composure while all my senses were taking everything in . . What a thrill.
@Geo Thomas Nothing won the war buy it's self. But it did play a great role and the Germans hated it because it was so fast it would be on top of you before you knew what was happening. My Grandfather was a corpsman on LST 775 I think that they played a VERY important role! They were like the tractor trailers of the ocean. I think that they could not have won the war without them. I'm sure that everyone who played an attack role think that they were very important. Is the brunt more important than the cook or the woman who built PT boats more important than the man on his first patrol in a submarine? The important thing is that everyone worked together like a machine an it would not run missing any part. So if he thinks that they won the war you didn't see what he saw an the times he came back from a sortie an see the bunk next to yours sitting there with the mattress rolled up an not knowing what happened to your friend that you played cards with the night before. So who do you think had won the war?
George Stewart, wonderful person and pilot ! Did my heart good to see his face after so many years. Proud to say I worked on his aircraft.
The airshows are incredible here...i'm lucky to live
here and see it all anytime i want....love this video and all the guys that keep em flying...tears streamed down my face the first time i saw my dads plane from ww11 fly.... an sbd dauntless dive bomber...
Hats off to everyone involved in this venture. I too have always wanted to fly in one and had no idea any existed until I saw this clip. I agree with Max Hastings that the mosquito was probably a better plane than the Spitfire although thankfully both of them served with distinction when they were most needed.
Awesome footage and documentary. Well done dude. I must say I was lucky enough to see the maiden flight of Mosquito JUP after an extensive rebuild by Avspec Ltd here at Ardmore Auckland New Zealand. She is a stunning piece of aviation history and the sound is incredible, sadly, she has re-homed to the USA with her owner . Ever since I began building model kits (1:24th scale) the Mosquito was my all time favourite. Such a beautiful machine, just wish I could fly in one. There is something about the Mosquito that just oooozes aeronautical design brilliance.
@soaringtractor You have a real attitude problem pal. This guy is just saying that it is sad (for NZ) that the aircraft was shipped so soon..... nothing more. It would have been nice to mention that it was restored in NZ, but no big deal. If nothing else doing the job in NZ saved your rich American some of that load of money..... if that's what's important.
I am now the proud owner of a 1:24 scale Mossie. This is a plane I have adored since childhood. Thanks for this GREAT VIDEO. Cheers mate.
What a beautiful story! You Britts have so much to be proud of! Thank you for this historic and rich story!
You British did a stunning feat in the magisterial Mosquito, the Wooden Wonder! Fast, versatile, dependable, a masterpiece! Merlin powered!
🇺🇸💛🇬🇧
And so easily shot down that it was never sent on missions where it could expect German fighters.
@@haroldfiedler6549 Do you have any idea as to how many " Day Rangers " were carried out
by " Mossie " Intruder units ? Of Mosquito losses to fighters / flack. Flack by far claimed
more than did the fighters.
The Termites......
@@bluemarshall6180 Yah Blue, the Germans sent squadrons of termites over, but they were all shot down. 😉
A few minor points. The Mossie that crashed didn't crash due to an engine power loss (although an engine did lose power), the aircraft entered the maneuver with inadequate speed. Additionally, the aircraft was mishandled during the attempted recovery and was stalled repeatedly, assuring its demise. Secondly, the Mossie could glide well enough if the props were feathered and the speed was kept in the proper range. For that matter, Mosquitos were occasionally displayed back in the day executing a full aerobatic show with one engine shut down!
The Spitfire had similar problem and there was a temporary fix for that designed by Beatrice Shilling. Then they installed a pressure carburetor. My observation of that film of that accident causes me to agree with your diagnosis. Not enough speed and mishandling the resulting aerodynamic stall. The young man in the story was astounding.
Put an incompetent in a plane. Disaster follows.
assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/542301dce5274a1317000b69/dft_avsafety_pdf_501355.pdf
I was lucky enough to see this Mosquito at the airshow in Monroe NC.
I used to have pictures and models of the Mosquito as a kid. It is amazing that a pilot could aim his plane precisely enough to hit a U-Boat. Love these old historic war documentaries.
It's ok, matey! I teared up, too.
Joy to see a chap living his dream.
My dream is a night with Bo Derrick. Rewind 30 years....
this video captures everything I love about the WWII culture and flying. the organic passion & uncertainty, the seriousness of flying, the mutual respect from both sides...and here we have the merging of childhood dreams with a dash of luck. When they're taxiing and he's got his head on the seat-back. That's almost how I felt on my first solo in a Warrior. the most I can relate to this is flying on a C-47 (DC-3) back in 2003. Love this. Flight is always beautiful regardless of what you're in. But this is really special...
I got all teary-eyed, watching you fly in that Mosquito at the end. God bless ya!
the Mosquito, the plane that saved Britain, is the forerunner of the Warthog !
That's an interesting observation. I think also those B-25's that had the 75mm cannon were an inspiration. Good catch on your part.
@@darrenjones2933 : the A-10 was designed by combat pilots and by military men, not by suits and slide rules.
the Mosquito was desinged by a man with a vision, not a team. not even a GUN! the first mossi was weaponless.
but, it went in low and got the job done. heck I think they could have sent in a dozen mossi's and not sent 100 B52's and the accuracy on target would have knocked out more than carpet bombing.
@@dave-in-nj9393 I think that the simplicity is what makes the USAF hate it so much. Give it to the Marines. They're allowed to operate fixed wing aircraft. Take the A-10 budget completely away from the USAF and watch them scream like banshees.
I believe the warthog was derived from the p-47 in world war two
@@giantgaming600 The P-47 Did have the armored tub around the pilot. That was obviously a feature that was utilized in the A-10. However, the A-10 was a twin engine dual tail platform. There were a lot of logical features that went into the A-10. That's why the Air Farce hate's it.
A brilliant design and beautiful to boot. The doc's title is a little overstated though. Spits & Hurries saved
Britain at the crucial hour. Mossies & their Big Brothers (British & American) did their jobs well.
The less glamorous workhorses of the RAF like the Hurricane and Beaufighter which held the line on many fronts in the early part of the war when there was nary a Mosquito and precious few Spitfires in sight never seem to get the credit they deserve.
Once described by an RAF pilot as 2 merlins being chased by a wooden air frame.
Display of genuine gratitude from this young man. And total respect and appreciation for tje pilot. And no words for the ones who built and paid for this to become a reality. Thank you so very much...
Kudos to you and the video crew who shot, wrote, and completed this series...
The joy, the astonishment, very moving.
Up until a couple years ago, I knew little to nothing about the Mosquito. Thanks to TH-cam, historic channels began bring this aircraft to light for me.
I've always been a fan of WW II aircraft... the penultimate piston driven birds... elegant brute force... all designed and built during one of the darkest times in history.
I live south of Everett Washington, where Paul Allen’s collection has a flying Mossie. What a joy to hear and see flying.
Great documentary; Cheers, mate!
pepe cohetes 9
Grateful for his not editing out his tears of joy, great video and aircraft! Oh, thank you Kiwis!
Simply AMAZING!! You did yourself proud mate! What a privilege to fly in (and take control of!) a Mossie!! I had tears of joy watching this! Mosquitos are such beautiful and elegant aeroplanes!!
The raid on the prison holding the French Resistant soldiers..... Amazing.
THE most versatile airplane ever!!
there should be at least one flying in the commemeration flights this year....
@Jack Tangles nice plane, but no match for the mosquito...
@Jack Tangles they do, they just won't admit it...
Deeply moving video. I only regret we never had a Mosquito aircraft flying here in Uruguay. Our air force had T-6s, P-51s,, B-25s, but no British aircraft except DH Chipmunks. Argentinians had Meteors and Canberras. As the young man said, Mosquitoes are a legend.
What an absolute icon that man is to be able to sit and talk with that man wow what a true an absolute legend thank you sir
I feel very good inside that this young man got to live out his dream. My Pop was in the RAF, flew in a Lancaster Bomber, until he was shot down over Germany late in the war. He survived, ans came to america, joined the U.S. Army, then Korea. They don't make planes nor Men like that anymore.
After Jerry Yagen bought this Mosquito in parts in 2004, he sent it to New Zealand where it was restored at Ardmore Airfield. After completion, it was painted in the colours of Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) Sqn 487, which played a major role in the famous prison raid. Here is the story of this plane: www.milavia.net/airshows/mosquito-launch-2012-ardmore/
Thanks for posting that great article!
Yes,I must admit the deliberate omission of its rebuild details and where (NZ),to suit the story,was disappointing,a lot of guys with skill,snubbed.
@@njsnz2806 And isn't it typical of us Kiwis, and Avspecs in particular, in this case, not to say a word in defence!
WW2 vets are All so full of wisdom. Both confident & humble. With no disdain towards the "enemy" [youths starkly similar to themselves] & they tell wonderfully inspiring tales.
No words for this.What an amazing achievement! And after the best day of your life, the rest of the best days of your life are waiting for you. What an emotional video. I don’t know you but I am so proud of you!
Fantastic just fantastic.
Come see the mosquito in Virginia beach at the military aviation museum it's an incredible collection
That was awesome. Thanks for letting me fly with you guys!
Wonderful, just superb video. And very emotional too - Thank you!
Lost a good one a few days ago, Godspeed families healing of loss RIP Ed Mohaney Bio Con Dios A real man's gentleman.
The Mosquito looks like an angry flexed muscle when it flies straight-on at you.
Just found this. I've always liked the Mosquito. I am also very happy that the troop got to be there. It does melt my heart for him!
The mosquito has to be one of the most beautiful planes ever. And, what a marvel of engineering. Manufactured from wood but clearly, a very solid airframe. The recoil from that cannon must've been fantastic.
I was in a hanger with two wrecked ME 109s and was looking at them closely. One of the 109s had a salvo of 20 mm shells into its rear. I looked into the wing and found a spent 20 mm shell lodged next to the spar. I was the first person that touched this shell since it was fired back in WWII I surrendered the shell to the 109 owner. Both 109s were found in Russia.
One of my flying instructors in Victoria BC Can back in the mi 70's flew Mosquitoes.
A lot of Mosquitos were built out of the huge Sitka Spruce tree that grows on the Pacific Coast of Canada, the wood had the qualities they required for the plane.
Hats off to the owner and Pilots of this Magnificent aircraft, Great video!!!! Thank you so much for sharing this.
Got to meet George Stewart in Hamilton Ontario in the mid 60’s when he came to our model flying field to watch us fly. What a gentleman, quiet with no ego. So much so that I did not realize how famous he was. I am flying a scale model of the Mossie with a 68” wingspan, scratch built by a aircraft engineer who had worked on the original Whittle jet engine and the Arrow who just passed away at 91 years. I think of him during every flight.
DKINCH
Never knew she was a dangerous plane to fly and wow that footage of the test pilot landing one on a CV was something I have never seen or heard of B4.
The C130 Hercules is also carrier rated. They have flown those onto and off carriers as well. Not really relevant, but also cool.
Took off....not landed. Took off. Big difference.
@ Jim Wind; Check out DeHavilland's successor to the beautiful and outstanding "Mossie," the DH 103 Hornet/Sea Hornet was a smaller, faster and even more maneuverable single-seat fighter with two Rolls-Royce Merlin 130/131 engines (2,070 horsepower each) for blistering power and speed. The Sea Hornet continued serving on Royal Navy carriers well into the 1950's. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_Havilland_Hornet
To this day, the Sea Hornet still holds the all-time speed record for a wooden aircraft of 474.72 mph.
@soaringtractor: Yes, they did. Lightened to the point that their defensive armament was unloaded & replaced with broomsticks painted black, but they did take off... on a one-way mission.
One of the planes that saved Britain beautiful machine
Thank You to all those made this young man's dream come true. .. his life was made complete that day.
I am sitting beside the original radio installation manuals for the mosquito as I am watching this video...given to me by my pilot friend who has since passed away last year. I will soon make a video about the contents of these interesting and priceless documents. I really love the emotion in this documentary, great job !