The B-25: Always a Good Show

From a purely aviation operations perspective, the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor was a masterpiece of planning and execution. The retaliatory Doolitle Raid was perhaps less impressive planning and more an awesome display of guts and innovation. I have a special place in my heart for the Raiders, especially those of the 34th Bomb Squadron. As such, I always love to watch B-25s fly.

The B-25 that flew at Thunder in the Valley was beautiful. Polished to a shine and sounding great, it made several passes and made me wonder what it would feel like to see one headed my way back in the early 40's. 'Not good' topped the list.

The DC-3 happened to be sitting very close to the flight line and made a great foreground for several pictures. Though used differently, these two planes definitely look like they come from a similar era. Someday, I'd like to fly both.

It looks like there's a place in Dallas/Fort Worth that flies a B-25 called Pacific Prowler. Better yet, they do type ratings. It only lists it as a SIC rating, but it counts for a BFR and has to be a lot of fun! The website doesn't list a price, but I'm guessing I need to start saving pennies now.