[PeterC]

Originally Posted by Hoop

"You're kidding, right? You're not seriously suggesting that the brave Army Air Corps pilots who risked their lives to protect B-17 crews from German Me 109's were in the same class of character as Evel Knievel, are you?"

rheltzel,

Sorry that you did not understand my comment about P-51 pilots. It was a compliment to a group of men who easily humble even today's military aviators.

I can understand that you have no idea of the danger they faced from not just the missions they flew but from flying an aircraft that demanded an immense amount of skill and guts to fly.

PeterC is being modest. Like any red-blooded pilot, he would have flown the P-51 even if it was guaranteed to rip his ears off, set his hair on fire, and leave him with a permanent limp. Actually it could do much worse.

Safety is a relative term. Safe for Peter would scare the crap out of most men.

Did not mean to set this thread off in the wrong direction - just wanted to correlate safety is a learned state of mind ... and just to be clear - I was not a WWII combat pilot as the war was long over when I fell in love with these birds - started my civilian flying interest in 1968 with my first ride in a 51 .. set my mind to be a pilot and fly them .. which I was lucky to experience.This is me in 1968 (click to enlarge).

Glad everyone is all settled down again.