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 Texas : Feature : WWII / Aviation :

WWII | AVIATION

STILL BORING HOLES IN THE SKY

by Ken Rudine
While doing yard work at our home near the Aransas County Airport in Rockport/Fulton I heard this slow revving, straight exhaust engine approaching. Concentrating on my flowerbed cleaning and weed block mesh installation, the engine noise remained in my ears. You know how your mind will search to recognize noises. Reluctantly I decided it might be a shrimp or oyster boat lumbering by in Aransas Bay, which is just a little over 100 yards away. After all earlier this day when crossing the bridge at Lavaca Bay I had counted at least 25 boats oystering.

Finally exasperated by the continuing engine noise I happened to look up and caught a glimpse of a bi wing plane. Then later that afternoon I saw this red plane again roughly following Fulton Beach Road toward the south. It seemed to be moving only 45-50 mph. That night we got a copy of the local paper which told of the arrival of WWII airplanes for viewing. The Collings Foundation’s Wings of Freedom Tour had landed which includes a B-17, B-24, P-51 and Huey helicopter. They had flown in from Sugar Land.
B-17 bomber at Aransas County Airport
B-17 bomber at Aransas County Airport
Photo courtesy Bill Pollizzio
B-24 bomber at Aransas County Airport
B-24 bomber at Aransas County Airport
Photo courtesy Bill Pollizzio
A bi wing open cockpit plane at Aransas County Airport
A bi wing open cockpit plane at Aransas County Airport
Photo courtesy Bill Pollizzio
I remember these old planes well since I was 10 years old when Pearl Harbor was attacked. In Houston at William B. Travis Elementary School us kids were given copies of the silhouettes of friendly and enemy aircraft. We were told to study all airplanes and learn to identify them to become a “spotter”. To my memory among the planes here that had unique engine sounds were the B-17 and B-24. They had what seemed to me to be a bass or guttural sound. I heard that sound again from the B-24 as it flew over my flowerbed and me.

I only saw the P-51 high in the sky but I recall the P-51 Mustang had a “radiator looking device” underside, rear of the cabin. My day to photograph these birds was misty rain and gray – so I didn’t. Fortunately, our thanks go to longtime Rockport friends Bill and Norma Pollizzio who made photos of 3 of these aircraft. The bi wing airplane is apparently a tag along aircraft because it is not listed as one of the official Collins aircrafts. These airplanes were scheduled to depart at noon that day but unknown to me the weather had also delayed their departure.

Mid-morning the next day we became aware of a vibration of our windows and eventually even the walls. Beginning at exactly 10am this phenomena changed to a loud sustained harmonic sound of engines resonating. By now I am outside searching for the noise source – and then I realized it was the combined 8 engines of the B-17 and B-24 warming up and taking off – just ~1000 feet from our house. Leaving this Rockport visit now “The Wings of Freedom Tour” destination is New Braunfels.

© Ken Rudine March 27, 2010
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This page last modified: March 27, 2010