Now for Something Completely Different

Friday, for the 70th anniversary of VE Day, there was an amazing flyover of the Washington Mall by aircraft that helped win WWII. The planes followed the river from airfields in Virginia, turned east at the Lincoln Memorial and flew down the Mall, eventually turning south and heading back. Their path was carefully set forth in the highly restricted airspace.

Stearmans–these are bi-planes, which I usually associate with the Great War. This is their training formation.

There was quite a crowd of office workers and tourists out to see them, some taking video, but most snapping pictures with phones and cameras. There was a lot of camaraderie and at least one expert within my earshot. I am an avid admirer of vintage aircraft, and really could not pass this up. Most of these planes were 70 or more years old and were up in the air through the efforts of piston engines.

Curtis P-40 Warhawks. I think these are the planes you usually see painted up with teeth as the Flying Tigers.

By and large they were flying in particular formations used in various battles. Lucky for me, The Washington Post published the order and the formations, so I hope my identifications are correct.

These were very flashy and noisy and painted different colors. I think they’re Mustangs.

B-25s in Doolittle Raid formation

The P-38 Lightning, which apparently flew over 400 mph. The bombers, which looked as though they were trundling, flew something over 200, I think.

B-24 Liberator, escorted by Mustangs.

B-17s, known as the Flying Fortress

I think this is representing Leyte Gulf–two Grumman Avengers and one Curtiss Helldiver. It’s not a lost man formation–I think this is the plane that had to land at National Airport because of engine trouble.

Vought F4U Corsairs representing the battle of Iwo Jima.

B-29 Superfortress. This thing lumbered, but it got the job done.

Missing Man formation, still together, with (nearest to farthest) Mustang, Avenger, Corsair, Warhawk.

All photos taken by my colleague John Burg, who had my camera, which ran out of memory. Luckily, he also had that outdated email implement, the Blackberry, with him and could keep photographing.  If I have misidentified any planes, please let me know.  This was almost as good as a day at the Rhinebeck Aerodrome!