Any insight to looking up old military flight records?

[rbhankins001]

I would like to find out more about my grandfather's flying career in the military. He was active duty pilot and flight instructor in WWII, Korea, and Vietnam. He NEVER talked about it (being in the military). But I was told an interesting story by someone who flew with him that randomly attended his funeral in 2007. It sparked my curiousity to say the least.

Anyone have any ideas?

Googling his name came up with nothing.

I would like to know more, even if it's nothing glamorous. All I know is that supposedly he was top of his class and was held back as a flight instructor. The rest of his class went on D-day and the majority did not make it back - or else I wouldn't be here.

Thanks for any help you might have. I will be glad to post what I find out here, as well as some really cool pics (as soon as my uncle sends me the copies I've been waiting on for about a month lol).

I used to think he was crazy for flying those contraptions . . . now I understand .

 

[oldShar]

Might Start here -- and reference AF Form 5 (or it's Army equivalent):

http://www.afpc.af.mil/questions/index.asp

 

[rbhankins001]

Thanks, I will look into that tomorrow.

FWIW I was told (by the gentleman who had flown w/him and attended his funeral) that much of their flight info was classified until just recently. From what he told me it will be very interesting . . . I can't wait to find out if it's true and what happened and when.

 

[Tom-D]

I would like to find out more about my grandfather's flying career in the military. He was active duty pilot and flight instructor in WWII, Korea, and Vietnam. He NEVER talked about it (being in the military). But I was told an interesting story by someone who flew with him that randomly attended his funeral in 2007. It sparked my curiousity to say the least.

Anyone have any ideas?

Googling his name came up with nothing.

I would like to know more, even if it's nothing glamorous. All I know is that supposedly he was top of his class and was held back as a flight instructor. The rest of his class went on D-day and the majority did not make it back - or else I wouldn't be here.

Thanks for any help you might have. I will be glad to post what I find out here, as well as some really cool pics (as soon as my uncle sends me the copies I've been waiting on for about a month lol).

I used to think he was crazy for flying those contraptions . . . now I understand .

Find his old service number, his records are in the AF archives file under this number..

 

[Richard]

Might Start here -- and reference AF Form 5 (or it's Army equivalent):

http://www.afpc.af.mil/questions/index.asp

+1 That is THE place to start.

 

[nddons]

Remember that there was a National Records Center file in Missouri in 1973 that lost millions of military records. I tried to find some of my dad's WWII records, to no avail.