OH Flier
Pre-takeoff checklist
- Joined
- Jun 10, 2006
- Messages
- 170
- Display Name
Display name:
G^2
Recenty joined the SkyPark flying community as a nonresident member (15G).
www.skyparkaviatorsclub.com
Really a very proactive GA facility with lots of flight training, group flights, social events and Friday night at the movies. We even own our own gas, $2.80/gallon now and falling.
On 1/12 the feature was "The Battle of Brittan". In attendance were a number of our WWII veteran B17, B24, B25 and B26 bomber pilots and a special guest, Mr. Istvan Koenig.
Speaking in Hungarian, translated by my good friend, we learned of this pilots very interesting life.
Mr. Koening was born in Hungary, 1920 and learned to fly at 14. Learning in gliders, Istvan became very proficient, and holds a world record for glider duration that still stands, some 43+ hours. (not sure who is the recognizing authority of this record) As Germany invaded Hungary, pilots were detained and given two options fly for Germany or face the firing squads.
Istvan became a German fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, flying Me109's. Thorugh the war, he was shot down once, and wounded on three occasions, shot though the cheek, shoulder and legs. When asked, Mr. Koenig would not say how many confirmed kills he had, we learned later from his friends that he had 40.
Istvan passed around pictures of his youth, flying glides, and later pictures of him as a young fighter pilot with his Me109 during the war.
Istvan still enjoys flying in gliders over Ohio and until recently was an active sky diver. This frail white haired man, once a lion of war, came to Skypark to share a very private part of his life with other he did not know, unsure how he would be received.
One of our B17 pilots summarized it well, "All veterans are heroes to their country. When orders were given for a mission, no one questioned them or knew if they were coming back that day, they followed the orders and put their lives on the line."
A most interesting evening.
Gary Gembala
www.skyparkaviatorsclub.com
Really a very proactive GA facility with lots of flight training, group flights, social events and Friday night at the movies. We even own our own gas, $2.80/gallon now and falling.
On 1/12 the feature was "The Battle of Brittan". In attendance were a number of our WWII veteran B17, B24, B25 and B26 bomber pilots and a special guest, Mr. Istvan Koenig.
Speaking in Hungarian, translated by my good friend, we learned of this pilots very interesting life.
Mr. Koening was born in Hungary, 1920 and learned to fly at 14. Learning in gliders, Istvan became very proficient, and holds a world record for glider duration that still stands, some 43+ hours. (not sure who is the recognizing authority of this record) As Germany invaded Hungary, pilots were detained and given two options fly for Germany or face the firing squads.
Istvan became a German fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, flying Me109's. Thorugh the war, he was shot down once, and wounded on three occasions, shot though the cheek, shoulder and legs. When asked, Mr. Koenig would not say how many confirmed kills he had, we learned later from his friends that he had 40.
Istvan passed around pictures of his youth, flying glides, and later pictures of him as a young fighter pilot with his Me109 during the war.
Istvan still enjoys flying in gliders over Ohio and until recently was an active sky diver. This frail white haired man, once a lion of war, came to Skypark to share a very private part of his life with other he did not know, unsure how he would be received.
One of our B17 pilots summarized it well, "All veterans are heroes to their country. When orders were given for a mission, no one questioned them or knew if they were coming back that day, they followed the orders and put their lives on the line."
A most interesting evening.
Gary Gembala
