February 2009 - Meeting Summary

Braving the weather for the February meeting was very rewarding as we heard Dick Curtis tell us some of his experiences flying P-51 Mustangs during World War II.  Mr. Curtis had all of our attention as he talked about the strafing runs he was assigned to.  He also shared that the Tusakagee Airmen of the 332nd Fighter Group were just down the road from where he was stationed in Italy.   While sharing some somber moments that only those who have experienced in WWII can really share, he also had us laughing as he shared his great sense of humor (none of us are convinced the designers of the P-51 meant for the scoop to be used corn harvesting!)

Below are some the pictures Dick Curtis shared during his presentation.  Additionally, links are provided at the bottom of this post for the books Mr. Curtis has authored and offered at our meeting.  To Haley Norwood – thank you for your assistance in making the arrangements for Mr. Curtis to speak to us and transporting to and from our meeting.  Thank you to Mr. Curtis for signing the copies we purchased at our meeting!

The slide show used during the meeting is posted here.


A reminder from the meeting:  Jim Bettner wanted to remind everyone to send in their scholarship nominees as soon as possible.  Have the ability to review as many of the application before the deadline is extremely helpful.  Thank you!

Dick Curtis to speak Feb 9 at Indianapolis Aero Club

The Indianapolis Aero Club will host Dick Curtis on Feb 9, 2010 at their monthly meeting. Mr. Curtis will be talking to the club about his experiences during World War II. Here is an excerpt from one write up on his book:

Book: Dumb But Lucky!: Confessions Of A P-51 Fighter Pilot In World War II - Second Lieutenant Dick Curtis arrived in Italy in May 1944- twenty years old and part of a shipment of P-51 Mustang fighter pilots so desperately needed that they were rushed into combat with less than thirty hours of flight time in their new high-performance aircraft. Six of the twelve pilots assigned to the 52nd Fighter Group were shot down in the first two weeks. By his ninth mission, Curtis was the only one still flying. A maverick, he barely escaped court-martial with his high-flying antics. Escorting bombers sent to pound heavily defended oil fields was risky enough, but strafing the enemy supply lines, ports, and airfields was even more dangerous. Curtis may chalk up his success to dumb luck, but these missions took exceptional skill and courage. This hair-raising account captures the air war in all its split-second terror and adrenaline-pumping action.

 The meeting will take place at the Marten House, 1801 W. 86th St, Indianapolis, IN.  

Below is a picture of Dick Curtis meeting Max Moga at the 2008 Indianapolis Air Show.  Maj. Moga was the F-22 Raptor pilot at the air show that year.