From the Cockpit

Watch for the Lightning strike in September

July 10, 2010

A pen. A bar napkin. A bright idea.

Sounds like a recipe for disaster, doesn’t it?! I know from my own experience that anytime I’ve had a plan that involved those three things, it hasn’t exactly turned out as well as I’d hoped!

But for Clarence L. “Kelly” Johnson, hastily-drawn designs on a napkin turned out to be the catalyst for a legacy that involves some of the most famous aircraft projects in history and would also give birth to Lockheed’s Advanced Development Programs division. The “Skunk Works,” as it is commonly referred to in aviation and defense circles, has conjured aircraft designs such as the U-2 Dragon Lady, SR-71 Blackbird, F-117 Stealth Fighter, the F-22 Raptor, and most recently, the F-35 Lightning II.

The P-38 Lightning was born out of napkin sketches and would come to be known as one of the most innovative designs in history, with its twin tail booms, twin engines, long range, and incredibly devastating firepower. Ten thousand and thirty-seven of these aircraft were built between 1939 and 1945. There are only seven of them left flying. Yes, only seven.

In October of last year, I had the honor and privilege to be standing on the flight line at Edwards Air Force Base with Steve Hinton and Jeff Harris (two legends in the aviation community), and we were kicking around ideas for this year’s California Capital Airshow.  Something really special came out of that conversation, the culmination of which can be at seen Mather Airport this coming September 11th and 12th.

I mean, seeing a diamond- or delta-formation of F-18s or F-16s in their distinctive colors is pretty darn cool, but a delta formation of P-38s?!? Seriously?! I can’t even imagine how amazing that’s going to be– the sights, sounds, and smells of all of those Allison V-12s turning at one time. Six P-38s in the break, or in a tail-chase through the show box. Steve Hinton putting Glacier Girl through her paces in a single-ship aerobatic routine. Unbelievable.

I don’t have a personal connection to this airplane, but the few times I’ve seen them fly, it’s always taken my breath away.

What about you? Any favorite P-38 memories? A connection to the aircraft through a relative? What’s your story?