Aug

Flying for their lives

This year marks the 60th anniversary of one of the most important air battles in history: The Battle of Britain.

Sixty years ago, hundreds of inexperienced pilots were rushed into action to repel what looked like a certain Nazi invasion. Their actions helped stop the Nazi advance in time for the US to bring its forces across the Atlantic, and ultimately turned the tide of the war in Europe.

Unbeknown to many is the story of nine US pilots who flew in defense of Britain, but more on them later…

Having been hit so hard by Hitler’s Blitzkrieg (lightning war), Allied forces had retreated back across the English Channel and were trapped.

German pilots and bombers of the Luftwaffe then set about destroying the British Royal Air Force (RAF) to prepare for a ground offensive.

But the Luftwaffe’s principle fighter plane, the Me 109E, had only 15 minutes of flying time once across the channel, and the Brits had held back many aircraft in defense.

From 30 June 1940 through to October, battle raged above the fields of England. The RAF was helped by pilots from Australia, Canada, New Zealand and South Africa. Experienced aviators from Poland and Czechoslovakia also helped force back wave after wave of Luftwaffe planes.

Day after day Hurricane and Spitfire fighters took to the air, sometimes piloted by young men, with only a few hours flying experience. By the end of the battle, the Luftwaffe had lost 1,733 aircraft to the RAF’s 915.

Little known of are the nine US airmen whose bravery helped keep Britain free. They included Billy Fiske, a racing driver and former Olympian, born in Brooklyn.

If you know someone who could be inspired by such bravery, there are a number of air combat experiences they could try.

There are vintage World War II aircraft to fly in and even air combat dog fighting sessions they might like.

More information on Billy and the US pilots.