Charlie brown spitfire pilot biography for kids

FLT LT CHARLIE BROWN

Flt Lt Charlie Brown joined the RAF in 1981 and enjoyed a 30 year flying career as an RAF pilot. He has flown the Tornado GR1, Jet Provost, Chipmunk, Bulldog, Tucano, Firefly and Tutor. Charlie is currently stationed at RAF Cranwell in Lincolnshire and is a member of the Central Flying School Examining Wing.

He is also the Chief Flying Instructor at the RAF Cranwell Flying Club. In 2014 Charlie reached 1000 flying hours in Spitfires, which he described as ‘a real privilege’. He’s now chasing down his 2000th Spitfire flying hour with Aero Legends. For many years a regular participant at Duxford air shows, Charlie is a highly experienced display pilot.

Charlie is now the Head of Training with Aero Legends. Overseeing instructional and training flights at all levels throughout the organisation. He flies most aircraft on the Aero Legends fleet, including the Strikemaster ex-military jet aircraft soon to be utilised by Jet Legends. When not flying, Charlie keeps himself occupied with his classic cars (including a Ford GT40), cycling and playing with his pussy-cat.

German fighter pilot in World War II (1915–2008)

OberleutnantLudwig Franz Stigler (21 August 1915 – 22 March 2008) was a German fighter pilot and fighter ace in World War II.

He is best known for his role in a December 1943 incident in which he spared the crew of a severely damaged B-17 bomber. He escorted the plane to safety over enemy lines. The story was kept secret for many years, but in 1990 the two pilots finally reunited and were close friends until their deaths in 2008. Stigler died in Canada, where he moved after the war.

Early life

Stigler was born on 21 August 1915 in Amberg, Bavaria. His father was a World War I pilot/observer.

Stigler began flying gliders when he was 12, and in 1933, he piloted a biplane. He flew for Deutsche Luft Hansa (the predecessor of Lufthansa) before joining the Luftwaffe in 1940.

Military service

In the Luftwaffe, Stigler became an instructor pilot. One of his students was Gerhard Barkhorn, who went on to down over 300 planes in combat. Stigler himself flew 487 combat missions, downing 28 planes while himself being shot down 17 times (he bailed out six times and landed in a damaged plane 11 times). His brother, August, who was also a pilot, was killed in the crash of a Junkers Ju 88 in August 1940.^[2]

Charlie Brown

Spitfire Pilot

Shoes: Herring Burgh brogue boots in Mahogany Calf

Charlie has been flying for over 30 years and has been flying Spitfires since 1990. He is an A1 Flying Instructor at the Central Flying School Cranwell.

The Spitfire pictured is a rare WW2 Mk.Vb Fighter built at Castle Bromwich in 1942. It served with 315 & 317 (Polish) Squadrons before sustaining damage on February 13th 1943. It was acquired by the Historic Aircraft Collection (HAC) in 1993 and restored to its original specification and flies in the colours of 317 Squadron. Spitfire BM597 can be found in Hangar 4 at the Imperial War Museum, Duxford.

The Spitfire has also starred in many films and TV productions including Battle of Britain, Time Team, Pearl Harbor, The Goodbye Plane and Foyles War.

"I have found the Herring Burgh with its style quality and uncompromising performance the ideal boot to fly the Spitfire and to wear around base."

http://www.historicaircraftcollection.ltd.uk/spitfire.htm

American bomber pilot in World War II

Charles Lester "Charlie" Brown (October 24, 1922 – November 24, 2008) was a United States Army Air Forces pilot during World War II. He became well known for being the pilot of the B-17F Flying Fortress named Ye Olde Pub which was involved in the Charlie Brown and Franz Stigler incident.

Early life

Born on October 24, 1922, in Weston, West Virginia as the youngest of six children to a family of farmers, Charlie was interested in flying planes from an early age. In 1939, he enlisted in the U.S. Army. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, he would join the United States Army Air Forces in 1942.

Military service

After completing flight training and becoming a pilot, Brown was assigned to the 527th Bomb Squadron of the 379th Bomb Group. On 20 December 1943, at the age of 21, he was sent on his first mission when he flew the Ye Olde Pub over Bremen, Germany. Although the bombing mission of a Fw 190 Factory was considered successful, the Ye Olde Pub had sustained damage to two of its engines during the bombing run, leaving it unable to keep up with the bomber formation and