Marion County Composite Squadron
SER-FL-361
"Home of the Valkyries"
Fantasy of Flight Trip - 18 December 2010
On 18 December 2010, members of Marion County Composite Squadron  traveled to Fantasy of Flight courtesy of an Aerospace Education grant from the Air Force Association.

The weather was rainy when they arrived and was greeted by Smiling Jack, Our tour guide dressed in an old barnstormer’s uniform.

We entered the exhibit into the Beginning of Flight where an Air Balloon was on displayed and films of old attempts at flight where shown

We then proceeded into World War 1 and into the trenches of an Army unit in Europe. Films were shown of the development of air flight from the early attempts to the flight of the Wright Brothers plane at Kitty Hawk to the bi plane used by the Red Baron during the war


We leave World War 1 and enter World War 2 and the briefing room of a bomber base in Europe. On the wall is the map with the route to out target and on the other wall, pictures of the German aircraft we could encounter on our way to the target
The Commander enters and has
everyone set their watches to 6AM.
Ready, 5,4,3,2,1 HACK.

Our mission is posted on the wall
but first some film of recent missions.
  ROLL FILM!!

Film from previous missions is
shown and the commander emphasis
the safety of the BOX FORMATION with film of bomber out of the box being shot down. Then fighters appear and he tells of their helping wade off the fighters  and shooting them down. He mentions the P51 with the  RED TAIL of the Tuskegee Airman, whom have been requested by many bomber missions because while they escorted the formations, NONE of their bombers have been lost.
Time is 6:05 AM Take off is at 6:30 AM "Gentlemen man your airplanes"

We exited the briefing room onto the tarmac and climbed into our bomber, passing the bomb bay, gunners positions and into the cockpit before exiting into the light of the hangar where many planes where on display