Pilotless: Three Planes That Flew Themselves.

[@TheHistoryGuyChannel]

Several viewers have noticed that the plane in the video is an F-102 Delta Dagger as opposed to an F-106 Delta Dart. I am sorry for the discrepancy.

[@Enevan1968]

Also, the MiG crashed in 1989 and not 1986.

[@davida1610]

No problem History Guy its it's "within the margin of error" to quote my father in law ! Another great video - many thanks, David in Texas

[@steveshoemaker6347]

The spookest was a passanger plane that landed down in south amer...somewhere with all the passingers on board.....but thay were all skeletons pilots and all...look it up....If true spookey ...Stuff for sure.I have read about it....on youtube here somewhere to....Thanks...!!

[@leveckfamily8841]

You missed the coolest part of the Cornfield Bomber story...... The pilot that ejected from it, a family friend, flew it again before it, and he, retired. The only incident of a pilot ejecting from an aircraft and then flying it again later.... Certainly, THAT MUST BE history worth EDITING?

[@connclark2154]

How about you do another interesting story about a pilotless F-102 to make up for the mistake ;) kzbin.info/www/bejne/qXvNYoKQeZ2mmtk

[@sarjim4381]

There have been many more pilotless private aircraft that have presented problems to civilian authorities. I was involved with chasing one Piper Cub that actually took off without a pilot, climbed to about 2500 feet, leveled off, still with no pilot, and flew west. It crossed over six counties before it became our problem. My department had a helicopter, so we were detailed to get in the air and try to find the plane and follow it. It took a while to find it because we only had weather radar, and the FAA was only able to give us partial radar tracks since a Cub without a transponder is actually a great stealth aircraft, being mostly canvas over a collection of steel alloy tubes. There was only about an hour of daylight left when we spotted it, still flying straight and level. Our first issue was it was headed directly toward a range of mountains with 3,000 foot peaks. While we thought the Cub would not make it over the mountains, it somehow flew through one of the few passes that was less than 2,000 feet and continued on its merry way. Now we really had problems, since the plane was headed toward an urban area of the county. Norad was still trying to find a fighter to scramble, and the FAA wanted to know if we were able to shoot the plane down. Sure. Between myself and the other observer, our armament consisted of two Glock .40 caliber pistols, and it was quickly decided that our air to air combat training wasn't adequate to attempt that stunt. As the Cub flew over various cities, we now had police cars and fire departments from I don't know how many jurisdictions that had joined in the ground chase. The pilot of the Cub, which had landed at a small private airport to answer the call of nature and had left the engine running while he did , was finally able to update the FAA with the amount of fuel he "thought" he had onboard, and they calculated that the plane should have about 25 minutes of fuel left. It was only flying at 65 mph, and our Long Ranger was able to easily fly at 120 mph, so we were able to get out ahead of the plane to alert the now considerable number of ground units where the Cub was likely to be in the next five minutes, and then zip back behind it. We had a great pilot that flew Hueys in Vietnam, and I think he was actually enjoying this. The Cub eventually flew over 11 cities in our county before heading toward the sparsely populated coast. It was now nearing sunset as the Cub flew directly into the setting sun. The Cub had its newly installed anti-collision strobe light on, and that allowed us to follow it at that point. Now this ghost plane started to descend, and the Coast Range of mountains presented our next problem. There are 1,500 to 1,900 foot peaks there, and the Cub had reached about 1,000 feet before approaching the mountains. We put some distance between our aircraft and the Cub, and waited for the inevitable crash. To our surprise, the next thing we saw was the Cub flying through a 600 foot pass, missing those rocks in the sky again. We were able to follow the Cub with our FLIR now, and almost at the second the plane was over the coast, the prop stopped spinning, and the poor old Cub was finally out of fuel. It went into a steeper but still level decent, making contact with the water about four miles offshore. The Cub was a beautifully restored 1940 model J3 that we had seen at various airshows, and it was a sad thing to watch her sink. Still, we were glad that ordeal was over with. In my 27 years with the department, that was one of my more exciting days. :-)

[@orangelion03]

There was an incident in Australia in the 50s...a civilian aircraft managed to get off the ground and fly around on it's own. Several aircraft attempted to shoot it down. trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/71676908

[@sarjim4381]

@@orangelion03 Amazing all the planes that have taken to the runway themselves. Taildraggers liek Cub and Auster are pretty much set to fly in neutral trim so, if they can get up enough speed in mostly calm or light wind. they are up and away.

[@johntabler349]

Thanks for the bonus episode

[@craigkdillon]

I doubt the plane "flew into the setting sun", since the sun 93 million miles away. Flat Earthers would use that statement as "proof" that the sun is only a few thousand feet up, and that the Earth is flat.

[@bastogne315]

Try journalism in the next life, you're good at it.

[@williamsmith3582]

I watched this episode with great interest. In 1977 I was a crew chief on F106 Delta Dart fighter aircraft for the Montana Air National Guard based on Gore Hill....which is west of Malmstrom Air Force base in Great Falls, Montana. Several times I was crew chief on this very aircraft. I was told by senior NCOs that this exact aircraft was part of the aircraft assigned to the Montana Air Guard and was part of the 120th Fighter Interceptor Group. At the time of this incident it was being flown by a Montana Air Guard pilot....not an Air Force pilot. Due to the repairs to the sheet metal after it's recovery, this aircraft had a peculiar sound like the lid on a tin can being pressed every time the brakes were applied at low speed. Applying the brakes produced a "tink, tink" sound just like a tin can lid being pressed. Of course, now, all of these F106s assigned to the Montana Air Guard have been retired and either scrapped or used for unmanned targets during live fire training. However, the aircraft in this episode is indeed in the Air Force museum. The F106 Delta Dart was the last of the "Century Series" fighter aircraft and was an excellent supersonic fighter/interceptor. Much better than it's predecessor the F102 Delta Dagger...which was rated as pretty much a dog by it's pilots.

[@jeffreymcfadden9403]

The "air force museum" as we locals call it, is the largest and oldest air force museum in the world. with FREE admission, it is Ohio's #1 tourist attraction. Dayton is also home to Richard Cole. born in Dayton in 1915, he is 103 years old and the last surviving member of the Doolittle raid. Richard was col Doolittle's co-pilot. plane #1.

[@ltmundy1164]

jeffrey mcfadden: Came back for the display/dedication of Memphis Belle last year; previously for the final Raider reunion. Full DV treatment for the surviving crew members, classy event for a class act, 1 and all. WPAFB really put on the full dog that weekend. BTW: LtCol Richard Cole, last remaining survivor of the Doolittle Raiders passed 9 April 2018 (Air Force Times. Raiders website hadn't updated yet.)

[@bluecollar58]

There has yet to be a History Guy short I have not enjoyed. This is the most consistently rewarding channel I have seen.

[@richardpehtown2412]

Had the pilot not ejected, which recovered it, the plane and pilot could have both been lost. Shows you the quality of the F- 106 AND that of the pilot.

[@christineparis5607]

Hearing these little known true stories is so important, and I love them!! I never get enough of your channel, thank you so much!!

[@thejudgmentalcat]

I agree! I love this channel!

[@christineparis5607]

@@thejudgmentalcat I clicked on your kitty thumbnail because it was so cute! Your other cats are adorable too! We love kitties!

[@FriedrichHerschel]

3:35 Are you a bad pilot if the plane is better off without you?

[@BrightBlueJim]

Seems like that would apply to all three stories.

[@MrGaryGG48]

That's just too funny!! Aww crap! How am I supposed explain that to the Squadron Commander???

[@robertgantry2118]

If not, then you better get back in.

[@maxnicely8926]

I imagine the pilots trimmed the airplanes out perfectly

[@primalmachine9059]

It was the ejection forces that without ejection the aircraft would have not recovered even if the pilot vanished without bailing.

[@ScoutSniper3124]

From a NATOPS / NAVY Safety Briefing in the 1980's: TRUE STORY! A T-2 Buckeye Primary Jet Trainer on a cross country training flight. Student in front seat, Instructor in the back seat. Student on Oxygen (mask) The Instructor got "bored" and began fiddling with the survival kit under his seat, and inadvertently INFLATED HIS LIFE RAFT! The Life Raft began pouring out into the cramped back cockpit and started pushing on the control "stick", which in turn is connected to the front control stick being used by the Student. The Student feels the stick being pushed forward and ASSUMES it is a hydraulic problem. Instructor, not wanting to tell the student he messed up, takes out his survival knife and STABS THE RAFT, solving his immediate problem. The Life Raft has TALCUM POWDER in it for storage reasons, which comes out as a WHITE CLOUD into the cockpit. Instructor knows its harmless talcum, but the Student (wearing a mask) sees it as WHITE SMOKE (FIRE!!!!!) coupled with a "Hydraulic System Failure" (stick pushing forward). Student pulls the "E" handles, which shut off fuel and dump Halon into the engines, rendering the aircraft a GLIDER. Instructor gets raft under control just in time to see the engines shut down and his instruments light up like a Christmas Tree. At some point one of the Aviators selects COMMAND EJECT and both Pilots are ejected from the aircraft bruised but safe. Only after the fact did they find out the series of STUPID MISTAKES that cost the Navy a roughly $10 MILLION trainer. NATOPS (Naval Air Training and Operating Procedures Standardization) Investigators determined the cause of the crash to be... LACK OF COMMUNICATION WITHIN THE AIRCREW.

[@TheHistoryGuyChannel]

Ryan Taylor awesome story! Never heard that one.

[@user-td1zo3tv9p]

Seems I heard that story some time ago myself but not the end result regarding the career of either man. If I've learned anything about the military from MY experience, we had a term called "Screw up and Move up!" Meaning if you messed up but not so bad as to be booted out of the military or brought up on charges, they promoted you so you had some seniority then put you behind a desk so you couldn't hurt anybody (else?). LOL! Oftentimes, those involved in some minor or modest (?) incident seemed to be promoted faster when, in reality, they were up for promotion anyway so it was coincidental. But it sure seemed suspicious and not only made for some folklore in its own right but left a bad taste in the mouths of others. Crazy world, eh? Have a GREAT Day, everyone.

[@davidharris6581]

Great story! I actually saw a F 14 crash once and it was caused by pure horseplay too.

[@katiekane5247]

Oops! Reminds me of a true story about a couple with plumbing problems. Hubby starts the project under the kitchen sink while wife goes shopping. Hubby realizes he's out of his league & hires a plumber to finish repair. Wife returns & playfully sticks her finger in the exposed butt crack. The poor, unsuspecting plumber raises his head abruptly & knocks himself out. An ambulance is called and after putting the now conscious plumber on the stretcher, the EMTs are getting the whole story for the report. They begsn laughing so hard, they dropped the stretcher, with concussed plumber, breaking his arm! Wonder if that one is in the "Farmers Insurance" museum!

[@timonsolus]

H ? : That (promotion to desk job) is known as ‘being kicked upstairs’ in the RAF.

[@brucesanders9311]

Love this stuff. Failed school my whole life until I quit the torture in 9th grade. But always got A+ in History and at 65 still find it extremely fascinating

[@sincerelyyours7538]

I love this episode! I have another one for you, possibly the first such event in aviation history. My grandfather, Capt Donald E. Harkness, witnessed it while he was undergoing flight training for the First World War. The airfield was Hendon Aerodrome in northern London, the date was Oct 3, 1915, the Flying School was the London and Provincial Flying School, and the aircraft was most likely a Caudron G2, a single engine tractor plane with a 60 HP rotary engine. The pilot, unfortunately, is unknown. Still a civilian at the time, Harkness wrote about it in his diary: "A student from the London and Provincial School had an exciting time when it was almost dark tonight. In turning too suddenly and getting banked too steeply, he evidently came to the conclusion that it would be safer for him on the ground, about 30 feet away. At any rate, whether by design or accident, he fell out of his machine, and on the way to terra firma, postponed his arrival there by catching hold of one of the booms of the tail until the whole concern was nearer the ground. He then dropped off, landing safely, and the bus came to standstill 50 yards down the paddock." The Caudron G2 had an open boom fuselage made of sticks that extended to the rear to support the tail structure. Because it employed wing-warping to move its elevator and ailerons, it tended to climb whenever the pilot took his hands off the control stick. With the pilot at just the right point hanging onto the booms it appears the plane would come down gently on its own. Lucky pilot. I wish I knew his name.

[@perihelion7798]

"The press called the plane 'the cornfield bomber', even though it wasn't a bomber and didn't land in a corn field." For the press, facts never get in the way of a snappy title or titillating story line. Still true today.

[@htos1av]

That's why it must must be to taught to children for all time.

[@murderouskitten2577]

so the press of that time was the same as now - blowing things out of proportion and imagining stuff as they went :D

[@perihelion7798]

@@murderouskitten2577 Yep. It's sad.

[@ProdigySmurf]

Yeah, I grew up in Big Sandy MT where it landed. There are zero corn crops then and now. It's easy to believe the press until they do a story about something you know. You realize they hardly get any of it right.

[@adr127]

For the press, facts never get in the way.

[@BigDaddy_MRI]

"You better get back in!!" So American, and a great example of military humor. I have a childhood friend who's father was a B-17 pilot. He actually told his son and I about the "Ghost Ship" B-17 that landed itself sans crew during a BBQ dinner in South Texas. It was an amazing story that I remembered and you just covered. OUTSTANDING! Another reason I love your channel. Thank you!!

[@stevedietrich8936]

"You better get back in!" LOL

[@leveckfamily8841]

He did. The only pilot to ever fly an aircraft he ejected from.

[@aramos3639]

On par with “that’s coming out of your paycheck”

[@rebelray84]

So let me get this straight, a Communist plane actually defected all on it's own? Priceless! 😀

[@gangfire5932]

Apparently all aircraft are freedom-loving capitalists.

[@jblob5764]

😂😂😂

[@Error-5478]

This was a good one.

[@johnrandall125]

Have you read MIG Pilot, by John Barron? It's about a Russian fighter pilot called Victor Balenko who defected to Japan (and was granted asylum in the USA) by flying his MIG 25 from Siberia. It's a great read.

[@bluecollar58]

So he probably saw the plane recover wile he was still in his chute. That had to be a long ride down.

[@nates9536]

"Oh you've got to be f****** kidding me"

[@JagerLange]

"....well, this is awkward."

[@darrenkastl8160]

His partner should have messed with him and said he ejected for no good reason! Lol!

[@randymagnum143]

Especially headed for enemy airspace! The party would not be happy with you!

[@chasstiles7611]

You gotta be a crappy pilot when the plane is better off without you

[@Annur375]

Three incredible stories! I feel sorry that in the first, a man lost his life but, the second one with a man jumping out in a parachute and being told by his comrade: "You better get back in!" is precious. Great stories, thanks for sharing them.

[@mookzmom]

My partner, Jimmy L Hunter (deceased now) was a captain in the USAF during the VietNam war. He was rightly proud of his service and would’ve loved this. Thank you!

[@simplythebest4341]

U have a nice smile

[@mookzmom]

That is kind of you. I peeked at your channel to make sure you’re not a creep. (Lol) I’m an older lady in my 60s, and a nurse. I’m not great at psych stuff, working in the ER now, but if you need advice or help, feel free. Good luck to you!

[@skyscall]

God bless veterans. How did he go? Was he killed in combat or did he pass peacefully?

[@slekic]

A Royal Australian Air Force Dassault Mirage III made a remarkably successful unmanned wheels-up landing in 1985 near Darwin, in northern Australia, with only minimal damage. The pilot had ejected after an inflight emergency (compressor stall), but the plane just kept flying until it ran out of fuel and then gently set itself down on a mudflat. It was repaired but never flew again and is today displayed at the Darwin Aviation Museum.

[@DeanandLisa1803]

What a fantastic aviation museum and always my first stop when I visit Darwin for storm chasing in the wet. I’m a massive f-111 fan and I got a personal tour of the PIG.

[@DaveNarn]

I've got one for you.. A retired U2 pilot told me of a U-2C that landed it's self. The pilot had passed out on the way back to base. Upon arrival the plane began circling lower and lower in a gentle bank. Just before hitting the ground, the low wing clipped a power line, the plane leveled out and landed with a thud. The pilot had woke by then but still groggy, ejected head-over-heels forward over the windscreen landing face first receiving just a chipped front tooth as injury. That plane is on display at the main base at Beale, CA.

[@russellcannon9194]

I love how you include info about what happened to the people afterward. Cheers, Russ

[@stoneyll]

Another excellent episode~! Best subscription on the internet~!

[@leveckfamily8841]

You missed the coolest part of the Cornfield Bomber story...... The pilot that ejected from it, a family friend, flew it again before it, and he, retired. The only incident of a pilot ejecting from an aircraft and then flying it again later.... Certainly, THAT MUST BE history worth EDITING?

[@juliogonzo2718]

You would think it would be bad juju to get in it again

[@grizwoldphantasia5005]

YT videos, once uploaded and posted, can't be edited.

[@Peasmouldia]

In the early 1950s. a USAF B-36 crew bailed out over Oxfordshire,UK. The aircraft flew on for some considerable time, eventually running out of fuel and crashing on Bowden Hill in Wiltshire(2 miles from my home). Miraculously, nobody was injured. I know some who rubber necked the crash at the time still believe it to have been a "Broken Arrow" incident. Usual H.G. magic. Thank you sir.

[@aaronthoming8192]

What's a broken arrow incident?

[@darrenbrashaw8409]

@@aaronthoming8192 Nuke onboard.

[@fk4515]

@@aaronthoming8192 loss, destruction or unrepairable damage to a nuclear weapon

[@aaronthoming8192]

Many thanks 👍

[@jesterflight8593]

I watch all of his programs, and teach public administration & Constitutional law at 2 universities, but my alumni know it’s my favorite & deliberately work diligently, so we may have 10-12 minutes after class to watch one, that the students vote on. They’ll actually discuss how our class may relate to his videos, so we may keep watching more. Thank you Professor, for spectacular narrated videos, I wish they were around when I did my undergrad.

[@vernonbear]

This seems an appropriate place to share an article from one of our U.K. Newspapers, tomorrow (Friday 22nd February) marks a date that should not be forgotten, I live in Buxton Derbyshire and I’ll be travelling over the Pennines to honour the men who lost their lives in defence of Allied nations. 75 years ago a U.S. crew lost their lives in a crash in Sheffield. The spotlight will be on Sheffield tomorrow as a crowd of thousands - plus millions more watching live on TV - are set to witness a military flypast to honour lives lost in the wartime Mi Amigo plane crash. All 10 crew on board the badly damaged B-17 Flying Fortress, known as Mi Amigo, were killed when it plummeted from the skies and crashed into Endcliffe Park in 1944. Now their memory is set to be honoured 75 years to the day since the tragedy with what promises to be an impressive display of air power from both the Royal Air Force and United States Air Force. The story of the Mi Amigo and Sheffield pensioner Tony Foulds - who witnessed the crash as a schoolboy and has campaigned tirelessly to keep their memory alive - has captured the hearts of the nation in recent weeks. The 82-year-old Lowedges man said: “It has been a long time coming but I cannot wait for the flypast. It will be a very emotional day.” The Mi Amigo had completed a daring day time raid on the Aalborg airfield in occupied Denmark but was hit in the attack and limped back over the North Sea. On returning to base it suffered catastrophic engine failure over Sheffield and plummeted towards Endcliffe Park. It is believed the crew was aiming to make an emergency landing on the field, but upon witnessing Tony and his friends on the grass, diverted and crashed into a nearby wooded area. Pilot lieutenant John Kriegshauser was awarded a posthumous Distinguished Flying Cross for minimising loss of life. The tragedy left Tony with feelings of deep-seated guilt and he has spent the best part of seven decades tending to a memorial dedicated to the crew. The grandfather-of-four’s call for a flypast was supported by thousands of people and organisations, including BBC presenter Dan Walker and The Star, and all of the hard work will come to fruition tomorrow morning. A memorial service will take place from around 8am led by Ian Jennings, padre for the Frecheville branch of the Royal British Legion. There will be a reading from St John’s Gospel, a bugler will play one verse of Amazing Grace, plus the Last Post and Reveille. The US and British national anthems will also be observed. The flypast is set to follow at 8.45am. It is dependent on weather conditions and mission requirements, but the USAF and RAF is anticipating using a unique variety of aircraft from bases in Lakenheath, Midenhall and Coningsby. This includes four F15 Strike Eagle fighter jets which will perform a missing man formation as an aerial salute to the Mi Amigo victims. A Dakota, CV-22 Osprey, MC-130, KC-135 Tanker and two RAF Typhoons will complete the flypast. The aircraft are due to arrive in the city from the south-east and, alongside Endcliffe Park, other vantage points include Bolehills Park, Park Hill flats, Skye Edge playing fields and the Botanical Gardens. Pat Davey, chairman of the Frecheville branch of the Royal British Legion, said: “Tony has lovingly maintained their memorial and he is responsible for this magnificent tribute to their heroism, both on the ground and in the air.” Councillor Mary Lea, cabinet member for culture, parks and leisure at Sheffield Council, anticipates it will be a “truly memorable day in Sheffield’s history.” There will also be an act of remembrance on Sunday, February 24, which will include wreath laying at the memorial from 1.15pm, followed by a service at St Augustine’s Church in Brocco Bank at 2pm. May they all rest in peace.

[@crazybrit-nasafan]

I was there too. It was an amazing yet humbling experience. May the No Amigo crew rest in. Piece.

[@robertodeleon-gonzalez9844]

The third plane's story, the B-17 nicknamed "The Ghost Ship", is often told neglecting to mention that it carried spare parachutes. Mr. Histoy Guy deserves our sincere gratitude for setting the record straight.

[@arlieaustin448]

I read a story many years back about a P38 that was operating in the Pacific theatre, the plane did not return with it's squadron but several hours later after it should have been out of fuel, the ground crews rushed out to meet the plane following a picture perfect landing! What they found after the engines sputtered to a stop was the pilot dead from a head wound, the planes fuel tanks dry, and no explanation as to how the plane managed to return to it's base with a dead pilot and empty fuel tanks!

[@deanperry3407]

@ 6:47 there is an extended shot of a B-17 with a large A on the tail. The A ensignia means it was the first bomber group active in England, at Bassingborn. They were the first Americans in the European theater to see combat, even before the invasion of Africa. My father was in that group as a pilot. Thy had the highest casualty rate of any bomber group in Europe, the Pacific or India-Burma-China. The story of the Memphis Belle is the story of that bomber group, as they were in that group as well. For a short time Clark Gable was a waist gunner in that group. The crew of the Memphis Belle flew the mandatory 25 missions; my father flew 53, from the beginning of the air war in 1942 to the end in 1945 .

[@ExpatMoe]

The second story about the jet that they could bring back into service is incredible.. Must have been a special feeling to pilot that plane..

[@grizwoldphantasia5005]

Mostly damage free because the field was covered in snow. Press could have come up with much better names -- Snow Trouble, Snow Slider, Snow News ....

[@marknelson5929]

There were a few examples of pilotless Luftwaffe, Dornier 17 and 217 series of twin engine light bombers, landing more or less intact in England during the war. These aircraft were very stable and had excellent flight characteristics and when crew bailed out over UK through damage to the aircraft, the aircraft often flew on for some distance, eventually landing more or less intact, much like the Convair Delta Dart story you mention.

[@looselatigo]

On a similar note. Some years ago I knew a retired Air Force colonel who flew B-17s over Germany during WWII. He told me of one incident where the tail section of a plane was severed from the rest and glided on its own to a safe landing with the tail-gunner still on board. I can't confirm it and it may just be something he heard about, but it sure does make a good yarn.

[@TheHistoryGuyChannel]

looselatigo I’ll research that.

[@looselatigo]

I appreciate that. I did find this link and it referenced several incidents like that. www.greenharbor.com/fffolder/wreckage.html

[@jimnorthland2903]

I had an employee who's father spun from miles up in just the tail section and into the ocean and survived.

[@MrTruckerf]

It is a true story. Believe me, the Germans really checked it out at the time, because they couldn't believe it.

[@BeachsideHank]

The one i heard about was a B24 that had the aft section separate from the fuselage, the German captors could' not believe it either, so the guy was sort of a celebrity before going off to a Stalag. I believe he was also inducted into the "Caterpillar Club", an organization that recognized parachute- less escapes from airplane mishaps. I vaguely remember reading about a Russian guy who survived a chuteless fall from something like 30,000 feet but that was a long time ago when I read it.

[@fubarmodelyard1392]

I've seen that 106 at the museum. Also there are parts of a B-24 that glided down after the crew bailed out over the Libyan desert. Her name is Lady Be Good, and she and her crew definitely deserve to be remembered. Great episode btw

[@gerardtrigo380]

I have read of several such instances in flying histories, starting in WWI, including a plane that landed at an airfield in France with dead pilot on board and no fuel left. History is often stranger than fiction.

[@hshs5756]

Although radio controlled model airplanes are all the rage now, when I was a kid my father and I flew "free-flight" models. These were aircraft with no controls except the built-in stability, small bendable aluminum trim tabs, careful attention paid to balance. Fuel had to be measured with a calibrated hypodermic needle because running out of fuel was all there was to bring it down. Model airplane history worth remembering!

[@gerardtrigo380]

@@hshs5756 I also flew free flight models when younger. we did not measure fuel out with a hypodermic syringe but used measured length pieces of neoprene tubing connected to the engine instead of a fuel tank. At the time Radio controls were large, heavy, expensive and cumbersome.

[@hshs5756]

@@gerardtrigo380We also used a "de-thermalizer fuse that after a pre-determined amount of time melted through a rubber band, allowing the stabilizer to flip up, stalling the plane. Then it came straight down using the wing like a parachute... unless the thermal was too strong in which case it would keep going straight up. Gone.

[@gerardtrigo380]

@@hshs5756 Yep a little fuse. We used those also. Bringing back memories of my youth. Only our planes would swoop up, stall, nose down gain speed swoop back up and repeat until it hit the ground, hopefully not too hard.

[@sonnyburnett8725]

I sometimes think of how wonderful we would have thought of todays micro r/c rx and servo’s with the lipo batteries. We could have made some pretty nice rc planes that the “grown” kids today would love.

[@dannyhanny1191]

I'll tell you all, if you haven't ever visited the Air Force museum in Ohio, you really need to go. It's indescribable, and awesome.

[@anthonysterling695]

I really do not know how it is that anyone can give a "thumbs down" to any of the History Guy's videos, especially this one. This is likely one of the greatest channels on KZbin. I always look forward to new ones when they are posted. I am not always intrigued with the content but History Guy makes it interesting no matter the subject. I am also looking forward to the next segment from History Gal!

[@groovydude8863]

The people that give a "thumbs down" to the History Guy probably got "F's" in History...and are still functioning at that level today.

[@Paladin1873]

One my favorite aviation stories is the one about "Lawnchair" Larry Walters, the guy who floated over LA in 1982 using weather balloons tethered to his lawn chair.

[@lawr46]

In 1957, a USAF DC-3 ran out of gas over Missouri. Everyone bailed out and made it to the ground safely. The DC-3 glided over the horizon and made a perfect, unassisted landing in a cornfield.

[@LuvBorderCollies]

During WW2 a B-17 landed by itself in a field to the surprise of US troops nearby. The crew had bailed out thinking the plane was going to crash. One of those truth is stranger than fiction stories. I'd love to rediscover that story and save it.

[@ltmundy1164]

lawr46: C47

[@spcX21]

2 years ago, there was a F-5 from the Brazilian Air Force that pretty much self landed after the crew ejected due to lack of fuel. It "landed" at an open field near its base with little damage.

[@JamesD92763]

Amazing and refreshing,... good to have a *mostly* lighthearted start to the day!

[@red5685]

Love the History lessons one day at a time!

[@1959Berre]

I remember the sad story about the MIG23/29 that crashed in 1989 july, 4 at 10:37 in Belleghem, Belgium. The young man, Wim Delaere, who died was still sleeping, recovering from a party, celebrating the start of the summer vacation. The fighter crashed on top of his bedroom. He never woke up again.

[@timelord10]

These videos are too addictive. I wanted to just watch one today and I've watched three in a row.

[@pjakobs]

I remember the first incident vividly. I was in a German naval intelligence unit and it was most interesting to read all the chatter that came over the various wires we had.

[@spudwin48]

Excellent. Your thorough investigation yields a superior experience for the viewers. Much appreciated.

[@2LV2]

No dislikes! For a reason. Great story, as always, Mr history guy. More 🇿🇦 history please Sir!

[@ukeyaoitrash2618]

@David S. by now 80 :/

[@williamdonnelly2967]

Around 1982 I was working for Vought Aircraft. In the morning a Super Guppy came taxiing up to the field we shared with the Naval Air Station. When the Super Guppy stopped and opened it nose there was an A-7 Corsair II inside, which we built at Vought. When the A-7 was unloaded its tail was ground up a bit, but otherwise looked good. Later we discovered that the A-7 was from the Puerto Rican National Guard, the pilot was coming in for landing when the hydraulic controls became unstable, causing the A-7 to roll uncontrollably. The pilot ejected but by the time he was ejected the plane had turned upside down sending him into the runway, but the plane landed itself with only damage to the tail. The pilot did not survive but the plane did, was repaired and sent back.

[@Absaalookemensch]

A left leaning Communist airplane....sorry....I had to laugh at that.

[@xavierrodriguez2463]

lol

[@T0ghar]

But if it is leaning left its right wing (arm) is being raised. And it went towards Germany. Secret Nazi plane? ;)

[@Absaalookemensch]

@@T0ghar I did notsee that.

[@pmritzen2597]

I never would have caught that. God, that's funny!

[@em1osmurf]

this is what makes me proud of my service, and sad at those that have passed away that did much more. thank you, professsor.

[@josephastier7421]

A buddy in the Air Force told me that it looks bad on your annual review when you eject and your plane flies another 100 km without you.

[@roberthorwat6747]

I remember the Mig 23 crash being on the news I will never forget it, such terrible and tragic consequences.

[@chrismiedema]

Thxs for blending in the metric! 👍

[@bentnickel7487]

Just one of the things I like about THG is that it's timeless. Any of his stories can be told now or 50 years from now and be spot on.

[@bitwhacker]

There's the gripping yarn where an inexperienced navigator (Harry Crosby) helped stop German heavy water production at Trondheim and then stopped a bombing run on Bonn because of Beethoven which became the capital after the war because it wasn't bombed. History and a man worth remembering!

[@rabbi120348]

I believe it was Sec'y of War Harry Stimson's wife who stopped the second atomic bomb's target from being Kyoto, a major cultural center in Japan. Nagasaki was the second choice.

[@Nastyswimmer]

Heavy water was produced at Rjukan, not Trondheim (which is about 300 miles further north). The plant and all stocks of heavy water were destroyed by British commandos and the Norwegian resistance.

[@davidharris6581]

@@rabbi120348 Most people do not realize the Nagasaki bomb was a dead miss. It hit something like 26 miles off target. But as the old saying goes about hand grenades and nuclear weapons close enough. Still professionally it was of concern.

[@allangibson8494]

@@rabbi120348 Nagasaki was well down the list - it was bombed because of bad weather over the other targets (Primary was the Kokura Arsenal)(and well off target because the aiming point was obscured by cloud, low fuel only permitted one bomb run and the use of the B-29s Radar bomb sight was not authorised with atomic weapons). The target in Nagasaki was the Mitsubishi plants in the city. (Nagasaki is still home to Mitsubishi). (The target in Hiroshima was the shipyards and the naval base, timed for the morning parade when over 9000 troops would be in the open parade ground (and they were)).

[@bluehelech]

Russell Carolus the Bloody Hundredth! 👍

[@rogerbeckner6419]

Supposedly a F-106 from 87th FIS at K.I.Sawyer lost hydraulics close to the coast by Marquette. Pilot ejected and was recovered safely, but his canopy went through a bathroom of an apartment and almost gave a woman having a shower heart failure. The plane flew on and impacted somewhere north of Marquette in Lake Superior.

[@samsignorelli]

Ahhh....K.I. Siberia. My last TDY was there...an apt nickname.

[@BillTheDroneReviewer]

Two thumbs up ! 👍👍Well done !

[@lamonstra1464]

I love these kind of stories! Thanks.

[@bigblue6917]

I did know about the the first two but not the B17. Interesting that they were trying to get rid of excess weight for it to fly better. Trouble is they were the excess weight.

[@markfryer9880]

Big Blue It was standard practice for the crew to throw out things like the machine guns and any remaining ammunition and anything else that could be thrown out in order to lighten the aircraft. Saving the crew and the plane were the priorities.

[@bigblue6917]

@@markfryer9880 I was being humorous Mark.😊

[@buggerall]

@@bigblue6917 It's been thoroughly appreciated! :-)

[@davidolie8392]

I think there's a bit of a hole in that story. First, I've never heard of a WWII bomber carrying spare parachutes, although I suppose it could have happened. But you would think that when the crew started jettisoning equipment, those spare chutes would have been among the first things to go.

[@bigblue6917]

@@davidolie8392 I would have thought so too. But it may be that the captain decided the aircraft had reached a point where abandoning it was the only option.

[@Penekamp11]

Your stories just keep going from strength to strength. I can’t wait to see each and every new edition. This one was absolutely fascinating!

[@BigDaddy_MRI]

Just wondering if you have covered the various stories about B-17 female ferry pilots who flew brand new B-17's over to England during WWII? It is an amazing story how the Lady pilots couldn't fly bombing missions, but were tasked with flying new ships over to England (and I'm sure other destinations), and what an incredibly heroic job that was. The flights were fraught with danger, mechanical and fuel management terrors, and yet, they never gave up without a fight. It's history that should not be forgotten. Have a great day!!

[@janvanruth3485]

i second that!

[@carlfranz6805]

There was a book I read quite a while ago... the title wss something about an all girl gas station. It covered some of the women who flew bombers, mostly from factory to air bases. Worth a read.

[@catjudo1]

Hey Harry! My grandfather was one of those pilots who flew the bombers across the Atlantic to Britain and he had some real doozies of stories he could tell. He said the scariest part (to him) was always the approach to the airfield in Greenland. He remembered that there was a small solitary light at the end of the fjord that was easy to miss, and that if the pilot went up the wrong fjord (at low altitude to be able to land) the planes wouldn't turn and climb out fast enough. That was the one that hit home for me. After Hitler ate a bullet and the Nazis surrendered he went to fly in the Pacific theater, then on to a career as an air line pilot. Not bad for a poor Tennessee farm boy.

[@mistysowards7365]

You are essentially, the greatest history guy on EARTH. Very nicely done sir.

[@Tubetopfan1]

Please receive this in the light in which it is intended (because I love your videos) but much of the footage of the F-106 (Convair Delta Dart) is, in fact, the Convair F-102 (Dagger). Sharing similar heritage (with the Dagger being first), they are quite similar in appearance (with the most apparent differences being the vertical stabilizer and the placement of the air intakes) so the mistake is understandable.

[@DFX2KX]

Yeah those two look very similar. I'm a bit of an aviation nerd, particularly for early jets, but those two look basically the same to me unless I see a picture side by side.

[@joephysics5469]

Only an aviation junkie would notice that. (I saw it immediately too.) If you have never been to the US Airforce Museum in Dayton, OH it is an absolute must see.

[@TheAnxiousAardvark]

Thanks. I was thinking it was a F-102 rather than a F-106 in most of the shots. As a lad I got to see them fly overhead on approach.

[@Tubetopfan1]

@@joephysics5469 Been to the museum about 7 times. Perhaps more often (despite living in Illinois). They should have tubes to sleep in like in Japanese airports so you can rest up before another round of searching for ever more cool information.

[@ralphheath7947]

I feel the easiest way to tell them apart as Tubetopfan1 mentioned is to look at the vertical stab tip. The F-102's Is a point while the F-106's is cut off for a flat tip. Quite a bit actually. Very noticeable. The 106 was supposed to be the next letter in the 102 line, but the differences were so great it became the next open number. From above you can see the area rule applied to the fuselage(The main difference for the redesign, commonly known as the coke bottle fuselage shape) on the 106 which enable it to go much faster 1,525 mph versus 810 mph.

[@theresawilson2647]

The best channel on KZbin. Thanks so much for such great content.

[@CitizenSnips69]

History guy and wife: Have you ever thought about doing your own show or podcast? I’ve watched every video (some twice,) and I NEED more One a day isn’t enough! Lmao. ! You’re my favorite history source. Thank you for all you do.

[@marymoriarity2555]

Citizen Snips very true. I often watch several times.

[@reddirtroots5992]

Good piece. Love these types of stories.

[@Luxnutz1]

When NATO investigators investigated the Aircraft they noticed that the electronics were vacuum tube and the airframe was super rugged making to clear that philosophy of maintenance and ability for aircraft to endure trauma and recover to be factors not realized before and became integral part of doctrine in years to come.

[@AtheistOrphan]

Brian Mcnamara - I think perhaps you’re getting it mixed-up with the Mig-25 Foxbat, piloted by Victor Balenko, who defected to Japan in 1976. This aircraft was indeed inspected by NATO officials, and was discovered to have valves. The aircraft featured in this video was totally destroyed on impact with the building and very little wreckage was left. I learnt about both these incidents during my time in The RAF.

[@lindasnow3960]

I do so love most of your stories. Thank you

[@subduedreader5627]

Then there's the 1942 Ghost Blimp of San Fransisco. Landing could have been better, but after World War II, it went on to be the Goodyear Blimp until 1982.

[@AtheistOrphan]

subdued reader - Sorry but no. The Goodyear blimps were entirely different to the U.S Navy blimps.

[@subduedreader5627]

Atheist Orphan - Next to the last paragraph: www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Ghost-blimp-s-enduring-mystery-How-did-crew-13267309.php?t=0b980509cd

[@peterstickney7608]

@@AtheistOrphan Uhm, pretty much all of the U.S. Navy's LTA (Lighter Than Air) fleet were designed and built by Goodyear. In the case of the L-8, she was a civilian ship that was impressed into Navy Service at the beginning of the war, and returned to Goodyear's fleet when the war ended.

[@RCAvhstape]

History Guy, you should invite a guest. Bruce Gordon is a youtuber who flew F-102's and F-106's during the Cold War and also F-100's in Vietnam. His channel is a great stuff for air history fans. In particular, the F-106 and F-102 were important parts of NORAD's defense of the continent, but because they saw no action Vietnam they get overlooked often. And the F-106, developed in the 50s, was ahead of its time, with its speed, range, and according to Gordon, even its maneuverability was surprisingly good for an interceptor never meant to dogfight. It also had a digital datalink to the SAGE system which was a system of radars and computers that coordinated air defense for the US and Canada. SAGE itself would be worth a video.

[@indianoladave]

I might be mistaken but They didn't carry spare anything in those bombers. Sounds like a great cover story for some strange stuff.

[@Ron-rs2zl]

Sounds plausible,every pound counts.

[@Ni999]

They'd throw the guns out to lighten the load if needed, flak jackets had steel plates in them. Stripping a crippled bomber at the end of its run isn't an uncommon story.

[@gpracer270]

Fantastic coverage of 3 amazing stories. #2 is my favorite! CRAZY that the plane returned to service, what a testament to its solid construction and engineering !

[@vellocet2438]

Nice topic :)

[@kevinkirk4285]

I have read that Tom Landry, former head coach of the Dallas Cowboys, crash-landed a B-17, after running out of fuel, in Belgium during WW2. I'd love to see more about that. Thanks for a great channel!

[@thomasc5605]

In ww1 an RE8 landed at its base with both the pilot and observer were dead in their seats and in the second war a Spitfire with a dead pilot flew back from Belgium and landed on an air base in Kent. Weird stuff.

[@all-yw2yr]

Great story, something to talk to my kids about, thank you for sharing.

[@ws2228]

Lady Be Good (B 24) also landed fairy intact in Libya. Very sad story.

[@LuvBorderCollies]

Ah, forgot about that one. I do remember the naviator's notebook was covered with doodling. He was entertaining himself instead of navigating. Such a tragedy. Its hard to fathom a navigator being so over the top careless and for such a long period of time. Not everyone graduates in the top half of their class.

[@LuftKorps]

I love this random fascinating stories of this channel.

[@a.-.f_k]

The first soviet drone to fly over NATO airspace...

[@billhahn4113]

Fascinating stories, and best tie yet.

[@billiondollardan]

I think he meant to write 900 km rather than 600 at 2:37

[@baitsnatcha]

I noticed that as well...even if you draw a direct line from somewhere on the former border of northern Poland and the GDR to the northernmost border of former Western Germany and Belgium it's > 600 km...and 560 miles is roughly 900 km

[@jacobstienecker]

I’m looking at this same aircraft right now. In the same exact spot 4:27

[@DanSlotea]

So the first plane didn't land, it crashed into a house.

[@209lapko]

This channel it's absolutely brilliant! Thank you ...

[@howegav]

Great episode. "BUNGA BUNGA"

[@ZenZaBill]

"BUNGA BUNGA"!

[@stevenwiederholt7000]

Oh Sure that's easy for you to say! :-)

[@johnnydeville5701]

Awesome video! The History Guy delivers again! Those B17 Flying Fortresses are still gorgeous aircraft!

[@DeValiere_]

Speaking of US pilots that served in more than one war, couldn't help but think of Robin Olds. Now there's a yarn... Triple Ace.

[@colmhain]

DeValiere, Col. Ritchie, my 9th grade math teacher (yes, that's what we called him), was a combat fighter pilot during WWII, Korea, and Vietnam. I don't know if he was an ace, though......

[@DeValiere_]

@@colmhain Yeah, not a common thing to be an ace in 3 wars to the best of my knowledge - that's 5 kills in each war. But I hope you took advantage of having a teacher like that and got some good stories from him. Fighter pilots with Korean War / WWII combat experience were greatly needed in Vietnam when it became clear that the missile only policy had failed utterly - USAF and Navy had to relearn dogfighting tactics that the higher ups had delcared obsolete. The F4 Phantoms didn't even have an onboard gun IIRC... Not good when your missles won't lock or can't turn tight enough to track a MiG, but it (the MiG) can out turn you and has cannon that will shoot you to pieces... US turned the kill ratio around by the end of the conflict in no small way thanks to the old hands like your teacher and Robin Olds. It's also why even now, all US fighters have an internal cannon even if they may never use it. Fool me once...

[@colmhain]

DeValiere Yeah, I never understood why they eliminated the cannons from fighter craft. Hubris, I suppose. The best weapon in the arsenal of any enemy. As for Colonel Ritchie (I had his son the following year, HE was Mr. Ritchie), like most veterans, he didn't talk much about his experiences, and was good at evading direct questions when it came to his personal experience: "Enough chit-chat, back to work..." And we only had 50 minutes a day with him. He commanded respect, and had a strong gravitas about him. But he was very friendly, and a good teacher. I remember him fondly. He died about eight years ago. Mr. Ritchie has since retired, it was over thirty years ago, after all......

[@franksunden8789]

You, in my opinion have the best channel(programming) on you tube, you could(and should) have programming on TV's history channel, thanks for the broadest education you bring to your viewers !

[@Nog311]

The first plane did not land it's self it CRASHED....

[@syntaxerror8955]

"Crash" is just a derogatory term for a very rough landing where the objective is to land with no regard for the structural integrity of he plane, and where the lives of such soft creatures as humans are of no consequence.

[@chiefpontiac1800]

Now the story on the B-17 is really cool! Thanks again History Guy!

[@kianbijari1154]

in one word: neat

[@johnwilliamson2276]

Thanks again for a nice History listen.

[@ashman187]

560 miles is not 600km. is 804 km.

[@rabbi120348]

Could be nautical miles: 560 nautical miles = 1037 km

[@Ricqu]

560 miles is not 804km, Its 901km.

[@paulchappell9606]

Always enjoy a quick history lesson

[@christineparis5607]

YIKES!!! I can't think of a more pointless, random death than being killed by a pilotless, runaway plane! Well, I can, but I'd love to hear from others what their idea of the dumbest death they could imagine would be...

[@bigblue6917]

How about a couple who fell off a roof while having sex.

[@lc285]

christine paris - War.

[@donarnold8268]

1983 SAN FRANCISCO -- A couple engaged in sex atop a nightclub piano Wednesday triggered a mechanism that propels the piano to the ceiling as it does after stripper acts, crushing the man to death and injuring the woman, police said. www.upi.com/Archives/1983/11/23/A-couple-engaged-in-sex-atop-a-nightclub-piano/2357438411600/

[@colinp2238]

@@bigblue6917 That is really going all the way.

[@markwhite1780]

@@colinp2238 oh boy! That's a good one.

[@atVVV1]

Great video history guy!

[@Abbeville_Kid]

I had heard about the Delta and the B-17, but not the MiG. An excellent story with bonus footage of a beautiful Bf109.

[@lisabethfluitt1879]

🤩My dad was on a plane during WWII. Everyone bailed out due to flak damage over allied territory. Only one person was lost. 😁 My dad received a DFC for helping the plane stay aloft until Allied territory was reached. He was the last to leave the plane and made sure the dead person was parachuted out of the plane. 🤩

[@markschwartz5614]

Another awesome video! Keep up the wonderful work.

[@MarcioMarsiglia]

Fantastic aviation histories... excelent hoster!

[@Puffalupagus360]

I love videos like this. Thank you for making it.

[@edwordwhy9491]

Thank you for this video, really great work and very interesting. I really appreciate aviation themed history and look forward to more!