The pilot had to have seen these same green fields, rainbows, and waterfalls. I’m here precisely because of that terrible day, when someone operating a plane not so different from this one was setting eyes on the island for a reason entirely unrelated to its beauty. I look down at the USS Arizona Memorial and think about the 1,000-plus servicemen that are still trapped in its wreckage, and I shiver in the Hawaiian heat. There are plenty of scenic flights to take in Hawaii-this is the one you take because it’s tightly tied to world history.Īs my pilot does a final circle above Pearl Harbor, I can’t help but imagine that day 75 years ago. For me, though, the best part of the flight wasn’t any of that it was the emotion of the occasion. Plus, putting on the old flight suit, the parachute (yes, a real parachute), and the old-school leather flight helmet is fun for aviation geeks and casual fliers alike. The scenery is a draw for sure, but so is the plane: Built just a few years after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, it’s a true open-top two-seater, and you sit directly behind the pilot à la Maverick and Goose. The Warbirds fly over the North Shore and down through the center of Oahu to Pearl Harbor, where they make several circles overhead to view the still-active military base, including the USS Arizona Memorial and Ford Island, from above.Įven without the history, it’s a thrilling ride. How could they miss this screaming red-and-yellow two-seater? Owned and operated by Paradise Helicopters, the plane is part of a tour called Pacific Warbirds, which simulates the flight path of a Japanese fighter on the day Pearl Harbor was attacked. I can see one such group of visitors look to the sky as we fly over for the first time. It is without question the most popular way to learn more about what happened that fateful day and to pay homage to those killed. Today, the ship’s grave is one of the most visited sites on Oahu, drawing millions of visitors annually. Nearly half of the total casualties occurred on the USS Arizona, and in 1962, a memorial was set up over its resting place in the harbor. This pilot will fit perfectly in your 1/7th and 1/8th Scale Warbirds and. More than 2,400 people were killed, and 19 ships were damaged or destroyed. Very nice and detailed 10 inch WWII American US Navy Pacific RC Warbird Pilot. and took only one hour and fifteen minutes. On December 7, 1941, about 18 years before Hawaii became a state, the Japanese launched a surprise attack on the U.S.
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