Page 8 - Aerotech News and Review, January 22, 2021

High Desert Hangar Stories
A P-51 pilot’s five minutes of fame!

Or “How to Be an ‘Ace’ for a Day”

by Bob Alvis pilot at war.
special to Aerotech News Bud’s Mustang carried the name “California
Coaster,” in reference to his old car back home
It had been a long day at Fox Field about 10 that was better at coasting down hills then driv-
years ago. The Air Museum at Planes of Fame ing up them. It connected him to the state he
had brought two P-51 Mustangs up to Lancaster, loved and called home. Bud said, “You’re not
offering flights for those willing to shell out the going to get any thrilling stories of combat in
bucks to fly in the legend and check it off their the air from me, as when I arrived on station,
bucket list. the war was winding down. The milk runs to
As I was signing in the last few people and and from Germany were not encountering much
getting their paperwork in order, my eye caught enemy resistance and the reality was, we feared
a gentleman who was leaning against the fence the English weather more than we did the Ger-
and watching the planes come and go. His ap- mans.”
parent age had me thinking and wondering about All said and done it was just a lot of “what’s
his desire to hang out and watch old warbirds fly. next?” and “when will they pull the plug on us
When the birds taxied out, I walked over and and send us to the Pacific?” an experience which,
struck up a conversation to satisfy my curiosity for Bud, never came, as the Army Air Corps was
and he introduced himself as “Bud.” Soft-spoken pretty flush with experienced combat pilots to
and with no hint of attitude, he had the gaze of fill those ranks. Eventually that long boat ride
a kid and the gray hair of a long life. Quiet and across the pond brought him back home to a life
unassuming, he was slow to open up to share that never included flying planes again.
any of his story. After a bit, my question was, “Wow,” I said. “Were you disappointed to
“Are you just a fan or were you just looking for hang up the gloves and helmet and leave it all
something to do today?” behind?” “Not really,” he said, “it was a special
“Well, son,” he spoke in a soft tone, “I just time and it was a job and, after all, people move
wanted to look at a bit of my history one last on to newer adventures in life. I wasn’t the only Courtesy photograph
time, before Father Time calls my name to form one who walked away with no regrets, as we Capt. L.H. “Bud” Phipps with his plane, the California Coaster.
up on his wing and head to the field in the sky.” have our memories of what few ever experi-
“So you have a connection to the P-51 Mus- enced and that is all that matters.”
tang?” I asked. After a couple of those old VFW-type drinks, wait for others and get back on the transport, and past that row of Mustangs and saw that, on the
“Well, son there was a time when I was Capt. I could see Bud had a bit more to give with his do it all over again until we tell you to stop! The left side of the plane I had flown in, was a score
L.H. Phipps, a pilot in the 364th F.G. 384th F.S. story and it sure cemented our friendship, which first day was no big deal and pretty routine but card of 12 swastikas and a squadron leader’s
based in Honington, England, in World War II.” we kept going until the day he died. “Bob, there the second day, weather had us on the ground identification code with some pretty sexy nose
Looking in his eyes, a million questions was one mission I flew that had me feeling pret- until noon before we headed off east again. art that had been my ticket to a pretty satisfying
swirled around my brain and for the life of me I ty damn heroic, even if it only lasted for a few Upon arrival, I walked out to the first Mustang day — they thought I was that Ace pilot! For
could not get any words out, as his resume had hours. Let me tell you about it. on the line. For some reason, I changed my habit just a bit of time, I had the feeling of what it was
stunned me into silence. After a few minutes, we “After the Germans had called it quits, all our of entering the cockpit on the left, and instead like to be at the top of the pyramid and have the
were both clicking with give and take and we planes had been moved to forward bases and a entered from the right. No big deal, right? Rou-
started those first steps of bonding an older gen- call came down that pilots were needed to ferry tine flight, and the Mustang purred like a kitten. admiration of fellow pilots!”
eration with a younger one. We ended up sharing the planes back to England, so they could be When I arrived, a follow-me flight line truck Story time was over, and I was sad to see it
phone numbers so we could maybe get a chance crated up and sent to the Pacific. Being as I was motioned for me to fall in behind and he would end. That story he told me has helped to sustain
for an adult beverage at the VFW at a later date, bored to death, I eagerly volunteered. There was lead the way. I thought, “Hmmm this is a first,” me many times when, feeling like just an aver-
and he could share some stories. no rush by the battle-tested pilots, who wanted as this was not the procedure from the previous age Joe, I’d think maybe someday carrying out
The day finally came and, like a kid looking nothing to do with “herding sheep” back to Eng- day, but what the heck, just flow with it. Pulling a routine task will put me in a position to be
forward to meeting a childhood hero, I walked land. up to the hard stand, for some reason again I ex- “ACE” for a day!
into the VFW and saw him sitting with a few “The next day we reported down to the flight ited on the right and slid off the wing to a group Thanks to the good Lord for making it pos-
old pictures in hand. I eagerly offered my hand- line and boarded a C-47 that flew us to Germany, of fellow airmen from that base who were eager sible to cross paths with the man I just knew as
shake and a thanks for his willingness to spend where we got off and headed to the operations to wine and dine me at the base officers club! “Bud,” but known to our nation as Capt. L.H.
some time together. We talked for hours about shack for instructions. Looking out at rows and “Time passed, and in all my time in England
his training, deployment and the transition from rows of planes, the orders were simple: go get I never had eaten or drank so well. I told the Phipps, United States Army Air Corps. He was
life as a California teenager to a P-51 Mustang a plane and fly it to the rally point in England; guys I needed to get back to Germany to pick one of many in a long line of American Patriots
up some more planes to be delivered. Confused who answered the call on behalf of freedom-
looks and questions asked as to why was I, a loving people and did the journeyman job that
Double Ace, ferrying planes from Germany? makes up the bulk of service in the American
Isn’t that for grunt pilots? Are you in trouble and military.
being punished? I was more confused than ever Rest in Peace my Friend, and thanks for the
as I walked out of the club wondering what had story and your service.
just played out. The answer came when I rolled Until next time, Bob out …

Courtesy photograph
Courtesy photograph The markings of Capt. L.H. Phipps units’ aircraft of the 364th Fighter Group, 84th Fighter Squadron,
Squadron logo patch. at RAF Honington in England during World War II.

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