Ford Airplane plant

Re-focusing to cars, airplanes, and the Willow Run Airport, there is one more guy that helped to keep the airport on the map with both his racing and his aviation ventures. Who remembers Connie Kalitta?
 
ArcLighter said:
Re-focusing to cars, airplanes, and the Willow Run Airport, there is one more guy that helped to keep the airport on the map with both his racing and his aviation ventures. Who remembers Connie Kalitta?
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Remember him? Who could ever forget Conrad, and many of his aeronautical "adVENTURES"? DD

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Conrad "Connie" Kalitta (born February 24, 1938, in Michigan) is the CEO of Kalitta Air and a retired American drag racing driver, once known as "The Bounty Hunter".
He grew up in Mount Clemens, Michigan, and was a 1957 graduate of Mount Clemens High School.
He raced from the 1950s through the 1990s. He was the first driver to hit 200 mph in an NHRA sanctioned event. He also helped Shirley Muldowney get started (in the "Bounty Huntress" car). Kalitta won 10 NHRA national events between 1967 and 1994.
Connie has won the U.S. Nationals in 1994 after losing in two prior finals to Don Garlits and Shirley Muldowney. He defeated Eddie Hill in the final round.
 
I knew a guy when I worked at the airport in Champaign(Savoy) Illinois that was a airplane mechanic for Connie Kalitta when he was first starting. He said Connie was
always about one step away from losing his flying certificate. Somewhere he must have learned how to make money and create an empire.
 
ArcLighter, We gotta get outta this place was what we used to call the Vietnam national anthem when I was there.
 
Long time ago, rumor had it that Connie taxied in to the ramp at Willow Run, and someone called the FAA, said that his co-pilot was a blow-up doll. By the time the Feds got there, Connie just told them that the co-pilot had gone on home for crew rest, and would be unavailable; story was that he got away with it. He's been one of a kind, both in racing & aviation.

1942deluxe said:
I knew a guy when I worked at the airport in Champaign(Savoy) Illinois that was a airplane mechanic for Connie Kalitta when he was first starting. He said Connie was
always about one step away from losing his flying certificate. Somewhere he must have learned how to make money and create an empire.
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ArcLighter said:
Re-focusing to cars, airplanes, and the Willow Run Airport, there is one more guy that helped to keep the airport on the map with both his racing and his aviation ventures. Who remembers Connie Kalitta?
Click to expand...

My brother is a Captain for Kalitta Air. He flys out of Willow Run. Says it is a great family and company to work for. He enjoys the occasional trip to a drag race.
 
you guys gotta remember, the late 30's were terribly devisive times with America Firsters, Roosevelt promising No foreign wars, etc, etc. As happens Every time, any outside attack on the country reunites us all. Believe me, industry would explode here with money being spent and we would all pull together, AGAIN....:D
 
tinman080 said:
you guys gotta remember, the late 30's were terribly devisive times with America Firsters, Roosevelt promising No foreign wars, etc, etc. As happens Every time, any outside attack on the country reunites us all. Believe me, industry would explode here with money being spent and we would all pull together, AGAIN....:D
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I know you mean well, but I'm sitting here just shaking my head. In the first place, there's NO money left. And we're still GIVING more BILLIONS of it away (backed by IOUs) to whomever thinks they're entitled to free stuff. DD
 
Just want to add that a ride in any of these old war birds really makes you appreciate what those vets did. Here's the view from the bombardiers seat of a B17. Now imagine that view flying straight and level with flak exploding in front of the plane.
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tinman080 said:
you guys gotta remember, the late 30's were terribly devisive times with America Firsters, Roosevelt promising No foreign wars, etc, etc. As happens Every time, any outside attack on the country reunites us all. Believe me, industry would explode here with money being spent and we would all pull together, AGAIN....:D
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Wendell Wilkie ran on the Anti-War platform in 1940, not Roosevelt.
Roosevelt had to justify to the people why he was helping the British and the Russians with foreign aid; those policies eventually leading to the Lend Lease Act in March of 1941. Because of Roosevelt helping the British, Wilkie accused Roosevelt of being a war monger during the campaign.
 
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We went for a flight in the B17 from willow run about 3 yrs ago.man we could walk along the little skinny track past the bomb bay when the doors were open,also there was a ww2 vet on board,Did he get treated like royalty.
A very humbling experience talking to him.the flight crew presented him with a medallion for his service to the country.
Lawrie
 
Great photo through the nose of the B-17!
I too agree we owe too much. We used to be the ones lending.
I hope to see great change in my life time. Hope!
 
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