Bill Larson: Last year at this time I hopped in my old "rust bucket" and headed for the Valiant Air Command air show in Titusville, Florida. I am happy to say that the old rust bucket came through again this year, and so did the VAC. Their show at Space Coast Regional Airport is truly a nostalgia trip of sight and sound from the forties music to the re-furbished Wildcat that was dredged from the depths of Lake Michigan to become one of America's favorite "pin-ups." This is one of the best in the restoration racket; they bring the old birds back to operational status..and then operate them! And at least once a year, they get them all together for everybody to see and hear. Hats off to the VAC for another great weekend!

Let's take the tour of this year's show.

She's a lady who loved a good battle. And she was always a winner. She doesn't fight anymore but she is still around, touring the country, showing off that beautiful body to the admiration of thousands of fans who remember her in her heyday. She has outlasted all the pin-ups of her time and still makes thousands of hearts skip a beat at mention of her name.

Memphis Belle.

When I saw her, I stood silently to pay homage to a lady who flew 51 combat missions over Europe in World War II and finally came home to heal her wounds..and to help heal ours. Here she was..at Tico Airport..and she brought along one of her closest friends. One who was with her on the first 25 missions, he, too, a winner and a bonafide hero.

Lt. Col. Robert Morgan.

We talked about his memories of Belle. "They are very good memories," he said, "cause Belle was a strong lady and she brought us back 25 times even though she got herself shot up a lot of the time."

What about the movie, Memphis Belle? He was there for part of the shooting. But the movie industry has its own way of doing things, says Morgan: "It was fine except that Hollywood glamorized the crew and had them do things that we would never do. In fact, they did things that we would have been court martialed for doing."

Morgan says he'll keep flying as long as he can pass his physical. First stop after Tico..home to Asheville, North Carolina, then off to Midland, Texas followed Punta Gorda, Florida the next weekend and McDill Field the weekend after that. I have a sneaking feeling that Bob Morgan will keep flying until Belle get too tired.

Let's move on.

The Grumman TBM Avenger is a work in progress at the Valiant Air Command.
In the late forties, the Navy put out the specs it wanted on the plane..folding wings, 300 mph, 1,000 mile range and a 30,000 ft ceiling. And that's what they got.

The avenger could carry one 2,000 pound torpedo or four 500 lb. bombs.

There were three crew members: the pilot, a rear gunner, and the bombardier/belly gunner. Awesome airplane, awesome fliers.

Here's another big gun.

Everybody loves a Gooney-Bird, even without its wings.

Don't go away; Bill took a lot more pictures. Click to continue.