Hi everyone. I've never had a blog before so I'm just winging it. When I opened the template I saw that I needed a name for my blog. It took me a pot of tea and cup of coffee this morning to come up with the name. It is just one of the things we might say to each other when climbing to altitude to make a skydive. It is similar to "Look at all those ants down there, they look like people". I've heard more than a few people say that while sticking their heads out of the plane as we taxied to the departure end of the runway.
I really don't have much of a game plan for my blog, I guess I'll just keep it flexible and write about whatever pops into my head on any given day but it will probably always be aviation or art related because that's what I'm into. In addition to my current art and book projects I'l probably be posting some aviation history and skydiving photos from my collection and links to cool stuff I find while perusing the web.
Today I think I'll feature feature 4th Fighter Group ace Kidd Hofer's last aerial victory since it occurred on 28 May 1944 and I featured it in my painting "The Kidd". Here is his combat report for that date which is also reprinted in my first book "Kidd Hofer--The Last of the Screwball Aces which has this image on the cover.
28 May 1944
I was leading Cobweb red section near Wittenberg, when 15 plus e/a came in high head-on to the middle bunch of bombers. Shortly after that I saw 4 Fw 190s go through the Forts, bringing one bomber down in flames. I dropped my tanks and gave chase. Four (4) P-47s cut me out and destroyed one e/a. I had pulled back up to rejoin our "Big Friends", when an FW 190 dove past. Lt. Siems shot him down at 6,000 feet after I had broken into some more 109s.
I jumped one e/a out of this bunch and closed to 75 yards, getting strikes. The e/a poured glycol, rolled over and dived into the deck.
Ralph K. Hofer
Lt., Air Corps
Research turned up the name of the German pilot, Uffz. Heinz Kunz of 6./JG11. He was killed in the crash. My painting depicts Hofer rolling out behind the Me109G-6 flown by Kunz.
I really don't have much of a game plan for my blog, I guess I'll just keep it flexible and write about whatever pops into my head on any given day but it will probably always be aviation or art related because that's what I'm into. In addition to my current art and book projects I'l probably be posting some aviation history and skydiving photos from my collection and links to cool stuff I find while perusing the web.
Today I think I'll feature feature 4th Fighter Group ace Kidd Hofer's last aerial victory since it occurred on 28 May 1944 and I featured it in my painting "The Kidd". Here is his combat report for that date which is also reprinted in my first book "Kidd Hofer--The Last of the Screwball Aces which has this image on the cover.
28 May 1944
I was leading Cobweb red section near Wittenberg, when 15 plus e/a came in high head-on to the middle bunch of bombers. Shortly after that I saw 4 Fw 190s go through the Forts, bringing one bomber down in flames. I dropped my tanks and gave chase. Four (4) P-47s cut me out and destroyed one e/a. I had pulled back up to rejoin our "Big Friends", when an FW 190 dove past. Lt. Siems shot him down at 6,000 feet after I had broken into some more 109s.
I jumped one e/a out of this bunch and closed to 75 yards, getting strikes. The e/a poured glycol, rolled over and dived into the deck.
Ralph K. Hofer
Lt., Air Corps
Research turned up the name of the German pilot, Uffz. Heinz Kunz of 6./JG11. He was killed in the crash. My painting depicts Hofer rolling out behind the Me109G-6 flown by Kunz.
Here is one of my favourite photos of Kidd Hofer when he was being interviewed by the intrepid war correspondent from the St. Louis Dispatch, Virginia Irwin. Hofer's seemingly ubiquitous dog Duke is in the cockpit of the Kidd's P-51B Mustang, "Salem Representative".