Author Archives: atcDave

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About atcDave

I'm 5o-something years old and live in Ypsilanti, Michigan. I'm happily married to Jodie. I was an air traffic controller for 33 years and recently retired; grew up in the Chicago area, and am still a fanatic for pizza and the Chicago Bears. My main interest is military history, and my related hobbies include scale model building and strategy games.

1941 Model 1.5 ton Military Truck

Posted on July 15, 2014 by atcDave

If that title/name is frustratingly vague for you, I’ve got a fun story for this one.  I have to start by saying I’m not really in to trucks, but I do like building and having a variety of vehicles and … Continue reading →

Posted in Soviet Union, Vehicle | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Northrop P-61A Black Widow

Posted on July 13, 2014 by atcDave

Nose Art Personal Markings appeared on aircraft of every nationality.  They ranged from colorful stripes or accent marks, to lurid creations covering most of an air frame.  The most typically American way of personalizing aircraft was nose art. There are … Continue reading →

Posted in Fighter - Night, USA | Tagged , , | 12 Comments

Supermarine Spitfire Mk Vb

Posted on July 11, 2014 by atcDave

The Spitfire is easily the most famous British aircraft of World War II, and really one of the most iconic aircraft of the entire war. After the jump, we’ll take  brief look at the development of this type.

Posted in Britain, Fighter | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

V2 Rocket (A4)

Posted on July 8, 2014 by atcDave

“Should Britain fail, then the the entire world would sink into the abyss of a new dark age made more sinister   …by the lights of perverted science.”   ~ Winston Churchill Germany was clearly the most advanced nation on … Continue reading →

Posted in Germany, Miscellaneous | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Martin B-26C Marauder

Posted on July 6, 2014 by atcDave

The Widowmaker The Martin B-26 Marauder had one of the most completely mixed reputations of any World War II aircraft.  After a very poor start, it would finish the war with the lowest loss per mission rate of any allied … Continue reading →

Posted in Bomber - Tactical, USA | Tagged , , | 8 Comments

A Day at the Air Zoo

Posted on July 5, 2014 by atcDave

This last week I had the opportunity to spend most of the day at the Kalamazoo Air Zoo with my 13 year old nephew. This is the sort of day that can be enjoyed by different generations pretty easily.

Posted in Museums | Tagged | 23 Comments

Willys MB Jeep

Posted on July 1, 2014 by atcDave

This is perhaps the most iconic American vehicle of all time.  The light, 4 x 4 vehicle could travel highway speeds or bounce cross country quite easily.  Well known for ruggedness and reliability, the Willys Jeep served a wide variety … Continue reading →

Posted in USA, Vehicle | Tagged , | 11 Comments

Grumman F4F-4 Wildcat

Posted on June 29, 2014 by atcDave

John Thach and His Weave Early in the Pacific War allied air forces were badly outmatched by the Japanese.  The Japanese Army and Navy were highly selective and trained to an excruciatingly high standard.  Plus, they’d been at war with … Continue reading →

Posted in Fighter, USA | Tagged , , | 24 Comments

Defining Categories

Posted on June 26, 2014 by atcDave

Just to prove how OCD I am, I’ve given some thought to how I’m arranging the categories for the “category search” feature available in the right hand column of every page.  This actually will get into a little bit of … Continue reading →

Posted in Administrative, Dave's Essays | 3 Comments

Yakovlev Yak-1

Posted on June 22, 2014 by atcDave

Lylia Litvyak The Soviet Union was the only major combatant to employ women in front line combat positions in World War II.  Perhaps the most famous example is Lt Litvyak. After the jump, I’ll look at this famous pilot and … Continue reading →

Posted in Fighter, Soviet Union | Tagged , , | 9 Comments