 Glacier
Girl, the Lockheed P-38 WWII
fighter that was rescued from beneath the ice in Greenland and
meticulously restored to original condition, will appear at EAA AirVenture
Oshkosh 2007, parked on display at the main showcase ramp, AeroShell
Square. But before she gets to the World’s Greatest Aviation Celebration
for the week of July 23-29, the airplane has some unfinished business to
take care of.
Sixty-five years ago, Glacier Girl
was one of eight aircraft--six P-38s and two B-17 bombers--assigned to
Operation Bolero, a World War II aid mission to support U.S. allies in the
war-torn European theatre. The mission was cut short by brutal weather,
and the entire squadron was forced to make an emergency landing on a
remote ice cap in Greenland.
Fifty years later, the P-38 was salvaged
from under 268 feet of ice and was painstakingly restored over the next
decade. It flew again in late October 2002 and was an immensely popular
attraction at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2005.
On June 22, pilot Steve Hinton will take
off in Glacier Girl from Teterboro Airport in New Jersey, and fly
to Duxford, England, to complete the aborted Operation Bolero from 65
years ago.
“This monumental flight will bring
closure to Operation Bolero as well as pay homage to the brave aviators
who beat the odds to survive certain death on that polar ice cap in
Greenland during World War II,” Hinton said. “It’s thrilling to be a
part of this historic event.”
“Operation Bolero II” will also include
air show veteran Ed Shipley, who will be Hinton’s wingman in the
recently completed P-51 Mustang Miss Velma. The Mustang will be
equipped with Wingspeed Corporation’s satellite-based aircraft
communications technology that will allow anyone on the ground to
communicate with the pilots via e-mail communications and receive answers
from the cockpit while the planes are in flight.
The cutting-edge technology will also allow
real time tracking of Glacier Girl’s historic journey at Shipley’s
website for aviation enthusiasts, AirShowBuzz.com.
“It’s an honor to be Steve’s wingman
as we trace the same flight path that Glacier Girl flew over 60
years ago,” said Shipley, U.S. Air Force Heritage Flight pilot.
Glacier Girl
will remain in Duxford for the Flying Legends Air Show on July 7-8, and
then return to the U.S. to take part in EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2007. The
airplane will be on display at AeroShell Square and be a featured aircraft
in the popular Warbirds In Review program, scheduled for 10 a.m. Saturday,
July 28. It’s also scheduled to be a part of the U.S. Air Force Heritage
Flights.
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