P-47D-23 “Bonnie” captured by Z 8 / Z70-200f2.8
I grew up with a dear family friend who landed on D Day who talked of just one aircraft, the P-47. It was ingrained in my romance of WWII stories. When I was first taken into the back of the hangar at KMOT and saw the fuselage of the P-47D sitting there, I was instantly sucked in. Recovered from the Pacific where it served, I was intrigued, especially with the holes. They didn’t look like bullet holes, and it was explained to me that they were where the natives had cut the aluminum to make fishing lures. That was thirteen years ago.
When “Bonnie” took to the skies, like so many, I fell in love with her. She is gorgeous! I’m very fortunate to be able to spend time with her, but it wasn’t until a week ago that I was able to be in the skies with her for the first time (that’s a long story). And that was a short seven minutes (an additional long story). It was long enough to get an “I was there shot” at best, and that was all. It doesn’t tell her story, it doesn’t show her off to her best, and it most definitely doesn’t encapsulate what I want in a photograph of a P-47 that served in the Pacific. But I am happy, it was a solid start, I will do better!