Another SBD Raised From Lake Michigan Bottom 6-19
Posted: Wed Jun 24, 2009 11:01 am
http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/news ... 20.article
Again, for those of you wondering how an SBD ended up in Lake Michigan, here is the short answer. During WWII, Carrier Qualifications Training was established at NAS Glenview, in suburban Chicago, IL. Two sidewheel steamships were converted into training carriers, the USS Wolverine and USS Sable. From 1942 until Sept of 1945, teh Sable and Wolverine trained half of all carrier qualified pilots in the US Navy. They operated in the summer and winter, even when ice developed on Lake Michigan.
The planes used were more likely to be combat veteran aircraft. It's likely that this SBD participated in early campaigns before being replaced by newer versions of the SBD or the SB2C Helldiver. As lake Michigan is fully inside US Boundries, the US Navy has held ownership rights to these aircraft. Anumber have been recovered and restored to museum status including another SBD, a Vultee Vindicator (only known example) and a F4F (an F4F, not an FM2 built by GM) and are now in the Navel Air Museum in Pensecola, FL.
The F4F was traded to a private part and restored to flying condition. I saw it at Oshkosh a number of years ago. One of the youngest pilots to earn his CQTC qualification was an 18 year old by the name of George H.W. Bush. Robert Taylor and a number of other actors served at NAS Glenview during the war. Almost every type of carrier borne aircraft was involved in CQTC training including the SNJ trainer.
Joe
Again, for those of you wondering how an SBD ended up in Lake Michigan, here is the short answer. During WWII, Carrier Qualifications Training was established at NAS Glenview, in suburban Chicago, IL. Two sidewheel steamships were converted into training carriers, the USS Wolverine and USS Sable. From 1942 until Sept of 1945, teh Sable and Wolverine trained half of all carrier qualified pilots in the US Navy. They operated in the summer and winter, even when ice developed on Lake Michigan.
The planes used were more likely to be combat veteran aircraft. It's likely that this SBD participated in early campaigns before being replaced by newer versions of the SBD or the SB2C Helldiver. As lake Michigan is fully inside US Boundries, the US Navy has held ownership rights to these aircraft. Anumber have been recovered and restored to museum status including another SBD, a Vultee Vindicator (only known example) and a F4F (an F4F, not an FM2 built by GM) and are now in the Navel Air Museum in Pensecola, FL.
The F4F was traded to a private part and restored to flying condition. I saw it at Oshkosh a number of years ago. One of the youngest pilots to earn his CQTC qualification was an 18 year old by the name of George H.W. Bush. Robert Taylor and a number of other actors served at NAS Glenview during the war. Almost every type of carrier borne aircraft was involved in CQTC training including the SNJ trainer.
Joe