16 | FLIGHTPATH
O
n Saturday 16 August 2014, the Flying Heritage
Collection (FHC) held its monthly flying day at
Paine Field, Everett, Washington State, USA.
FHC has some of the rarest and best examples
of W.W.II aircraft, from many participants.
This day featured three Luftwaffe aircraft, the
Fieseler Fi 156 C-2 Storch, Messerschmitt Bf 109E-3,
and Focke-Wulf Fw 190A-5. All three are combat vet-
erans; the Bf 109-E W.Nr.1342 was built in 1939, and
operated mostly over France, piloted by Eduard Hem-
merling. In July 1940 Hemmerling shot down two Brit-
ish aircraft, but suffered damage to hisBf 109 ‘Emil’,
crashing off the coast of Cap Blanc Nez. In 1988 the
aircraft was discovered by a man walking on the beach
near Calais and the wreck restored over many years.
The Storch was built in 1943, and saw service in Oc-
cupied Europe and on the Russian Front. It was found
in a derelict condition in East Germany in the 1980s,
and has been fully restored.
The Fw 190, W.Nr 1227, was built in 1943 and modified
for ground attack, and saw service with 4./JG54 near
Leningrad. On July 9 1943 it suffered engine failure from
possible sabotage, and crashed in a wetland, where it was
discovered almost complete in 1989, being restored over
many years in the UK and finished in the USA.
The flying days are open to museum guests as well
as the general public. They have an arena where they
introduce the aircraft and the pilots that fly them,
then the visitor can see them start and taxi out. Then
they open the taxiway up so the crowd can move to
near the runway to see the display. Being an airport,
the flying is limited to flypasts, nevertheless it is a
unique opportunity to see them in action.
For more information on this amazing collection, or
future flying events, see their website http://www.flyingher-
itage.com. John FreedmanLuftwaffe Over Seattle
LE F T: The display
pilots are
introduced to the
spectators arena
prior to engine
start. From the
left; Carter Teeters
and the Storch, Bud
Granley with the
BF-109, and Steve
Hinton for the
FW-190.ABOVE LEFT: Steve
Hinton flying the
Fw 190, W.Nr 1227.
Built in 1943 it saw
service with 4./
JG54 in WWII.LE F T: The Fw 190,
W.Nr 1227, was
built in 1943 and
later modified for
ground attack. It
was recovered , as
a wreck, from
Russia in 1989.