Flight Ops A Century Ago: have a look

[Lonewolf_50]

This video is purported to be of Manfred von Richtoffen.
Please provide your opinions regarding the veracity of the claim.
https://videos.komando.com/watch/8095/ultra-rare-footage-of-the-most-famous-fighter-pilot-ever

I think it's legit, but it might be a red herring.

[Lynxman]

Certainly looks like him.

[Buster Hyman]

The size of those pants though...you sure it wasn't Goering? :p

I'd love to see what Peter Jacksons team could do with that though.

[Wart108]

Check out the serial number. He was known to fly that aircraft at that time

[uffington sb]

I thought he had his chin strap down from his cap, but when he took it off, it was still there!

[Pontius Navigator]

I thought he had his chin strap down from his cap, but when he took it off, it was still there!

Agree, it looked as if he had something on his head.

[Herod]

That's either to keep his ego under control, or a direct brain-control link to the Great Spaghetti Monster

[Fareastdriver]

The RFC pilot looks fairly happy. He's going to last out the War

[izod tester]

Richthofen suffered a head injury on 6 July 1917, perhaps that strap is part of a wound dressing.

[teeteringhead]

The size of those pants though...you sure it wasn't Goering? Could be stores issue!!

IIRC Herman G was on Richtofen's Squadron and - I think - took over as Boss when Manfred was shot down....

[Tashengurt]

Really interesting film without the jerky speeded up frame rate older films often have.
Makes me want to go read Biggles. (Probably can't get Biggles books anymore. Way too un PC)

[Archimedes]

The film has been around for a while now - you can find a transcript/description of the footage and some details here (http://www.virtualmuseum.ca/community-stories_histoires-de-chez-nous/capt-a-roy-brown-reluctant-hero_heros-malgre-lui/gallery/fokker-dr1/)

Richthofen was replaced as commander of JG1 by Wilhelm Reinhard; he was killed in a flying accident in July and Goering replaced him.

Reinhard and Goering both attended the flying trials, and after Goering had flown a prototype Dornier-Zeppelin D.I, Reinhard had a go; the top wing separated from the aircraft in a dive and he was killed. It transpired that the aircraft was meant to be grounded because of structural weakness, but as some observers have noted, had Reinhard had the first flight and then hopped out to let Goering have a try, the history of the Third Reich might have been very different indeed...

[Buster Hyman]

but as some observers have noted, had Reinhard had the first flight and then hopped out to let Goering have a try, the history of the Third Reich might have been very different indeed...

Especially if he crashed in a trench where some grubby little Corporal was hiding!

[NRU74]

In the 1970’s I went on a Pongo organised course in Berlin.
On one of the visits to East Berlin we visited von Richtofen’s grave (I have a photo which I can’t locate)
If Wiki’s correct it appears he’s been re-interred in Weisbaden.

[uffington sb]

Fareastdriver.

He does look happy. He’s probably just been told that he’ll see out the war in a convent school just outside Heidelberg teaching nuns home economics.

[binbrook]

Is that perhaps Hermann at 3.05 on the left?

[Wensleydale]

Reinhard and Goering both attended the flying trials, and after Goering had flown a prototype Dornier-Zeppelin D.I, Reinhard had a go; the top wing separated from the aircraft in a dive and he was killed. It transpired that the aircraft was meant to be grounded because of structural weakness, but as some observers have noted, had Reinhard had the first flight and then hopped out to let Goering have a try, the history of the Third Reich might have been very different indeed...

The plot at the end of the film "The Blue Max" I believe (George Peppard wrote off the experimental though).

[Union Jack]

The RFC pilot looks fairly happy. He's going to last out the War

Any lip readers on duty this evening? And yes, I believe that Binbrook is on the ball - or perhaps that should be two balls, but very small.....

Jack