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Jukka O. Kauppinen · Guest

Memorial for veteran ATCs, Brewster model presented to public + more
aviation history

Memorial for veteran ATCs, Brewster model presented to public
Finnish air-traffic controllers built a 1:5 scale model airplane to
honor their veteran colleagues, the air-traffic controllers of the post
World War II generation. Large portion of the first controllers were war
pilots, who practically hand-built the Finnish air-traffic control
system from scratch when during the late 1940s and 1950s. The airplane
modeled was Brewster fighter BW-384 "White seven", the personal airplane
ensign Aarno Siro flew in the last battles of Continuation War against
Soviet Union, during summer 1944. Post-war Aarno Siro was one of the
first air-traffic controllers and worked as such for 22 years.
BW-384 flew its first flight 5.4.1940 and was delivered to LLv 24 6 days
later. During its career BW-384 was flown by for example I. Törrönen, L.
Nissinen, L. Pekuri and Aarno Siro. The total flight time of BW-384 was
729 hours and it was removed from operational use in 1952. The plane is
credited with 18 aerial victories. Its most successful pilot was Lauri
Nissinen with 10 victories in BW-384.
The whole article:
http://www.virtualpilots.fi/feature/photoreports/bw384/

Other recent articles from Finnish Virtual Pilots Association

Photos from Kyösti Karhila's memoirs publishing event.
Kyösti Karhila is the highest scoring living Finnish WW2 fighter pilot,
with 32 credited victories. Recent research has him credited with 10
more victories, that were originally non confirmed but have been since
verified from Soviet archives. Mr. Karhila has now published his memoirs
from the wartime. Karhila gained ace status flying Curtiss Hawk 75
fighters and was later a highly successful Messerschmitt 109 pilot.
The whole article:
http://www.virtualpilots.fi/img/albums/karhila_2007/
The book:
http://www.apali.fi/kauppa/product_details.php?p=52
http://www.apali.fi/kauppa/images/karhila_kansi_net_0702_00e.jpg

Aarne Vuopohja - Pe-2 Mechanic
During the World War II mr. Aarne Vuopohja served in the Finnish Air
Force as assistant mechanic, at LentoRykmentti 4 (Flight Regiment 4),
which was the bomber arm of the FiAF. Vuopohja worked for example with
the Pe-2 planes. He was interviewed in the Virtual Pilots' summer camp
Mosquito Meeting 2004, at Oulu.
"Let's say that I was frighten to see the first time the aeroplane goes
to an engine change and none than the chief mechanic knows what to do.
Three of us were just came from the mechanic training and haven't seen
much aeroplanes before."
The whole article:
http://www.virtualpilots.fi/hist/WW2History-AarneVuopohjaEnglish.html

The Honourable Finnish Swastika
In Finland the Swastika was first used by the government in 1918, in the
Cross of Liberty decoration designed by Gallen-Kallela, and as the
national insignia of the Finnish Air Force. Swedish Count Eric von Rosen
had donated the first FiAF aircraft, decorated by swastikas painted on
the wings. Thus the Swastika was introduced by two sources by two men in
two different manifestations. The other national symbols of the young
Finnish state included the national coat of arms from the 1500's, the
national anthem and the blue cross flag from the year 1918. Only later,
The Nazi Swastika also tainted the Finnish Swastika, a honorable symbol
still used as a symbol in the Finnish Armed Forces.
The whole article:
http://www.virtualpilots.fi/feature/articles/honorable_swastika/

More from the Association:
http://www.virtualpilots.fi/
http://www.virtualpilots.fi/en/news/
http://www.virtualpilots.fi/hist/