#eagle squadron

[nocternalrandomness]

F-15C assigned to the 56th Aggressor Squadron returning to Nellis AFB, Nevada

[tomatette]

Some manips for the magnificent fic "Flyboys" by @gefionne

[doctorslippery]

[random-racehorses]

Random Real Thoroughbred: EAGLE SQUADRON

EAGLE SQUADRON is a gelding born in 1967. By GREY EAGLE out of MISS SPEECHIE. Link to their pedigreequery page: https://www.pedigreequery.com/eagle+squadron

[usnatarchives]

Tailspin Tapestries: The Colorful Faces of WWII Aircraft 🃏

Nose art, the decorative painting or design on the fuselage of military aircraft, has a storied history that peaked during World War II. This vibrant, often cheeky artwork served as a morale booster for the crew, adding a personal touch to the grimness of war and providing a sentimental tie to the home they were fighting to protect. The practice traces its origins to Italian and German pilots in World War I, but it was during World War II that American airmen embraced this form of expression with unparalleled creativity.

World War II represented the golden age of nose art, with American crews stationed in Europe and the Pacific leading in creativity. Artworks ranged from ferocious animals and cartoon characters to pin-up girls and patriotic symbols, each with a unique name that reflected the aircraft's character, the crew's aspirations, or an inside joke among the squadron. Names like "Memphis Belle," "Enola Gay," and "Sack Time" became as legendary as the aircraft themselves, symbolizing the spirit of the crew and their mission.

Nose art was crucial to boosting morale among crew members, providing a sense of individuality and ownership over their aircraft in an otherwise regimented and dehumanizing environment. This artwork fostered an emotional attachment to their planes, with each piece a vivid manifestation of the crew's bond. It represented a piece of home and personality in foreign skies, a reminder of what they fought for and the camaraderie that sustained them.

The subject matter of nose art varied widely, reflecting diverse personalities within the crews. Cartoons and comic characters like Donald Duck and Bugs Bunny were favorites for their humor and relatability. Artwork also featured fierce sharks, tigers, and eagles, symbolizing the aircraft and crew's power and aggression.

Many nose art pieces were painted by the crew members themselves, though some squads had designated artists. Individuals like Don Allen, who painted nearly 100 pieces of nose art, were celebrated for their contributions. Using whatever materials were at hand, these artists created masterpieces under challenging conditions, showcasing remarkable ingenuity and talent.

The practice of nose art declined after World War II, largely due to stricter military regulations and the evolving nature of warfare. However, its legacy endures, captivating historians, veterans, and enthusiasts. World War II nose art remains a powerful reminder of the human element amidst war's machinery, a colorful testament to the resilience, creativity, and spirit of those who served.

The National Archives holds a treasure trove of photographs featuring this iconic nose art, often discovered in ordinary crew photos where the art itself isn't the primary focus of the image. This creates a fascinating treasure hunt for enthusiasts and researchers alike, offering glimpses into the past where this artwork accompanies stories of bravery, camaraderie, and the personal touches that made these aircraft more than just machines of war.

More resources on the National Archives website and Catalog:

https://nara.getarchive.net/topics/nose+art https://www.archives.gov/research/military/ww2/photos

[theworldatwar]

American volunteer pilots from ‘Eagle Squadron’ scramble to their Hawker Hurricanes at RAF Kirton in Lindsey air base - Lincolnshire, England, March 1941

[vcnillazelda]

alarm

bradley bradshaw x reader

summary: you call bradley on a fateful night.

tags: established relationship, house burglars, protective! bradley, bradley’s such a good bf, he’s bf material, mild angst, happy ending

✞———————❖———————✞

you turn off the tv; bored of the news of two burglars terrorising the area. the chances of it happening to your street was one in a million. stretching, you make sure the front door is still unlocked so bradley wasn’t locked out for the night; he was out drinking with his friends. you know jake, bob and natasha were there, yet you weren’t too sure if mav and some others went too. it wouldn’t be surprising if bradley invited them, he liked socialising with his squadron outside of work.

walking through to the bedroom, you turn on your bedside lamp, settling down as your new puppy, arno, settles back down on his bed. he was a pup you and bradley adopted from the local shelter, hes a dachshund pup, and had a tiny wheelchair for his back legs. the second you saw him you begged bradley to get him. bradley agreed as long as he got to name him, which you agreed to; so he chose arno for its meaning, eagle. you should of known he would of chosen something to do with flight.

arno let’s out a soft snort, sleepy eyes staring at you as you smile. “c’mere, arnie.” you pat the side of the bed, watching the puppy get up, waddling over as his little wheelchair squeaks a little. you giggle, scratching behind the tiny dog’s ears. a noise interrupts, and you look over to the door. the front door closes and heavy footsteps wander through the house. you smile, assuming rooster was home and would come join you, then a second pair of footsteps grows closer as an unfamiliar voice mutters a few words. you panic, grabbing arno and your phone, hiding away in the closet. you curse yourself as you realise the lamp is still on and you probably couldn’t risk going back out in case the stranger came in. your hands tremble as you cradle arno close, who licks at your fingers and neck in an almost comforting way. with your other shaking hand, you call bradley, making sure your phones on silent.

-

bradley laughs, putting his nearly empty glass down. he hadn’t drank much, so he was definitely coherent as he listens to natasha’s story. his phone rings in his pocket, and he excuses himself from the table when he realises it’s you. his teammates smile at him understandingly, and he ignores jake’s little taunt stating “he’s in trouble” to the others. “baby? what’s wrong, it’s late.” bradley asks, making his way to the door so he could hear you better. he hears a soft hiccup and his worry increases. “baby? i can’t hear you, are you okay?” he asks again, and this time he presses a hand to his other ear as he walks outside. “bradley, are you home??” you ask, voice trembling. “no, baby i’m still at the bar. what’s wrong?” bradley glances back to his friends who are all chatting. “there’s people in the house, bradley i’m scared..!” you whisper yell, breaths hitching. “what?! are you hiding? are you safe? do they know you’re there?” he asks desperately, running back inside to grab his jacket. the group all glance up curiously. “just stay there, baby i’m coming okay?” he tells you, trying to reassure you as he hears you weep a little. “what’s wrong?” natasha asks, and bradley briefly pulls away. “emergency.” he states simply, not bothering to say goodbye properly as he runs from the bar.

bradley runs five blocks to get there, not bothering to hang up so you could probably hear him running, he’s out of breath and his chest burns. sure enough, the front doors open a crack and his stomach feels like lead. he hangs up, entering the home with confidence. he spots a silhouette in the hallway, shouting out to them. the intruder peers around the door, eyes wide with surprise. “get outta here!” bradley snaps, storming forward. the burglar dodges, running straight out the house with whatever he had grabbed. the second your scream meets his ears, bradley runs to the bedroom, bursting through the door. the second burglar is pulling you from the closet, and in the struggle you drop your phone. bradley catches a glance of an ongoing call with 911, and relaxes. he focuses on the stranger, grabbing him by the shoulders and yanking him away from you, shoving him to the floor. bradley, blinded with rage of the idea of the person hurting you, he lands punch after punch on the guy; who wails and tries to scramble away. the sound of you crying makes him stop, not to mention the guy had gone limp and he didn’t want to kill him.

“baby, c’mere, it’s okay.” he whispers, carefully wrapping his arms around you as you cradle arno close. “i’m here, baby girl.” bradley tells you, as you wrap an arm around him, still holding your puppy. pulling away suddenly, you grab your phone, standing carefully on shaky knees with bradley’s help. “i’m here..” you tell the operator, following your boyfriend out of the house. “everything’s fine. my boyfriend is here; i’m okay.” you state, sitting on the wall outside of your home; shivering a little in the cold air. bradley drapes his jacket over your shoulders, rubbing your arms as arno wiggles to get out of your grasp. you carefully put arno down on the wall, keeping a hand on his side so he didn’t wander nor fall. “they want to talk to you brad.” you mutter, offering your phone.

bradley nods, taking the phone. “hello?” he greets, and the operator immediately responds. “hello, sir. are you bradley?” she asks, and he nods a bit stupidly considering she couldn’t see him. “yeah, i’m bradley.” he replies, and he hears some typing. “can you confirm what happened tonight?” the operator asks, and he subconsciously wraps his arm around you when you rub at your watery eyes, rubbing your arm to soothe you. “yeah, of course. i was at the bar with some of my colleagues when i got a call about 10 to maybe 15 minutes ago from my girlfriend saying there were people inside our house, i came home and scared one off; the other is knocked out in our bedroom.” he explains, watching arno sniff around the edge of the wall. “how did you get home?” she asks, and he nods again. “i ran. it’s about five blocks from the bar. i didn’t drink much so it wasn’t too bad.” bradley recounts how many drinks he had, he only had a whiskey and coke and two shots.

you sniffle a little, leaning into bradley as he continues to answer the operator’s question. your body absorbs his warmth, yet you still shiver under his jacket. his arm tightens around your shoulders, squeezing you closer. sirens signal the police’s arrival, and he’s able to hang up now that the operator’s job was done. “c’mere, pumpkin i’ve got you. are you hurt?” bradley asks, cradling your tear-stained face. “no..” you mumble, cuddling into his chest. “i’m so glad you’re here.” you sniffle. bradley nods. “i’ll always be here for you, baby girl. always.” he whispers, pressing a kiss to your forehead.

[todaysdocument]

Artwork:"Hell's Angels Little Friends". Artist: Hal Rozema (CI)

Record Group 330: Records of the Office of the Secretary of DefenseSeries: Combined Military Service Digital Photographic Files

Original caption: P51D-336 FS - 4FG "Eagle Squadron"

B17FEG - 360 B5 - 303BG(H) "Hell's Angels"

24 August 1944, Hamburg, Germany

Hell's Angels Little Friends

This artwork, entitled “Hell’s Angels Little Friends,” shows American fighter planes in the foreground.  Beneath them several bombers fly over a city with a river running through it.  One or two planes appear to be on fire.

[amebelladonna]

List of names that Edelgard spent an entire night thinking about for her group before settling with Black Eagles Strike Force. (/j, just in case.)

1. Imperial Squadron (Too formally basic.)

2. Emperor Edelgard's New Groove (Cool, but someone's gonna turn her into a llama for that.)

3. Churchbusters! (A strange jingle was caught in her head during this.)

4. Those Who Will Abolish the Crests (A strong NO because it's even more obvious than how bad she is at her Flame Emperor cover... She ironically thinks TWSITD have a nice group name despite how long it was tbh.)

5. Adrestian Extracurricular Execution Squad/AEES (Why the hell is there a need for "extracurricular" when they're out of the Officers' Academy?)

6. Pride Parade. (Fitting, but Hubert would definitely reprimand her for being too open. She’ll try to convince him it was a different kind of pride, but knowing him, the guy can't be fooled.)

7. Angry Birds (She thought of Rhea as the Green Pig who steals the eggs.) 

In the end, she settled with Black Eagles Strike Force and bashed her head into the wall for not thinking about it early on and now everyone just nods in agreement despite their evident reservations about the name choice. 

[nocternalrandomness]

Birds of Prey over the Grand Canyon

[planesawesome]

Carrier Air Wing Fourteen (CVW-14) aircraft from the USS CARL VINSON (CVN-70) fly in formation above their carrier in the Persian Gulf . The squadrons represented are: Fighter Squadron Eleven (VF-11) Red Rippers and VF-31 Tomcatters flying the F-14D Tomcat; Anti-submarine Squadron Thirty-five (VS-35) flying the S-3A Viking; Strike Fighter Squadron One-One-Three (VFA-113), First of the Fleet, and VFA-25 Stingers flying the F/A-18C Hornet; Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron One-Three-Nine (VAQ-139) Cougars in the EA-6B Prowler; Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron One-One-Three (VAW-113) Black Eagles flying the E-2 Hawkeye; and Attack Squadron One-Nine-Six ..., 5/1/1994.. USN Image LT. Mitchell Of Vf-11

[usafphantom2]

U.S. Air Force F-15C/D Eagles, assigned to the 493rd Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, conduct a routine aerial mission in support of NATO Air Police operations at Keflavik Air Base, Iceland,🇮🇸

@ron_eisele via X

[deutschland-im-krieg]

A Staffel (squadron) of Junkers Ju 87B Stukas from 7./StG 77, Battle of Britain, 1940. For more, see my Facebook group - Eagles Of The Reich

[pinturas-sgm-aviacion]

1942 04 Spitifires over Malta - Robert Taylor

Between the summer of 1940 and the end of 1942, Malta became one of the most bombed places on earth. The Royal Air Force's desperate fight to retain control of the diminutive Mediterranean island is one of the epic stories of World War Two.Crucial to the Allies in their battle with the Axis forces in North Africa, Malta's naval dockyards and airfields provided the only base from which ships and aircraft could attack the convoys supplying Rommel's desert forces. The German High Command, fully aware of its importance, made every effort to bomb the island out of existence. By April 1942 the RAF was down to just six serviceable Spitfires and Hurricanes, Allied convoys were being decimated unopposed, and Malta was in danger of starvation. Two and a half years of relentless bombing had blitzed the dockyards out of operation, prompting Axis Commander-in-Chief Field Marshal Kesselring to tell Hitler that Malta was neutralized.But the Field Marshal failed to take into account the heroism of a tiny force of RAF fighter pilots, the British Merchant Navy, the decisive role played by the British aircraft carriers Eagle and Furious, the American carrier Wasp, and the iron will of the people of Malta.In the spring of 1942, when Spitfires flown from the decks of carriers HMS Eagle and USS Wasp, arrived at the island's battered airstrips, the battle took a new turn. At last, though still heavily outnumbered, the volunteer pilots from Britain, Australia, America, Canada, New Zealand, and other Commonwealth countries were able to put up a meaningful defense. Never again would the Axis raids be met only with token resistance and gradually the Spitfires began to dominate the sky above the beleaguered island. They had arrived in the nick of time.Robert Taylor's magnificent tribute to the gallant pilots who fought against such overwhelming odds, and the people of Malta, depicts Australian John Bisley of 126 Squadron dog-fighting with an Me109 from JG-53 during one of the intense aerial air battles over Valetta in April 1942. NOTE: The Maltese people had withstood the siege with such resolve, King George VI, by way of recognition, awarded the island of Malta the George Cross - the highest decoration for civilian gallantry. Such was the sacrifice made by the people of this tiny island.