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General Robin Olds!
July 14, 1922, is the birthday of one of my personal heroes, Gen. Robin Olds. Perhaps the “real life” Pete “Maverick” Mitchell, he was one of America’s greatest fighter pilots, a Triple Ace from two wars, and spent his last three postings flying a desk. And much like Maverick’s return to “Top Gun”, one of those postings was as Commandant of Cadets at the Air Force Academy. Olds was a College Football All-American, an Ace in both the P-38 and P-51, a pioneer jet fighter pilot, commanded two air wings during his career, and got four confirmed MiG kills in Vietnam. But rather than talk about his accomplishments, I’d like to talk about the person. Olds was not just a pilot, his success lay in his thoroughness, his attention to detail, his ability to motivate, and his problem-solving skills. He studied his plane. Under the tutelage of his crew chief, he learned to perform emergency maintenance on his P-38. He insisted his plane be waxed to reduce drag, and personally helped with the process. He was one of the few P-38 pilots to survive a “compressibility” event. After WWII, Olds transitioned to jets, and seven years before the Thunderbirds formed a jet aerobatic demonstration team. His two-ship F-80 routine thrilled audiences and honed the dogfighting skills of his pilots, a skill they would need in Vietnam. By 1966, Olds was commander of the 8th TFW, and with the help of the legendary Daniel “Chappie” James, Jr., created the innovative “Operation Bolo” to lure North Vietnamese MiG-21s into a fighter ambush. The Olds/James duo, nicknamed “Blackman and Robin” is considered the most effective tactical leadership of the Vietnam War. Olds got four confirmed victories in Vietnam, but out of loyalty to his unit and his pilots, would not shoot down a fifth plane, which would send him home for a PR tour. So Robin Olds was a man of competence, empathy, innovation, and loyalty; a combination we could all use more of. So this week at King’s Hobby Shop, 7801 N Lamar Blvd, Suite E-188 we celebrate Robin Olds with P-38s, P-51s, F-4s, and a variety of heroes. Or you can log in to kingshobby.com to see all the inspirational and heroic subjects available from our virtual warehouse.
King's Hobby Shop Staff
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