Devil Dogs of the Air 1935 Movie

I found this on Turner Movie Classics Channel and recorded it on my DVR. I took me back to a time my father described to me when he and his brother were in the Marine Corps reserve from about 1934 to 1937 when they were gunners on Hellcat biplanes. So, they flew in planes likely just like the ones you see in this movie in Seattle, Washington in the Marine Corps Reserve. So, since Dad has been gone now since 1985 it is great to relive the days of his youth from age 17 to 21 while he was flying in the Marine Corps reserve with his older brother, Bob.

My Dad's favorite story was of the cowling coming loose on the engine of his brothers plane so they landed to tighten down the engine cowling. But when Bob(Dad's) brother got back in the plane he forgot to put on his seat belt. So while they planes were doing loop the loops Bob was trying not to fall out of the plane and his brother Fred (My Dad) was laughing in the next plane in formation. The reason it was funny to Dad was that Bob had a parachute on so even if he fell out he could open his parachute but watching him struggle not to fall out of the cockpit of the plane kept my Dad in stitches laughing. Hellcats were open air biplanes like in the movie with two places to fly the plane from. If you were flying alone you sat in the back at the stick as it balanced the plane better if you were flying alone. At that time most Marine Corps planes were painted yellow likely so they were more visible to other pilots or possibly it was just more traditional for peacetime biplanes used for training. A very young James Cagney and Pat O'brien star in this movie made in 1934 that played in 1935.

http://www.tcm.com/this-month/article/184912|0/Devil-Dogs-of-the-Air.html