1985 HJ75 Pickup

[Gun Runner 5]

The water salute......

 

[Gun Runner 5]

The employees that came out to meet the flight. You can't tell from the photo but there were literally hundreds on the ramp to meet the flight.

 

[Gun Runner 5]

And finally pulling into the gate......

 

[cruiserdan]

Thank you for bringing them home safely Charles.

 

[Gun Runner 5]

Thank you for bringing them home safely Charles.

Trust me, the privilege was all mine. We had a couple of the gentleman in the cockpit prior to departure, one of which parachuted into Normandy on D-Day and fought in the Battle of the Bulge. To say I was awe struck would be an understatement.

 

[cruiserdan]

What a special visit.....

101st Airborne almost certainly. There can't be very many of those brave men left.

 

[AlbertoSD]

Very cool, Charles....Very very cool.

We are all very grateful to all those brave men who fought and still fight for our freedom.

 

[OGBeno]

Who's driving the plane?!?!?!

 

[wardharris]

While I realize this has absolutely nothing to do with tech or Toyota's for that matter...View attachment 906290

Definitely tech. If not for these men and thousands more, many of our freedoms would be non-existant, including the freedom to drive Landcruisers

 

[elkaholic]

While I realize this has absolutely nothing to do with tech or Toyota's for that matter, I had the honor to bring home 75 WWll veterans from Paris today that had gone over for the D-Day anniversary. In my 40+ years of flying it was easily to coolest thing I have done.
The fire trucks are lined up for the water salute......

That is big time cool.

 

[Gun Runner 5]

Who's driving the plane?!?!?!

Only you would notice that......

 

[Gun Runner 5]

Sorry Onur, There were not enough free hands to activate the windshield wipers.

 

[NGray]

Awesome. Thanks for sharing!

 

[Gun Runner 5]

What a special visit.....

101st Airborne almost certainly. There can't be very many of those brave men left.

Based on the average age and health of the veterans ( over 1/3 were in wheelchairs or had medical professionals traveling with them ) I would dare say most won't see the 75th anniversary of D-Day and I will never get the privilege of flying them again.

 

[NGray]

It's not WWII, but a good friend of mine deployed three times to Iraq with the 101st, I was with him on his fourth deployment. Years from now he may be in a plane like yours.

 

[NGray]

Phone won't edit on here. The fact that you were able to have the privilege like that is more than most of us will ever be apart of.

 

[Gun Runner 5]

Everything is going diesel ......
See if you can guess what this is.

 

[Gun Runner 5]

The diesel is coupled to an automatic transmission.

 

[OGBeno]

Hey Charles--

You going to be in AMS on 18JUN or CDG on 24JUN?

I'll be transiting..... and can sneak ya into the SkyTeam Lounge.

 

[Gun Runner 5]

Hey Charles--

You going to be in AMS on 18JUN or CDG on 24JUN?

I'll be transiting..... and can sneak ya into the SkyTeam Lounge.

I'm flying home from Paris on the 22nd and won't be back there until the morning of the 30th. I appreciate your kind offer but a SkyTeam lounge is the enemy camp. : )