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Langley Field: 1942

May 1942. "Here's our mission." A combat crew receives final instructions just before taking off in a mighty YB-17 bomber from the bombardment squadron base at Langley Field, Virginia, nation's oldest air base. View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Alfred Palmer for the Office of War Information.

May 1942. "Here's our mission." A combat crew receives final instructions just before taking off in a mighty YB-17 bomber from the bombardment squadron base at Langley Field, Virginia, nation's oldest air base. View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Alfred Palmer for the Office of War Information.

 

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Today’s Top 5

Pinks and brown shoes

I agree, although I've heard that old school pilots (pre WW-II) would buy a pair of cowboy boots upon graduation from UPT. Seems like the flight engineer, or whoever has the greasy overalls, is wearing boots with undershot heels. FYI pinks is a term used for the tan twills used up to the 60's. They seemed to take on a pinkish cast in some light.

Stunning image

The composition and lighting in this photo are beautiful.

Langley Crew

I'm curious about how these fliers were illuminated for this photo. Car headlights? It brings to mind the Montana cowboys photo seen previously on Shorpy.

[Below, a glimpse of Alfred Palmer's floodlight. - Dave]

Shoes

Is the second man from the right wearing wing-tip shoes? Looks like it to me. I know officers had to buy their own uniforms, so their uniforms weren't necessarily G.I., but wing-tips? Weren't there rules beyond the color specification of brown?

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