Description: Description: On a cold morning in February 2004, two P-51s and a Citation Jet climbed to 35,000 for the purpose of capturing the site of P-51s leaving contrails. A site that has not be duplicated since World War II. Famed Aviation Photographer, Paul Bowen was shooting from the Citation Jet..... a different kind of shooting than took place in World War II. This shooting produced the beautiful picture that are now available for all to enjoy. Produced on Heavy photo paper in 11 x 14 size.

We were making large contrails, and a Focke Wulf got in our contrail about a mile out and flew in it until he was one hundred feet away. He then climbed until he broke out of our contrail. Our tail gunner, Hilbert Braun, had the guns aimed carefully at the Focke Wulf as soon as it appeared but hesitated to shoot. Hilbert told me that the German was just a young kid like himself. But Hilbert shot first and downed the enemy plane. I think the German did not have the firing switches turned on and it took a milli-second to find and turn on the switches. This time Hilbert saw the person he killed, and it really got to him. Hilbert and I talked about this incident last summer. Hilbert said he could see the expression on the German pilots face.