Pensacola

[jsapair]

Spud, reading a book; "Carrier Pilot: One Of The Greatest Pilot Memoirs of WWll" by a guy named Norman Hanson. You might have even read it. Bunch of Brits over here for pilot training when WWll broke out. My thought was, I'll bet Spud frequented the same bars in Pensacola that these guys did. I'll see if I can find a name. Not easy on a Kindle.

The short of it is these guys became not only the first Brits to fly Corsairs, but to fly them off a carrier...HMS Illustrious I believe. Pretty good read so far.

jsapair

[spud]

Haven't read the book but one bar that probably is 'mentioned' is Trader Jon's.  On south Palafox (main drag) it was a 2nd home to Naval Aviators for many years although it wasn't there during WWII.  Here's a bi of history of Trader's. 

http://www.pensapedia.com/wiki/Trader_Jon's

My story of Trader's was an evening out with the guy's at Trader's one of the 'barflys' that hung out replied to a question if she still had her 'cherry' was "Hell yes, its just been punched so far back I use it as a tailight!"

Trader's is gone now as are most of the old bars.  Rosie O'Grady's now (Seville Quarter) was a more recent watering hole that a student Naval Aviator (Bob Snow) dropped out and started and yes its the same person that had Rosie O'Grady's in Orlando.

http://www.pensapedia.com/wiki/Seville_Quarter

Bob bought a Staggerwing Beach and used to fly it around the state for business/pleasure until he landed at Cedar Key without lowering the landing gear and pranged the A/C.

Pirates Cove was another hang out for we Navy types among many other that are all history.  Even the drive inn restarunt where I met my former wife is gone.  The old town (established in 1559) has been around for a bit and the history is rich and colorful having 5 flags flown over the city in her history.

[jsapair]

Hilarious story, Spud. I think Pirate's Cove was the one he mentions in the book. By the way, the first time I ever heard the word 'prang' for a crash was in this book. Thanks for the history links, I'll check them out. 

I used to travel down south to Long Beach (about 500 miles from here) for the Grand Prix Formula 1 car races. There was an infamous bar there called 'Hollywood on the Pike', the Pike being an old abandoned amusement park, but the bar was still there; a longshoreman and merchant marine bar mostly. It was the favorite hang out for the ships' drinking teams from all over the world. Man, you could get yourself in some real trouble real quick in that place. Like a bar in Dodge City in the 1880's but without the sidearms, thank God. And whoever happened to be Wyatt Earp for the day wisely stayed away unless desperately needed.