WW2 Pilot Reveals Brutal Truth About Being A Fighter Pilot

Robert “Bob” Sharp was a World War II fighter pilot who flew numerous combat missions aboard his P-47D Thunderbolt, a plane he grew to love over time. He shared some of his most incredible experiences from the war, reflecting on the highs and lows of being a fighter pilot during one of the most pivotal times in history.

Flying the P-47

Sharp was born on May 13, 1923, in Salt Lake City, Utah. After enlisting, he was moved to the Aviation Cadet Program and graduated in March 1944. Although he hadn’t initially been interested in flying, he eventually discovered the joy of piloting the P-47 Thunderbolt—affectionately known as the “Jug.”

“The P-47 is a very comfortable airplane to fly—very responsive to the controls. It’s got a wide landing gear, so you can hardly ground loop the thing. The Jug, when that thing’s on the ground, it’s solid. When you’ve cut the throttle and you’re on the ground, you’re solidly on the ground,” Sharp recalled. He later went on to fly other aircraft, including the P-51 Mustang, the T-33 Shooting Star, and the F-86 Sabre

Dogfighting the Luftwaffe

During the war, Sharp was assigned to the 368th Fighter Group, where he logged 78 combat missions and over 211 combat hours in the P-47. He briefly explained how to dogfight against the German Luftwaffe.

“When an enemy plane jumps you and gets on your tail, the only way to shake him off is to do what they call a ‘split S.’ You roll over and dive, trying to outrun him,” Sharp explained.

While he humbly admitted that he wasn’t an exceptional pilot, he considered himself a good gunner.

War’s End

Sharp mentioned that pilots were initially expected to complete 100 combat missions, but the war ended before he reached that number, with his final count at 78 missions. After the war, he joined the newly formed Utah Air National Guard, where he accumulated over 1,100 flying hours in the F-51D and F-51H.

During the Korean War, he was called to active duty with the 191st Fighter Squadron and spent 21 months flying missions across the United States.

He also flew a few hours in the F-86 Sabre while stationed in Utah before transferring to the California Air National Guard, where he joined the 115th Fighter Squadron and continued flying the F-86. Reflecting on the Sabre, Sharp said, “It was a very nice airplane—very comfortable and responsive.” His final flight was a return trip to base in the F-86 Sabre.

After his military service, Bob Sharp transitioned into a successful career as an aerospace engineer at Lockheed, where he worked for 35 years.