Heinkel He-111 and '47 Buick

This Heinkel He-111 was at the Anderson County (SC) Airport in 2002, along with the B-17. This example never saw wartime duty, as it was built in 1947 for Spain's Generalissimo Franco as his personal transport. Arguably one of the most elegant twin-engined tail-draggers of the era, it's best viewed airborne in profile.

The excellent 1969 British movie, "Battle of Britain" contains a whole wing of these planes, lent by the Spanish Air Force. I saw it in its first run in theaters, and the flic left a lasting impression. Watch this movie the next time it's on....you'll really enjoy it!

Tragically, a year later while on a routine flight to an airshow, this plane, the world's only airworthy He-111, crashed on approach. Its two pilots, veteran airline captains, volunteers, perished and the plane was a total loss.

Besides their personal tragedy, it's one reason that a photo-op missed may never come your way again.