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Welcome to P47Pilots.com
The P47Pilots.com website is dedicated to preserving the memories of the men and women who flew the P-47 Thunderbolt "Jug" in World War II. Browse our site and learn what it was like to fly one of the most destructive aircraft in WWII.
Hear combat stories about dive bombing, strafing, aerial dog fights, and getting shot down right from the pilots. Read pilot biographies . Remember our fallen comrades. And interact with pilots and enthusiasts in our Message Boards . Experience the P-47 like you never have before!
P47Pilots.com was founded by the P-47 Thunderbolt Pilots Association. The P-47 Thunderbolt Pilots Association disbanded in 2006. However, this website will remain and continue to grow as a perpetual resource and memory for generations to come. P47Pilots.com is in the care of William Frederico from Logic Mountain. We encourage anyone with stories, photos, or artifacts surrounding the P47 and her pilots to contact us at p47pilots@logicmountain.com.
The P-47 Thunderbolt Pilots Association was made up of people who flew the airplane prior to 1956, when it was taken out of Air Force service. The organization was formed after Republic Aircraft, who built the P-47s, hosted a reunion for 873 pilots in May, 1961 to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the first Thunderbolt flight in May, 1941.
The purpose of the organization was to venerate and perpetuate the memory of the P-47 and it's pilots. It served to continue the comradeship of the pilots who flew the Thunderbolt, the most successful bomber of World War II. In pure essence, the Association represented a love affair between an airplane and those who flew it. The Association published a Jug letter quarterly and held an annual reunion in a different city in the U.S.A. Reunions have also been held in London and twice in Paris.
Membership in the Association was limited to those who flew the Jug (its long time affectionate nick-name) prior to 1956. The members were made up of combat pilots and Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP). The Association published several books and videos about the airplane and its pilots. There are 1850 Thunderbolt pilots currently enrolled.
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