The Snapshots in Time Collection
Fighter Pilot Standing in Cockpit of Aircraft 'F104,' Korean War Era
A pilot pauses for a cigarette while standing in the cockpit of his fighter, tactical code 'F104' painted boldly on the fuselage. Photographs like this, taken informally on airfield ramps, capture the everyday routines of fighter pilots between missions during the Korean War, when propeller-driven fighters like the F-51 Mustang still flew alongside the era's newer jets. Project: 218139