Converted World War II Bomber Prepares for Transatlantic Flight to Athens from Norwood Airport-July 23, 1965

On July 23, 1965, a unique aviation spectacle was underway at Norwood Airport, where a converted World War II torpedo bomber affectionately nicknamed the “Nice Old Lady” was undergoing final preparations for a grueling 26-hour transatlantic flight to Athens, Greece. The aircraft, a former Grumman vintage bomber weighing in at a bulky nine tons, was extensively serviced by technicians at the Wiggins Airways installation. Once it arrives at its overseas destination, the heavy plane will be deployed for agricultural crop fertilizing and olive spraying by a Greek firm. While the bustling airstrip in the Neponset Meadows had previously served as a frequent departure point for smaller private craft being ferried across oceans by veteran pilot Walter “Walt” Moody of Lock Haven, Pennsylvania, this marked the airport’s very first direct flight to Athens.

Walter “Walt” Moody, a 48-year-old former World War II B-17 pilot with an impressive background of 611 ocean ferry trips under his belt, expressed deep respect for the rugged warbird. “She’s awkward looking to the point of ugliness and looks every inch of her nine tons,” reporter Marilyn Niering observed, contrasting the heavy bomber against the trim Piper models typically serviced at the field. To prepare the aircraft for the immense journey, the Wiggins Airways crew—led by service manager Fred Valentine—resealed the plane’s massive fuel tanks (originally utilized as a torpedo bay), installed portable radio gear, and resolved minor electrical issues. The modified bomber was outfitted to carry 1,300 gallons of fuel and a 40-gallon auxiliary oil tank to support the engine, which consumed roughly three and a half gallons of oil per hour.

Piloting the heavy machine required considerable physical exertion, with Walter “Walt” Moody noting that flying the unpowered controls demanded heavy muscle force compared to standard light aircraft. His itinerary involved a single refueled stop at Santa Maria in the Azores, covering a distance three times the normal operating range of the aircraft, while the pilot himself planned to survive the crossing sustained only by sandwiches and a thermos of water. Once he successfully touched down in Athens and completed the delivery, Walter “Walt” Moody intended to immediately board a commercial flight back home before embarking on his next assignment: ferrying a lightweight Piper aircraft—a “nice young lady weighing less than two tons”—across the Pacific to Australia.

Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger

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