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We are sad to share the news that B-17 pilot and long-time friend of the CAF, John "Lucky" Luckadoo, has flown West at 103 years old.Lucky was born March 16, 1922, in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and served with distinction as a B-17 Flying Fortress pilot during World War II. Motivated by the attack on Pearl Harbor, he enlisted in the United States Army Air Corps and was assigned to the Eighth Air Force’s 100th Bomb Group, an outfit that would come to be known as the “Bloody Hundredth” for its devastating combat losses. In June 1943, Luckadoo began flying missions from Thorpe Abbotts in England as part of the 351st Bomb Squadron. Over the course of eight months, he completed 25 combat missions over Nazi-occupied Europe, a rare feat given that only four of the forty pilots in his training class survived their tour.Luckadoo flew into enemy territory during a time when air combat was especially brutal. He and his fellow crew members faced freezing temperatures, fierce German fighter attacks, and relentless anti-aircraft fire. The cabin of the B-17 was unpressurized and unheated, and temperatures could fall to fifty degrees below zero. The physical toll of each mission was immense, and the psychological strain was just as severe. Luckadoo witnessed the destruction of countless allied bombers and the deaths of close friends and fellow airmen. Yet he pressed on, rising to become the squadron operations officer for both the 350th and 351st Bomb Squadrons. After completing his tour of duty, he was reassigned to a stateside post with the Third Air Force, where he trained new pilots for the continued air campaign in Europe.Following the war, Luckadoo settled in Dallas, Texas, after attending the University of Denver. He enjoyed a successful career in real estate but remained deeply committed to preserving the memory of his wartime experiences and those of his fallen comrades. In his later years, he became a sought-after speaker at schools, military bases, and historical organizations, where he shared the hard truths of air combat and the legacy of the 100th Bomb Group. His life and service are the subject of the biography Damn Lucky by Kevin Maurer, and in 2024, he contributed as a consultant to the Apple TV+ series Masters of the Air. Lucky was often seen at some of the CAF's biggest events, and the bomb bay of the CAF Airbase Arizona's Sentimental Journey bears his autograph. He was always kind and generous with his time, especially when it came to inspiring the next generation of aviation enthusiasts. He will be sorely missed.