Ex-Luftwaffe fighter pilot is aviation museum's truly remarkable tour guide
Ewald Rudat was five when an aircraft flying over his home caught his eye.
"Even at 500 feet I could see through the window. I said, that's what I want to do." said Rudat.
It's not unusual for aviators to discover their passion for flight at an early age. Rudat's story heads in an unexpected direction. His home was located in Eastern Prussia, Germany, and the year was 1926. He would go on to fly Messerschmitt and Folke-Wulf fighters the entire duration of World War II, flying roughly 1,000 missions for the Luftwaffe.
Today, at the age of 93, Rudat is on a peaceful mission with Air Group One, an all-volunteer nonprofit organization that preserves World War II aircraft. The group's hangar bay and museum are located at Gillespie Field in El Cajon. Rudat, called Rudy, has been with the group since 1982 when they were part of the Confederate Air Force with headquarters in Midland, Texas. Due to the controversy over the name, it was changed to Commemorative Air Force (CAF). Most of the 160 plus planes of the CAF are in Midland.
With restoration work at a standstill, the museum is quiet. Rudat bides his time reading. Despite his advanced age he's up on his feet at the sound of approaching visitors. Tall and grayed, he wears a half-grin and an aviators jacket. His impromptu tour is a mix of the group's work on aircraft and his own experiences before, during and after the big one, World War II.
Air Group One has one fully operational fighter aircraft. It's an impressive looking silver SNJ-5 Texan, known by the U.S. Navy as an AT-6. They were trainers, designed and built in the late 1930s with tandem seats for instructor and student. The plane is used by the air group for flyovers at special events.
Rudat's own pilot training came after joining the Hitler Youth in 1934. "It was mandatory," he said. It was there that his passion for airplanes fully developed. His first solo flight came in 1936 at the age of 15.
Significant dates he recalls like some remember birthdays. September 8, 1939 marked his first of some 1,000 missions for the Luftwaffe, Germany's air force. This is seven days after Germany's invasion of Poland which triggered the second world war. The commander-in-chief of the Luftwaffe was top Nazi Hermann Goring.
"I was shot down several times," said Rudat. "Seven times I bailed out under fire. It's not like you go on 25 to 50 missions then go home. Our saying was, 'you fly until you die.'"
On April 20, 1945, he was flying the Messerschmitt 262, the world's first jet-powered fighter aircraft. He was shot down over the Black Forest and bailed out at 20,000 feet. This was less than a month before the end of the war. Even then, he didn't surrender but was rather picked up injured by the French while recuperating in a hospital. He spent the next two years as a prisoner-of-war in France, much of that time recuperating from his injuries.
In November 1947 he returned to Germany. "I lost everything," he said. "We had a home in East Prussia. On my mother's side we had an 80-acre farm, and my father's furniture business. There was nothing."
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He got along by taking odd jobs, much of it repairing and designing furniture, his father's trade. He even worked on an oil rig. "I did everything," he said. In time, he began a quest to immigrate to the United States. "It took almost two years, and paperwork, paperwork, paperwork," he said.
In 1956 he arrived in San Diego. At that time, with the war fresh on the minds, he was occasionally called a Nazi. His accent is distinctly German. In one such case, while living in a duplex, a man with one leg and on crutches approached him.
"The man spoke a little German," said Rudat. "And he said, 'I lost a leg, the war is over.'" Rudat and that man became good friends.
Rudat says he never hated Americans while flying for the Luftwaffe, and he never belonged to the Nazi party. "I was a German fighter pilot," he said. "But it was war time, we had to do our duty."
Hitler was liked by everyone at first, Rudat admits. "Germany was in a ditch," he says. Then Hitler turned the country around economically.
"Everyone worked and everybody had money. Then he went crazy. That's all I can say."
Rudat lives with his wife of 62 years in San Diego. They have four children. He lost his pilot's license two years ago. Twice a week he volunteers at the Air Group One museum.
One of the air group's members, Staff Sergeant John D. Asmussen (now deceased), had an encounter with Rudat. It was in 1944 over Ploiesti, Romania. Asmussen's mission was to destroy the oil fields located there. Rudat was there on the same day, same time to prevent its destruction. Rudat was also involved in the defense of the ball-bearing factories in Schweinfurt, Germany.
The museum at Air Group One is small but memorable. Many group members are war veterans. The museum contains the collective memorabilia of those who served including photos, plaques, medals, hats, and uniforms. Reconditioning is ongoing for two World War II era reconnaissance planes; an L-2 Grasshopper and an L-5 Sentinel.
Ewald Rudat beat death on a 1,000 combat missions. And while he's a changed man and proud American, a part of him, like his love for flight has not left him.
"I like airplanes," he said. "I drive, I fly, I shoot , and I drink beer."
Air Group One Museum
1905 N. Marshall Ave Hangar#6
El Cajon, CA 92020
(619) 259-5541
Cost: Free
Open: Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
www.ag1caf.org
"Even at 500 feet I could see through the window. I said, that's what I want to do." said Rudat.
It's not unusual for aviators to discover their passion for flight at an early age. Rudat's story heads in an unexpected direction. His home was located in Eastern Prussia, Germany, and the year was 1926. He would go on to fly Messerschmitt and Folke-Wulf fighters the entire duration of World War II, flying roughly 1,000 missions for the Luftwaffe.
Today, at the age of 93, Rudat is on a peaceful mission with Air Group One, an all-volunteer nonprofit organization that preserves World War II aircraft. The group's hangar bay and museum are located at Gillespie Field in El Cajon. Rudat, called Rudy, has been with the group since 1982 when they were part of the Confederate Air Force with headquarters in Midland, Texas. Due to the controversy over the name, it was changed to Commemorative Air Force (CAF). Most of the 160 plus planes of the CAF are in Midland.
With restoration work at a standstill, the museum is quiet. Rudat bides his time reading. Despite his advanced age he's up on his feet at the sound of approaching visitors. Tall and grayed, he wears a half-grin and an aviators jacket. His impromptu tour is a mix of the group's work on aircraft and his own experiences before, during and after the big one, World War II.
Air Group One has one fully operational fighter aircraft. It's an impressive looking silver SNJ-5 Texan, known by the U.S. Navy as an AT-6. They were trainers, designed and built in the late 1930s with tandem seats for instructor and student. The plane is used by the air group for flyovers at special events.
Rudat's own pilot training came after joining the Hitler Youth in 1934. "It was mandatory," he said. It was there that his passion for airplanes fully developed. His first solo flight came in 1936 at the age of 15.
Significant dates he recalls like some remember birthdays. September 8, 1939 marked his first of some 1,000 missions for the Luftwaffe, Germany's air force. This is seven days after Germany's invasion of Poland which triggered the second world war. The commander-in-chief of the Luftwaffe was top Nazi Hermann Goring.
"I was shot down several times," said Rudat. "Seven times I bailed out under fire. It's not like you go on 25 to 50 missions then go home. Our saying was, 'you fly until you die.'"
On April 20, 1945, he was flying the Messerschmitt 262, the world's first jet-powered fighter aircraft. He was shot down over the Black Forest and bailed out at 20,000 feet. This was less than a month before the end of the war. Even then, he didn't surrender but was rather picked up injured by the French while recuperating in a hospital. He spent the next two years as a prisoner-of-war in France, much of that time recuperating from his injuries.
In November 1947 he returned to Germany. "I lost everything," he said. "We had a home in East Prussia. On my mother's side we had an 80-acre farm, and my father's furniture business. There was nothing."
.JPG)
He got along by taking odd jobs, much of it repairing and designing furniture, his father's trade. He even worked on an oil rig. "I did everything," he said. In time, he began a quest to immigrate to the United States. "It took almost two years, and paperwork, paperwork, paperwork," he said.
In 1956 he arrived in San Diego. At that time, with the war fresh on the minds, he was occasionally called a Nazi. His accent is distinctly German. In one such case, while living in a duplex, a man with one leg and on crutches approached him.
"The man spoke a little German," said Rudat. "And he said, 'I lost a leg, the war is over.'" Rudat and that man became good friends.
Rudat says he never hated Americans while flying for the Luftwaffe, and he never belonged to the Nazi party. "I was a German fighter pilot," he said. "But it was war time, we had to do our duty."
Hitler was liked by everyone at first, Rudat admits. "Germany was in a ditch," he says. Then Hitler turned the country around economically.
"Everyone worked and everybody had money. Then he went crazy. That's all I can say."
Rudat lives with his wife of 62 years in San Diego. They have four children. He lost his pilot's license two years ago. Twice a week he volunteers at the Air Group One museum.
One of the air group's members, Staff Sergeant John D. Asmussen (now deceased), had an encounter with Rudat. It was in 1944 over Ploiesti, Romania. Asmussen's mission was to destroy the oil fields located there. Rudat was there on the same day, same time to prevent its destruction. Rudat was also involved in the defense of the ball-bearing factories in Schweinfurt, Germany.
The museum at Air Group One is small but memorable. Many group members are war veterans. The museum contains the collective memorabilia of those who served including photos, plaques, medals, hats, and uniforms. Reconditioning is ongoing for two World War II era reconnaissance planes; an L-2 Grasshopper and an L-5 Sentinel.
Ewald Rudat beat death on a 1,000 combat missions. And while he's a changed man and proud American, a part of him, like his love for flight has not left him.
"I like airplanes," he said. "I drive, I fly, I shoot , and I drink beer."
Air Group One Museum
1905 N. Marshall Ave Hangar#6
El Cajon, CA 92020
(619) 259-5541
Cost: Free
Open: Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
www.ag1caf.org
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