Man finds plane hidden in the jungle but when he looks inside
Restaurateur David Tallichet made an incredible discovery during a hike through the jungle.
Tallichet is considered the father of the themed restaurant, and he took great lengths to ensure his legacy, but his most interesting accomplishment actually has nothing to do with his restaurants!
Tallichet made a discovery in a remote jungle that brought the dead back to life
A knack for business
David Tallichet opened a Polynesian-themed restaurant in California, setting a trend that would last decades and turn a huge profit.
Themed restaurants started popping up all over the United States, but his was the original.
More than just a restauranteur
Before realizing his talent for business, Tallichet had joined the military and had been deployed in Europe during World War II.
He flew as a co-pilot on a? Boeing B-17 Flying fortress.
Discovering his passion
But his passion for aviation didn’t end with his military service.
Even after starting a series of successful restaurants, the wanderlust-prone Tallichet realized he was still wild about planes.
An impressive collection
Some people collect stamps, others collect planes.
Using his vast resources, Tallichet began growing a collection of aircraft, and even made his own replicas of military planes.
He started a subsidiary company for his collection, and some of his models were featured in films such as Pearl Harbor.
Forward-thinking
Restoring and replicating planes wasn’t enough for the entrepreneur.
His adventurous streak took him on a journey to bring planes back to life.
A trek to remember
This obsession led Tallichet and a team on a hike through the isolated jungle in Papua New Guinea, one of the world’s most remote natural landscapes.
The journey continues
Tallichet and his team worked their way tirelessly through the jungle and into the swamp.
Even with their years of survival skills and training, the team couldn’t have possibly been prepared for what waited? at the end of their long journey.
Lost but found
When the team finally reached their destination, the world was left speechless and the gang couldn’t believe what they discovered.
Back to basics
Let’s travel back in time to 1942 where this story actually begins. World War II was raging, and US Army Air Corps Captains Fred Eaton and Harry Maynard Harlow were asked to complete a top-secret and difficult mission.
War heroes
The captains were given the task of flying from Australia, and found themselves facing Japanese forces in Rabaul, Papua New Guinea.
Things took a turn for the worse, and there was almost nothing they could do about it.
Spinning out of control
The mission took an unexpected and unwanted detour, and so did their aircraft.
Crash-landing in the middle of the jungle in Papua New Guinea, the nine-man team was left to its own devices.
There was little hope of rescue amid the difficult terrain and hope seemed far away..
Fighting the elements
The team abandoned their US B-17 E plane, now riddled with bullet holes, and attempted to make their way to safety.
The trek forced them to use every ounce of strength as for six weeks they battled disease and extreme heat trying to get back home.
What was left behind
For the rest of the war, the pilots remained in active duty, but their plane stayed in the jungle: undetectable, inaccessible, yet just as it was when it crashed.
A new mission
The plane in the swamp remained a mystery and sat in its grave for decades, surrounded by legend and speculation.
Although its mission was never completed, it was rumored to be the world’s only un-retired World War II-era B-17E bomber still in one piece.
No one could ever find it, and it was too dangerous for most to try. Tallichet couldn’t resist.
No time like the present
Once Tallichet and his team found the plane, they had to find a way to get it out!
It remained in the jungle for eight more months before Tallichet could return and dig it out of its grave.
An airlift for an aircraft
Little by little, they took the old plane apart and flew the pieces via helicopter to a boat waiting close by, but even the best laid plans can go awry.
Wing down
During the operation, one of the plane’s wings wasn’t properly secured and was sitting at an awkward angle, which caused it to fall.
This could’ve been the end of all their hard work, but it was eventually fixed and brought to the boat.
Retirement at last
In the end, when the job was done, the legendary B-17E bomber was finally retired and given the resting place it deserved.
But the story isn’t over
A museum might seem a strange place for a funeral, but not for a plane.
The ghost ship of the jungle’s final resting place is the Pacific Aviation Museum in Hawaii, but even then its story isn’t over.
It can still be visited by curious tourists from around the world.
A lasting legacy
Tallichet himself died in 2007, but he’s farfrom gone. His legacy will last long after his death, as he’s given the world apiece of history that might’ve been gone forever if he hadn’t intervened.
You may like:
