History Followed a B-17 today! FLIGHT PICS ADDED!!

We had a B 17 visit my town last month. Loved hearing and seeing it fly over giving local passengers a ride. I especially liked the stories the few remaining old timers told about their time flying them.

 

what an awesome old warbird! I see the Yankee lady B-17 from The Yankee Air Museum fly over my place quite regularly.

 

Great shots of the 17, hope you get a chance to go on a ride and post the pictures.

Hope it's okay to post this here instead of having a number of threads on old aircraft. Recently went to a fly and here in Minnesota, they have an nice museum with golden age aircraft and some warbirds doing some flying. You could also get helicopter rides as well as rides in a 1929 Travel-air. They also had a very small car show with some rods, customs, and muscle cars, but a good number of them were done by the time I got over there to get photos. This is five pages long with links at the bottom. They have it every year around the beginning of June and it's always free.

http://www.p40warhawk.com/My_Stuff/Anoka_2013/Anoka_2013_1.htm

 

My B-day is the 7/19 and they will be in Rockford on that day.... I might buy me a ticket.

 

A small airport not too far from me , in Darden TN , has its' annual Fly-In/Car Cruise-In in September open to pretty much anything . There is scheduled to be a B-17 there this year , offering tours and rides - presumably for donations . We intend to be there , weather permitting . I will take pictures and add some here if I can . I might take a tour but I have never flown so .... . For anyone who might be interested here are links - Main site -http://www.beechriverregionalairport.com/default.htm , Event Flyer - http://www.beechriverregionalairport.com/pdf/FlyInFinal2013.pdf

 

Living in a small town has it's perks.

Man! You guys who's Dads were gunners must have inherited some mucho grande cojones! Took some real balls to sit in there while getting shot at, even if you could to shoot back...

 

@ Dane.....talk about Fing courage, those guys had it.

 

That was no joke. The one I saw had Studebaker, Wright Cyclone, and Buick engines.

 

When I was at the L.A. Roadster Show on Father's day weekend, a p-51 Mustang made a flyover of the swap-meet. What a beautiful sight and the sound of the Merlin is spectacular.

 

Simply awesome.

 

We have purchased a ticket to ride on that plane on July 6 coming out of Spirit airport in St Louis MO. I can't wait to go! Thanks for the pics!!

 

Sentimental Journey was parked behind my shop all last week!



Would've sold a kidney for a ride in the bombadiers seat!



She was flying with 3 Studes and Pratt,, guess which one didn't want to start? (click the pic for a movie)

 

My Dad was a Chief Armorer at Great Ashfield with the 385th, reconditioned all the 50 Cal guns before every flight. The Flight Crews and Ground Crews were housed in different sections of the base, and rarely socialized. I thought that was very odd when I first read about it, but with only half a squadron returning (10 men per B-17) you didn't want to really know too many. They really were The Greatest Generation. Put off buying a Hot Rod part and go for a B-17 flight in their memory. Bob

 

There was a B17 here in Joplin for a few days earlier this month. I saw it flying around three or four times......sounded really neat.

Excerpt from the local newspaper:

Rare B-17 is in Joplin this week
It's an original Flying Fortress.
June 12, 2013


JOPLIN, Mo. -- Once famed as a "Flying Fortress," the B-17 soaring above the Ozarks on Tuesday is now a full-fledged flying museum.

"Sentimental Journey" is one of the world's few remaining airworthy B-17s. It touched down Tuesday at Joplin Regional Airport as part of an effort to raise money and awareness for the city's proposed Freedom of Flight Museum.

"It will be about three years before we start building (the museum)," said Freedom of Flight Museum President Daryl Coit. "But we'll have a virtual museum until that time with hands-on activities, educational programs, and on-line tributes."

In addition to the museum, Mizzou Aviation and Alpha Air Center will sponsor an open house at the Joplin Regional Airport from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Activities feature tours and rides on the B-17, static aircraft displays and hands-on educational activities for kids and adults.

The open house is free to the public.

 

Ironic, isn't it? After flying 25 missions, the guys couldn't wait to get out of those things. 70 years later, we're paying $400.00 to climb back in! Those aircraft have special FAA certification because of the age of the airframe, and special pilot certifications too. No hot rodding.

 

The B-29, FiFi, was owned by Victor Agathur of Mexico City. I met him around 1990 as he was restoring a Jaguar XK-120. I carried a few parts to him when I had business trips that took me there. He was a real gentleman! FiFi was Mrs Agathur.

 

Seeing and hearing those WW2 planes sends a shiver up my spine. Still haven't ponied up for a ride in one yet.

 

Last Saturday I saw the B-17, and the B-24 fly over our shop in Seattle, heading for Pain Field (Boeing Field) I guess there's an air show in town.

 

Now that's a traditional Hot Rod !!

 

I see dead people...doesn't anyone else see the ghost of the tailgunner in this pic? He has his leather skull cap, goggles and oxygen mask on, along with his sheepskin lined flightsuit...he's sitting in the shadow...really...

 

They have the thunderbird B-17 in Galveston. Just missed the chance to take the ride as it was booked up and they only fly on Sat.. At least I got to see it take off.

 

My Uncle Mike was a Belly Gunner on one. RIP Uncle Mike!

 

Very cool. My grandfather was a belly gunner in a 24. Always loved listening to his stories. I also have a love for the vintage planes. A generation that was one of the best in American history. Some say the best.

 

3w Larry I do see the illusion. Pretty creepy once you mentioned it. Had to go back and look. Look in the middle window facing out.

 

I was able to see this plane last Saturday morning as it was in Norman, Ok for the weekend. I went and played golf with some buddies afterwards at the golf course across the street from the airport and as we got ready to tee off on the 18th hole she was taking off right over top of us. Unfortunately I didn't have my phone on me at the time to take a pic as it was heading right towards us. Should have went for a ride because it's flight path would have took you right over the University of Oklahoma campus and towards downtown Oklahoma City.

 

Thanks for the pics of the B-17. They were an incredible warbird. I hope to someday get aboard for a ride.
An acquaintance of mine was a bombardier on a B-17 during WW2. His plane was shot up and he was forced to bail out. A German fighter pilot decided he would make a great target, so during his parachute descent, he was shot. He lost a leg as the result, but he never seemed bitter about the whole ordeal. Those guys were a different breed. They deserve the utmost respect.

 

Oh wow I see him! That is soo weird! I wonder if one of the tail gunners in that airplane died in action? It looks like a reflection, but still that is weird.

 

We have one here in town for the weekend 2 miles from my house can't afford the ride but I will go check out the planes Saturday. It will be making passes over my house all weekend. Love to hear em run and watching them take off and land is VERY COOL!

 

Toast spend the money and fly in an awesome piece of history.....too cool to pass up.

 

Hi Toast.Sorta figured that.Just jerking your chain a little.Many moons ago,when I was about 18 or 20 there was an outfit based at the airport in my home town in Fl.IIRC they were called Paramount Aquariums.They had a B17 that they used to transport tropical fish from South America to the states.
It now resides on a mountain in SA.Entire crew was lost.When you saw that B17 you definitely knew who it belonged to.The entire verticle stablizer was painted with a PINK angel fish.
Good luck.Have fun.Be safe.
Leo