Very excited. I get to see "Fifi" tomorrow! | FerrariChat
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Very excited. I get to see "Fifi" tomorrow!

Discussion in 'Aviation Chat' started by RWatters, Jul 15, 2011.

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  1. RWatters

    RWatters Formula 3

    Feb 21, 2006
    1,075
    Kansas
    #1 RWatters, Jul 15, 2011
    "Fifi" will be in town tomorrow at a WW2 fly-in here in Kansas and I couldn't be more excited. I have always wanted to see a B-29 up close and I finally get my wish! It'll be flying around along with Gunslinger (P-51 Mustang).

    I'll have plenty of pictures (and hopefully a video or two) to post up!
     
  2. Kds

    Kds F1 World Champ

    May 1, 2003
    10,994
    Canada and Brasil...
    #2 Kds, Jul 15, 2011
    Can't wait......!!!!
     
  3. Bob Parks

    Bob Parks F1 Veteran
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    Nov 29, 2003
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    #3 Bob Parks, Jul 15, 2011
    Last edited: Jul 15, 2011
    I wish that I had had a decent camera when I flew in FiFi in 1992 during the 50th anniversary celebration when it was there at Boeing. Very interesting flight in the bomb aimer's position where I was able to watch how Tom Cloyd handled the airplane in various flight conditions and the interplay between him and the flight engineer.. Smooth as silk and on a railroad track at cruise but a squirrelly hand full on approach when dirty.
     
  4. Prova7

    Prova7 Formula Junior

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    #4 Prova7, Jul 15, 2011
    I saw Fifi the first time about 25 years ago when I was a child. Happily she is now based right down the road from my office in Addison and I enjoy wishing her "hello" whenever I drive by. Usually she is peaking out from the hanger doors.
     
  5. RWatters

    RWatters Formula 3

    Feb 21, 2006
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    #5 RWatters, Jul 15, 2011
    I work right down the road from where FiFi is at (it arrived yesterday) so I drove down today and saw it parked out by a hangar. It's incredible to see the thing up close! That is such a big plane!

    While I was parked checking it out from a distance a T-45 Goshawk took off and flew over. I haven't seen one of those around here in quite a while. Talk about a great day to be at the airport!

    I changed the day I'm going to Sunday as I was told that on Sunday rumor has it they may let you "donate" so you can walk up inside the thing and check everything out. Fingers crossed that is true.
     
  6. Gatorrari

    Gatorrari F1 World Champ
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    Jim Pernikoff
    #6 Gatorrari, Jul 15, 2011
    I was at that event, Bob, but on the ground watching. My favorite memory from the anniversary celebration was a brief conversation I had with Tex Johnston. It was also the only time I ever got to see the inside of a B-52! A good time to be in Seattle.
     
  7. Bob Parks

    Bob Parks F1 Veteran
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    #7 Bob Parks, Jul 15, 2011
    Good for you! Tex by that time had changed a bit and as he aged he changed a lot, to the point of sort of drifting away. I met him briefly at Quiet Birdmen meetings but he was engaged mostly with his older friends. I also chatted with him prior to the first flight of the 367-80 when he was pretty sharp and focused on his job. Quite a history.
    He related some pretty funny stories about demonstrating the -80 to Howard Hughes and letting him fly it one night in the southern California area. Weird duck! Barefoot, string for a belt, and almost incompetent.
     
  8. RWatters

    RWatters Formula 3

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    #8 RWatters, Jul 17, 2011
    As promised!

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    The plane was absolutely amazing up close! I was so happy they flew it here so everyone could look at it. I've always wanted to see one and I couldn't be happier! If you donated some money you could crawl up inside it but when I saw the line and factored in the heat index of over 110 degrees today I decided against waiting it out.

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    I guess this is the only Beautiful Doll left. :(

    http://s401.photobucket.com/albums/pp98/teh_usernamez0r/CAF%20Fly-In%207-17/

    Here's a link to the album containing all of the pictures I took. There were a few other planes there as well. The AC-47 was very cool to see!
     
  9. Kds

    Kds F1 World Champ

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    #9 Kds, Jul 18, 2011
    Thanks for the pics !!!

    Unfortunately I had to wait until I got home to see them.

    The filter at work does not block F-Chat, but for some reason your pics were blocked due to "pornography".......

    I guess "Fifi" must be the name of a porn star somewhere.............
     
  10. RWatters

    RWatters Formula 3

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    #10 RWatters, Jul 19, 2011
    I have to deal with work blocks as well. They block the strangest things sometimes!

    The plane was massive up close, but I was amazed at how pristine it looked as well. I know it's a restoration job, but it's still a WW2 plane which means it's oooold. I was also amazed at how much it was covered in oil. It was just dripping off of the thing near the engines!
     
  11. Aedo

    Aedo F1 Rookie

    Feb 22, 2006
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    Steve
    #11 Aedo, Jul 20, 2011
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    RWatters photos uploaded (including Beautiful Doll) :) - thanks for taking them!
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  12. klatu

    klatu Formula Junior

    Apr 13, 2009
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    Rob Mckinney
    #12 klatu, Jul 21, 2011
    Check out San Diego Stuff on page 2

    Rob
     

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