The Collings Foundation dropped by the local airport today with their B-24, the B-17, and the B-25. I took my dad out today for a bit to look around, he really dug the planes but can't get around well so we didn't stay long. I happened to be back that way that afternoon and went back out to watch the B-17 and B-24 take off with the tourist flights. Amazing machines and an unduplicated sound. As I was leaving I asked why the B-25 hadn't flown, and they said they were just about to go and had a spot open. Pure spur-of-the-moment, but I decided to jump on the plane and got a gunner spot. Great place to experience the plane from, could see well and clamber into the back gun spot if you wanted. Lousy cameraphone pics attached for that flight, I wasn't expecting to be out there and didn't have my good camera. I'll upload the static shots later. In short -- well worth doing. It's hard to believe that people flew in those things for hours across hostile territory. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
I flew in those old machines and loved it...in a way. It wasn't very nice when your B-17 or B-24 got up to 25000 feet and the temperature got down to -60 sometimes. They were wide open and un-pressurized, loud, and miserable. Wind noise and engine noise was battering and food and drink was impossible for the duration of the high altitude mission that was often 15 hours from wake up to landing if you survived it. Most of it was on oxygen that was fed through an ill fitting mask that drained snot all over your life vest that froze there...until you got to a lower altitude where it thawed with obvious affect. Nobody realizes what the flight crews went through during the offense against Germany and even Japan with the B-29's that were pressurized and heated. They were still shot down, too. In 1985 I had a marvelous flight in a B-25 , a P-51, and a B-17 during the 50th anniversary celebration of the B-17. In 1992 I flew in the bombardier's position in FIFI, the Confederate Air Force's B-29 during the 50th anniversary of the B-29 and it was still a thrill. Switches
sweet...cool pics, even thought they are phone pics....this thread reminds me to go talk with my local CAF and become a member and hopefully get checked out in something so I can volunteer my.....as if I would need my arm twisted to volunteer to hang out around these aircraft.....
