B17 crashes in Connecticut

Thanks for restoring FIFI! As a kid I knew that there were no B-29s which were airworthy. The New England Air Museum at Bradley has a fuselage....I never thought I'd hear those radial engines. Fast forward a few years ago. We were on the beach. I heard a droning noise. I looked up and saw a large multi-engined plane in the distance with large, rounded tail element. I said to myself. It can't be. Maybe it's a Boeing 307. Maybe a C-53. Nope a B-29!. I shouted to the kids to look up. I felt this is what the people of Hiroshima saw at 8:15. A lone B-29 low and slow. I felt I could teach my kids the sensation of what that day might have started like long ago. Once we cleaned up we ran to the airport and got in line. A great day! Hopefully the FAA will balance oversight and preserve the history flights and use of these great machines.
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Few would notice that the national insignia is the wrong color. When the airplane came out of the paint hangar I dropped my teeth when I saw that they had painted the insignia black instead of dark air force blue. From what I can tell, it is still black. Oh well, just so the airplane is safe and giving people a look at an "F-One F-One."

 

" I heard a droning noise. I looked up and saw a large multi-engined plane"
*****
IIRC, it was the mid-90s and I was outside doing yard work and heard a "droning noise", looked up as saw a B-29 flying over the house. About 20 years later (2012?), I was outside talking to a neighbor and heard a "droning sound". I said.."last time I heard a sound like that was 20 years ago and a B-29 flew over the house" we looked up and FiFi was flying overhead. What a flight of >300 B-29s would have sounded like?????

 

I was attending a vintage motor race at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham a few years ago when I was surprised to see Fifi flying by repeatedly. Only later did I find that she was paying a visit to the city.

 

October 2, 2023
Collings Foundation Reaches Settlement with ‘Nine-0-Nine’ Crash Victims
https://www.flyingmag.com/collings-foundation-reaches-settlement-with-nine-0-nine-crash-victims/

November 30, 2023
Collings Foundation Grounds Air Tour for WWII Aircraft
https://www.flyingmag.com/collings-foundation-grounds-wwii-aircraft/

Somebody explain to me how they are not only still operating their museum, but expanding by 90,000 sq ft after settling with 10 passengers? That had to be MILLIONS.
No criminal cases for negligence?

.

 

I read the FAA report and in my opinion it was criminally negligent. That airplane had no business being flown and its condition had to have been obvious. One engine was along for the ride and the one next to it could not have passed a mag check prior to flight. I suppose no one pressed the issue.

 

From my understanding Rob is a very powerful and influential person.

I have friends who are friends with him and the stories I have heard over the years are well... Impressive

 

If he was so impressive he should have kept his aircraft airworthy and assign their operation to responsible people. Not use his influence to avoid responsibility.

 

I definitely do NOT disagree