Liberty Belle

Good photos, thank you. I can't help but to flash back to 1944 -45 and remember how the patina of hard wear characterized the airplanes. Some didn't smell too nice inside either.
You mentioned the flight environment. Put on something close to 50 to 60 pounds of high altitude clothing and equipment to keep from freezing to death at temperatures of -40 to -70 then at 12,000 don an oxygen mask that further added to your misery and restricted your movement. So, you are plugged into the electrical outlet to heat your blue wool suit that a lot of times had broken heating elements in the elbows and knees that burned you sometimes. You are plugged into an oxy tank by a hose that could tangle in everything around you. As the cold increases your nose begins to run and fouls your mask and drips out of the bottom onto your Mae West . Your suit is letting cold air inside and there's nothing you can do about it and then an hour into the mission the flak comes up in black clouds and after that the fighters come in from all directions and and it's damn near impossible to track them with your cal. 50 gun that sometimes gets jammed when the grease freezes up. Then do this for 6 hours or more. Sometimes when the crews survived a mission they had to turn around and do it the next day and then the probably again two days after that.
I never flew combat ,thank the Lord, but I lived and flew with crews that did and they were old men at 24 years of age. Some brushed it off as a great adventure. Some were nuts and still fighting in their sleep and would never recover.

 

How much were the flights ?

 

Very nice!! I was fortunate enough to get to fly in a B24 a few months ago in San Diego. Walking over the bomb-bay several hundread feet in the air is pretty wild (the doors were closed, but are pretty much corrogated metal garage doors and would not hold you if you fell!)

If you can ever afford to drop the $$ it is well worth it!!

Here are 2 short vids I shot during my short time with the planes.

B17 "NINE O NINE" fly over

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LT83RArfq6g

B24 "Witchcraft" cockpit view in flight over Santee CA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H17aV19vtgk

This plane (Liberty Belle) is not part of the Collings Foundation, but here is their schedule for the B24/B17/P51 that tour the country.

http://www.collingsfoundation.org/cf_schedule-wof.htm

Notes from their website

Flight Experiences Donations are $425 per person aboard the B-17 or B-24.

The B-25 is available at select locations for flight experiences. Flight experiences on the B-25 are $400 for forward fuselage seats, and $325 for waist gun seats

Flight training in the TP-51C "Betty Jane" will be at most locations on the Wings of Freedom Tour. Flight training in the P-51 is $2200 for a half hour flight, and $3200 for a full hour. All participants will get the chance to feel what it was like to fly one of the most legendary fighters of WWII.

Walk through tours of the aircraft are $12 for adults, and $6 for children 12 and under for access to all of the aircraft. WWII Veterans get into the ground tours at no charge.
Click on each city below for Location and Times at that location.


This is a really cool thing to take veterans out to see, My father took my Grand dad (former B24 pilot) out for a flight. It was the first time since 1945 when he parked his B24 after the war in CT

 

It was during the early 40s' when, as a 5 year old kid, I would look up into that great big blue sky to watch squadrons of B-17s and P-38s fly over my parent's house in Burbank, CA.

The B-17, Liberty Belle, is visiting Burbank this weekend. And finally, tomorrow, after all these (65) years, I'll go for the joyride of my life I plan to leave the ground in what I feel is one of the most beautiful warbirds ever built.

If I don't forget my camera in my excitement, I'll post pics.

Cheers, Hank

 

Have a good time Hank. I'm jealous!
Don't forget to pee first!

 

Annnnnnnnnnd? Do tell, how was it?

 

Well, guess who turned up at the Davis-Monthan airshow today for a static display AND flight alongside a P-51 Mustang. That's right, Liberty Belle. She was as beautiful on the ground as she was in the air.

Quite a day with some really fantastic planes but she was definitely at the top of the list along with the U2.