They will be at the Rockford Illinois airport on July 23, 24, and 25. B-24, B-25, B-17 and P-51. Walk through tours and 30 minuite flights are both available. The flights may need a reservation though.
Here's a link to all of the pics I took...over a hundred! http://s219.photobucket.com/albums/cc265/hotrodpodo/Warbirds/ Lotsa cool detail stuff. Enjoy!!
The best $425 I ever spent was getting to ride in the front gunners seat up the coast in SoCal in the B-17...The Collings folks are terrific..go see 'em.
Sorry about these, just click on the link to see all my pics... http://s219.photobucket.com/albums/cc265/hotrodpodo/Warbirds/
Those are great photos,they might be O/T to some, but many of us,regard them to be "Traditional Hot Rods of the Sky" Thanks for sharing them with us .
The Colling's guys were very cool when they found out my Dad was a co-pilot during the war. They had him sign a poster they had with the names of other men who had served then they took a picture of him with me and my two boys. I was glad my sons and I were able to spend this day with him. He died a few months later. He was 83. I've posted this before, but here it is again....... Here are a couple of picture's from his s**** book........... and here they were stationed in England
I have to agree. If you ever heard a 2800 cu in, 18 cylinder, 2500 hp Pratt & Whitney engine built in the late 30's/early 40's fire up and sit there idling, you would not only get goosebumps, but you would agree too! They sound good at full song too, about 2400 RPM.
I was at an air show and a Corsiar taxied by, slobbering, shaking and snorting, ponding the air, and this grizzlied old man turn to me and said "it ain't no wonder all them boys came home and bought a Harley, is it?" I'll never forget that. Got to meet Tex Hill that year and say "thanks".
They'll be in West Chicago this weekend. I'm driving the '36 out there Friday afternoon so I can hopefully see them land. Last I heard the B-25 was still undergoing an engine change. Neat pics Ol 55. Cool you got to experience that with him before he p***ed. Do you know what group he was with?
Indeed it is!!! Worth every penny!! If ya get the chance to go up you will never regret spending the money!
Took a ride in 909 when Collings was here a couple of years ago. Like you said, the best money I've spent in a long time. My dad picked up a new B-17 at the factory when he was 19 years old and with his crew flew it to England to bomb Germany. Got his 25 missions in and came home. Was home less than 2 months and signed up for B-29's and spent the rest of the war bombing Japan. After a short stay on the family farm reinlisted and spent the next 30 years flying B-29's again followed by B-47's and then into B-52 's. He p***ed away 4 years ago a patriot to the end. Frank
has anyone seen the b-29? or know its coming to so-cal? gotta see that. i hear there 2 of em flyin now
agreed.while there were hotrods before the war, these planes certainly cause the post war hot-rod craze
No B-29's currently flying. The CAF plane is still down awaiting 4 new engines. Progress is being made with a return to flight planned for the CAF AIRSHO (in Midland, Texas) in October 2009. They are putting later model engines in it and need new engine mounts, modified cowlings, and a lot of other modified systems...Big job. The other B-29 that was being restored to fly lost funding and hanger space and was pushed outside. It's in Wichita, I believe. I do not know if any work is being done.
Ralf56 took care of that one... but you are thinking of B-24s I would guess. The CAF B-24 will be in Oshkosh next week and they have no plans of going that far west. The other flying B-24, Witchcraft is on this particular tour that this thread was started for. They'll be in West Chicago this weekend. There is one other airworthy B-24 in Florida, but it hasn't flown in 10 years. It is the most original B-24 in existance AFIK.
COOL!!!! Thanks a lot looks like they will be in Auburn IN, 20mins from us in AUG!!!!!!!!! yahoooooo we just took our grandson to the dayton air museum a few weeks ago, he will LOVE this!!!!!!!!!!!
My dad served in the Army Air Forces and was stationed at Lowry Field,Denver Colorado and Las Vegas Army Air Field,In Las Vegas,,he was trained as a flexable gunner,,for B-17's and later on B-29's. He was one of the lucky ones,,,,His entire crew was killed and he was the only crewman to survive. A close friend of mine (Fred Pearman]who has since p***ed on did this painting for my dad probably 20 years ago as a gift for his birthday,,,he made the plane look like a ghost,,,and the portrat was taken from a photo Fred had made the year before. My dad is gone now but the story behind it means a lot to me.
B24 wallhanger... Hard to believe its been ten years... Lotsa pieces and parts "Roar and Soar"Land,Sea,Air show coming this Nov. Need to get a Hamb contingent together. Info here: http://www.fantasyofflight.com/
Nice to see so many of you appreciate these things as I do! My grandfather was a lead bombardier in the 8th Air Force. He flew 31 missions with the 379th, the most decorated of all the bombardment groups. They were shot down once (Belgium, '44). They even had a B-17 ice up and crash on takeoff, right into one of their barracks at Kimbolton, England. Those were some real men back then! Talk to them while they are still around.
For me as a Jet engine inspector these pics are great!!!! No matter on what side of the war these people were, just try to imagine to live with the consciousness that this day could be Your last on earth, when You got up in the morning during WWII. Because of that I have respect for old people, no matter if they are Americans or Germans.Hotrodpodo, You're ******* right and I talk AND listen to them, while they are still around.
The Jalopy Journal
