Well I should have been working on projects, but I needed a diversion. I fullfilled a lifelong fantasy of flying in a B17 bomber. I said I would do it for my 40th birthday. I turned 40 on the 11th. What a way to spend a Memorial day weekend. Wish Mom could have been here for it. She listened to me talk about flying in one of these since I was probably 12. Next month it's the P51 Mustang!!! Sorry for the large images, but I had to share. By rockabillyjoe, shot with DSC-P100 at 2008-05-25 By rockabillyjoe, shot with DSC-P100 at 2008-05-25 By rockabillyjoe, shot with DSC-P100 at 2008-05-25 By rockabillyjoe, shot with DSC-P100 at 2008-05-25
Not too loud. I brought my earplugs just in case, but didn't need them. The landing was smoother than any commercial flight I have been on. The highlights were riding in the front, and sticking my head and shoulders out of the removable top hatch. They had it open and I got to stick my head out during the flight. There went the perfect hair! I could go on about this for hours! If you ever have the chance, do it!
I saw that baby flying around. What amazed me is how slow it was flying. Glad you got to go for a spin.
Hey Joe is that B17 "Aluminium Overcast" ?? Because Im planning a flight on her - its one of my goals and simply a MUST DO before I fall off the perch. AWESOME STUFF thanx for sharin man !! Rat
i got to ride in the aluminum overcast about 3 years ago also it wass a awesume ride quiet and smooth we got a picture of our own shadow on the ground also rode in a dc3 i did ground mechanic on t28 trainer for the commerative airforce and rode in it often when that clear canopy pulls forward and that 800hp radial firses up it is not like any thing you have done also was up in st paul and sat in miss mitchell on a run up that thing is a a hot rod of the sky when those old planes fire up its like a dinosaur comes to life to all the small children that are around they shake and rumble the ground like nothing we get to see very often radial engines rule
Very cool! My uncle has taken a few of these flights. One on the B-17 and most recently he took a ride in the P-51D. My uncle is a captain for UPS and has over 10,000 hours on the 757 and 767 airframs..so knowing that, the P-51 pilot let him have the stick for a little bit. He also told me that he took him over his house (renton wa) and did some aerobatics. He said that it's just something that everyone has got to do before they die. Sometimes I wish I wasnt the only one in my immediate family without a pilots license. Oh and your pics are just great! Thanks for sharing. Rob
Looks like the "Yankee Lady." You lucky dog! I've been wanting to do the same thing for about the same amount of time! I'm glad you are finally getting to do it! I bet those 4 cyclones sounded great so close!!!!
Just fantastic, couple of years back on a trip to the States I went to Memphis and had a look at the restoration of the Memphis Bell, actually got to touch it and take in what it must have been for those brave people that flew in them and gave there lives. Spent some time talking to a man who was a ball gunner in one. He showed me his personal photo album from WW2. It was the highlight of my trip.
I took a ride in "nine-0-nine" (restored B-17) when it was here a couple of years back. I now have some idea of what it was like for my father at 19 years old. He finished flight school as a pilot and, along with his crew, picked up a new B-17 at the factory and flew it to England and bombed Germany for his 25 missions. Came home and decided to sign up for the then new B-29 and spent the rest of the war flying out of Guam bombing Japan. He's gone now 5 years but remained a patriot to the end. Frank
One of my customers was a tail-gunner on a B17 during WW2.....he told me the 50 cal. machine gun he used only had 2 boxes of ammo hooked up to it....thats not many rounds....stan
Dad was a Chief Armorer at Great Ashfield 1943-45 with the 385th BG, I wish I'd asked him more questions about day to day life back then. Flight crews and ground crews never mingled, were housed in different sections of the base. This pissed me off when I first read about it. When we first started sending B -17's over we were luckly to get half of them back, 10 men per plane, they didn't want ground crews loosing that many close friends. Wore Dads dog tags when I went up in Aluminum Overcast in memory of all those guys. Everyone should fly in a B-17.
Awesome post and tho not hotrod related a cool tribute to the tap root of hotrodding,Military aviation, which I belive I've seen regularly on this board.
My brother was a Martin B-26 pilot in Europe. He was shot down Dec. 23, 1944. I'd love to fly a B-26, in his memory, but alas there are none. There used to be one with the Confederate Air Force but it crashed and it was the only one flying.
Your in luck Customline Vicky,there is an airworthy B26 here in Fl. Hasn't been flown for quite a while now but truly a real hot rod in the air. I believe this is the early short wing version but you can check it out here for yourself. http://www.fantasyofflight.com/ http://www.fantasyofflight.com/aircraftpages/b26.htm 1940's factory shot at the Hudson plant in Detroit...
I flew on the B-17 the '909' a few years ago and it was worth every penny. Plus, Uncle Sam lets ya write if off your taxes... Good deal for you bro, its an experience you'll never forget.
Now THAT is a good way to spend Memorial Day. J E A L O U S ! On a side note, there's just something artistic and comforting in the composition of a giant machine gun muzzle framing the Space Needle.
Yeah, the .50 cals were given 300 rounds each to save on weight. and they can fire 100 per minute. Was told that they usually shot in 3-5 round bursts, and learned to be very accurate.
Oh! The plane is the Aluminum Overcast.She never saw any combat. The sound of the engines is amazing! I couldn't wear my earplugs because it sounded so good. They recently found the remaining peices to finish restoring her to proper spec. They have the bombay doors functioning correctly, and the ball turret is restored and intact.
That rules! Thanks for the pics. Really hope to get to do that someday. Got to tour a B-29 a few years ago and watch it take off, but I wasn't on it!!
Hey Joe I thought she was Aluminium Overcast by the silver coulour and red accents. Man what a blast.... Ive been wanting to go up in her for a long time....maybe I need to get my ass Stateside for a fang huh ? Well done on living your dream pal. Rat
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