Liberty Belle B-17 flew over my house...now it's gone...

A few more...

 

She was here a few weeks back. I believe the Liberty Foundation which flew her was set up to allow WWII vets take flights, with the costs offset by the rides and tours they gave the public. Very noble cause and a huge loss. Sorry to see her go...

B-17 Liberty Belle - Image 8 by Mike Rogers 303, on Flickr


B-17 Liberty Belle - Image 6 by Mike Rogers 303, on Flickr


B-17 Liberty Belle - Image 3 by Mike Rogers 303, on Flickr

 

I was watching WWII in HD the other night on tv and they had an old account of a bombing raid gone bad over Germany. The belly gunner got stuck in his fishbowl after the gears to the release door were shot up. The plane had lost all electrics and hydraulics so they couldn't lower the landing gear. They had to crash land on the belly when they got back to England knowing they would kill their buddy in the process. Absolutely heart wrenching story and one of many from B17 crews. Terrible to see a plane that has been through so much be lost so many years later.

 

Really sad to see this. I'm glad I was able to see the plane when I was here in Fresno just a couple of months ago.

 

What a shame! Really sad to see this.

 

What a shame. Can't imagine the pain of having to stand there and watch her burn.

 

What a tragedy! So many ended up in scrap yards after WWII, and very few got saved before they were cut up for scrap metal. A local guy (Art Lacey) here had the foresight to grab one before they scrapped them, and it's been over his old gas station/restaurant ever since.
Local collectors and friends have been trying to restore it to flying status for many years now, but it's an expensive, slow process. Hopefully it will get done in my lifetime, as I'd love to see her fly one day!
Click on "history" when you go there. It's a fun read to see how he got the bird.
http://www.thebomber.com/

 

What a shame to see... but when my card gets punched I hope I go down in flames rather than being left to rust.

 

Sad! The ole' gal 'buzzed' our house a couple of weeks ago & my almost 2 year old son was saying "plane" and pointing up at the sky & it was flying REAL low over our house and now he hears a plane and looks up at the sky.

Chris

 

No Way!! Man Thats Real Sad..Not too many of these old Warbirds left..I hate to see that..

 

Very sad to see this happen. I'm glad to know the crew made it out okay. I was fortunate enough to take my 7 year old son on a walk through of the B-17 "Sentimental Journey" and it was so amazing to see the look on his face during the whole tour. Hopefully Liberty Belle has enough salvageable parts to help another B-17 see the skies.

 

R.I.P. Liberty Belle

 

I'd rather see her rise from the ashes and fly again...

 

I read on another board that the field she landed in was too wet and muddy for fire equipment to get across and that was the reason they didn't try to put the fire out.
Sad day for warbird fans. She has been into the airport where I work at least once in the past few years.

 

I was sad about hearing that yesterday.. Even saved the link and went home to show
my son. We both crawled through the belly of Nine-O-Nine, when she was at Love
Field in DFW, back years ago. The B-25 was there, but we didn't get to go in it.
The news did play it up like it crash landed or something. You can't ever trust what
the news people say..

 

RIP, Liberty Belle. I have had the chance to see a few B-17s, but I never had the opprotunity to see her in person. I can only imagine what the crew must have felt just watching her burn...just sickening. Both of my Grandpa's flew in 17's in WWII. One was a Bombadier in the 8th AF, and the other a Tailgunner in the 15th AF.

 

It's amazing how things can go from disposable objects (during the war) to priceless
works of flying history. And then how quickly it all ends because of some accident,
or tiny failed mechanical part.

 

What a work of art, truly sad.............. I worked on the restoration of the Memphis Belle in A&P school man years ago, amazing machines built by craftsmen who gave a shit. How sad!

 

My grandpa was a mechanic on B-17s and B-24s. He got me hooked on them. I've been on Nine-O-Nine, Aluminum Overcast, and Texas Raiders. I wish I could have seen Liberty Belle. Sad such a priceless piece of history is gone.

 

I'm very fortunate to have the Yankee Air Museum close to home. So close that they often fly from Ypsi to Grosse Isle right over my house on weekends. I always notice how once the exhaust noise dissipates I can hear the props like a helicopter. Awesome personal treat.

 

So sad

 

Ouch. I love that plane.

 

Very sad for me to see the pictures of her burning. My dad and his crew picked up a new one at the factory and flew it to England to bomb Germany. My dad was 19 years old and the oldest on his crew was 22. They made their 25 missions safely and returned home. I've related the rest of his story a couple of times on here so won't repeat it again.

Frank

 

Those of you that get to live close to these beasts are lucky! I would love to see one
of these flying over my house from time to time. There is nothing like hearing the
roar, and running outside with your kids, to feel the horse power going through
your chest and through the ground... I'd love to be part of an air crew on one of
these. I have a bunch of nose art books that I get out sometimes and look through.
It's sad to think that almost all of them are now gone..

 

You're only 45 minutes from the Cavanaugh Flight Museum, unless a flying B-29 and B-24 isn't good enough...

RIP Liberty Belle.

 

A damn sorry loss to history, it brakes my heart!

Nick.

 

Beautiful photo!! Thanks for posting it!!

 

Though I am not into planes at all, it was sad to see this happen. Fortunate for the crew, they all survived. This happened less than a mile from my home. The pilot should be commended for dropping this where he did. He was able to avoid a large river(fox) as well as a rock quarry and a neighborhood only a few hundred feet away from where it finally stopped.

 

I was honored to shake the hand of a gentleman who flew 55 missions over europe. First 25 was as a ball turrett gunner (!!!) then the others after a field commission and Navagator school. Sad to see her go, but, Damn good flying Sir!

 

Damn!

The kids and I were climbing all over the 'ol girl just a few weeks ago in KC!

~Jason