I saw a B-17 flying over Santa Rosa today. Not sure if it's one based out of the Sonoma County Airport or if it's part of the tour.
My brother-in-law buys and sells war birds......he owned this one for a short time... He does have his contacts and pull....but I dare say that getting me a free ride in a B29 is not one of them......hopefully it heads this way.... I need to find out what the status is of the one in Wichita, KS....they were rebuilding one....it got moved from the Boeing plant (now Spirit) to some location. I know they want to make it a flying bird...they swaped tails with another B29 up in CT that will never fly.
hey - who parked this B-29 on our ramp (in Dallas) ? we need to move it over towards the terminal area (it had come in late on the weekend) - go get a big tug and who can skimmy through the tunnel to help stear it....hey Stillrunners ( not my real name) boy that was a cool coast at Dallas Love Field where I worked awhile back....one of the better Monday mornings I've had....
Went up in the B-29 pictured below and along side the other two pictured below in 2009. Got a free ticket given to me by a good friend. What an awesome day, the B29 is a real hot rod. The B17 on the next day burst a hydraulic line and sprayed the passengers in Hydraulic fluid they were all freaked out.
Hey Thorkle, the "Tondelayo" is a B-25 Mitchell, "Witchcraft" is a B-24 Liberator, and the "Nine O Nine" is a B-17. Which one you go up in?
I was at the US Air Force museum in Dayton a week ago.. saw the B-29 they have there, just amazing (I can post pics if you want). My Grandfather flew on B-24s during WW2 out of England w/ the 367th IIRC, including the real Witchcraft... before he died I got him to fly in one.. the collings foundation plane. Too bad it wasn't painted Witchcraft at the time.
I wish I could afford to go up in the Canadian Warplane Heritage Avro Lancaster but it's jut too rich for my blood about now. It came through last summer but I was unable to go see it
"Fifi" is named for Mrs. Victor Agathur. Vic was an American business man who relocated into Mexico prior to WW2 to protect the interests of his employer (I think it was oil related, but I don't remember the details). As time passed, his businesses included a Pepsi bottling plant and a bunch of joint ventures manufacturing everything from bearings to watches. Some of his Japanese partners were very upset with him for having a B-29. In his garage in Mexico City (circa 1990, when I met him) was an early 1950s Jaguar XK-120 he was restoring. He is, of course, long gone. I'm glad to see his plane is still doing what he loved!
Hi RLD14, That B-29 at the US Air Force Museum was the famous "Bockscar" which dropped the 2nd atomic bomb on Japan.. I worked 21 years in Building D at Offutt AFB where the Enola Gay and Bockscar were built... It sure is a beautiful plane...duane (NM Sandrail)
The B 17 Liberty Bell and a P 40 will be at Mather Field here in Sacramento on Sunday--just saw it on the news--my Dad (gone now) flew 17's out of England in WW 2 so I would like to go up in one someday
Is there a schedule for when the B-17 and the P-40 will fly into Mather? I'd love to take my boys to see them fly in and go check them out.
Caption: "Oh that there is the cigarette lighter..." Those cockpits are really busy compared to today's modern aircraft... they were a menagerie of convoluted combination's just to get them started much less than to fly them! I won't even start to tell you the aircraft I flew or rode... ("it'll sound like I'm bragging... and it would be...!") Get a ride any chance you can... the way things are going we won't be allowed to buy fuel!
If you are thinking of going for a ride in the B-17 or any WWII Warbird and thinking about the cost, DON'T. Just find the funds, credit card whatever any enjoy the once in a life time flight, and remember all the young men that didn't make it home, but allowed us to live the lives and freedom we enjoy today.
Cool beans man!! WW2 planes are the coolest hotrods ever. I've never seen a B-29 fly but I did take one helluva 4 wheeler ride up in the mountains to a wrecked one.
War Birds, man are those some awesome planes. My Dad wrenched on all those in Kearney, Ne. as a civilian mechanic employed by the Air Force. Nebraska had several bases where bombers were kept as inland saftey measures. Thanx for the cool pix. ~sololobo~
Good old "FiFi" Over the years we've done many airshows with many of the different warbirds. FiFi has been a part of alot of them.
That is awesome.I got to go through the B17 Liberty bell when it was here in Denver.That war ship gives you respect for the guys with guts that flew in them.It is crude compared to todays aircraft but it is a trip back in time for sure. If you get a chance to see it, GO MAN, you will be amazed.
the liberty bell was in apalachacola fl. last summer i got some good video of it buzzing the field but dont know how to load.... this is an old army duk with an original inline gmc 6 for power...
IIRC there is a very good documentary about the rescue of "FiFi" from the naval bombing range at China Lake where it had sat for years as a target and was relatively undamaged. The Navy agreed to let them have it if they could move it in a limited time. So a volunteer crew patched up the best one and fueled it for a one time flight. Someone filmed it from the cockpit as the plane lifted off the desert floor for the first time in 20 years...that pilot had some solid brass balls but looked a little nervous.
I got to walk through a B-17G and B-24J this weekend here in Austin. Incredible planes. I'd love to see and hear that B-29. I was 10 minutes late from seeing it in the hangar at the CAF in Midland last summer on our family roadtrip...bummer.
+1 Having hitched a ride in a P-40 http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=415808 I'll never miss another chance and have the Sunderland on my "Short" list. http://www.youtube.com/user/FantasyOfFlight?feature=mhum#p/u/1/NMTBDQScFyw Working next to FoF has hopelessly spoiled me as seeing these birds in the air is rather common but FoF is a must see for any propeller heads in Central Florida. Check out this wall-o-horsepower of new in the crate Allisons.
"Fertile Myrtle" is on display and I'm pretty sure he owns a couple more B-29 parts or projects in desert storage.
I agree with The37Kid if you can anyway swing it get on a flight! Also try to get permission to bring you car in after hours for a short photo shoot. Like Willowbilly3 said these Warbirds are the "coolest hotrods ever" and what a great place to get some photos with your own hot rod!! Here is mine from last summer...what a fantastic day!! 32 Spitfire http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=502413&highlight=32+spitfire
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