Saw something REALLY cool today- B-17 bomber!!

This B-17 Bomber named "Aluminum Overcast" was in Spokane this week. Today we went and saw it. 4 generations of my family were there, My Grandfather, my Dad, My Brother and I, and me Nephew Hayden. My pal Lenny was there too! My Grandfather was a mechanic in the airforce and worked on a B-17, as well as many other planes. He and his Brother Art have loved aircraft their whole lives! So it made it extra special to have ol Gramps along with us. I REALLY wanted to go on a ride in it, it's 465.00 a person and I just can't do it right now but would love to one day!

Anyways, here are the pics of the bomber and the other vintage planes there. It was really cool seeing this thing in person, it was kinnda eerie too. I just kept thinking about how many men flew machines like this. A lot of them came home and built hot rods. The ones who did not come home, died so that we could be free. Looking at this plane put a lot into perspective that way.

Either way, here are the pics. Not REALLY traditional hot rod related, but it totally is if you think about it.

 

Here we are with the ol girl






Hayden!

 

THANKS FOR POSTING THAT IS COOL . SAW A B-17 HAD A CHANCE TO SEE ONE UP CLOSE MYSELF AT THE VALPARAISO AIRPORT IN INDIANA A COUPLE A YEARS BACK JUST GREAT!!! Knuck From Indiana.

 

very cool, I wish I could see one these old planes up close, maybe even hear one.

 

Very cool, the next time a 17 or 25 comes here I AM taking a flight. Been a history buff all my life. I will never forget a B17 slurry bomber buzzing up our street 30 years ago. Full bore, on the deck then a vertical climb to clear the big Mtn in town called Skyline Drive. Once his wings cleared the ridgeline he dropped a load of bright red slurry to help protect the houses. As ballsy as flying one in combat at times I would think.

 

Saw one fly over my house several times this weekend.WWII show at the Reading Airport this weekend.

 

Stump up $425 and take a ride in one (tax deductible too) check the schedule, they were here in Nor Cal the past few weeks...


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




And OP...as for not being traditional hot rod related...without those guys, there wouldn't be a hobby as we know it today. Great pictures, thanks for sharing.

 

Coolest plane from the era or IMO ever made.

 

I can never get too much of the B-17's, and for that matter, all WWII aircraft. My dad was a pilot on one after graduating flight school at 19 years old. He and his crew picked up a new one at the factory, flew it to England and participated in the bombing of Germany. After surviving 25 missions returned home and signed up for B-29 school and finished the war bombing Japan from Guam.

Frank

 

It's a sound you'll never forget, one can only imagine what a formation of them sounded like.

 

Unreal man....I cut an old gents hair last week that was 91, flew B-29s in WWII, and drove himself to the shop for a cut. Blew my mind! The stories this guy had....

 

Yeah, it kinnda sounded flathead...had a raspy "RUMP RUMP RUMP" TO IT

 

Bitchin I love that shit!

 

Partially right Trent. Just remember that the houses on your street weren't shooting at the slurry pilot and crew. A significant difference in my book.

Frank

 

They will be at Nut Tree Airport here in my home town about a mile from my house, I have some freinds out at the Airport and we are hoping to get some pictures with the hot rods and the big ole bombers!

 

Beautiful plane, one of my favorites. My Grandfather (Pvt. A. D. Stocks) was a turrent gunner on a B-17 in WWII. Not a rodder but he loved the 32 Fords.

 

Wow cool pics Chris thanks for posting! The flight price is a bargain compared to a flight in the Lancaster that the Canadian Warplane Heritage flies ....it was $1200.00 when I looked into it years ago

 

Thanks for posting Chris

 

very cool pics, thanks for sharing!

 

Very cool

 

I live in El Cajon CA near Gillespie Field...there has been an air show going on for the last 3 days now. Pretty cool watching 4 bi-planes fly over the house in formation. Today there was a P-51 flying over, way cool. Nothing like the sound of a recip engine flying overhead at about 300 feet!

 

True but now 30 years on after we lost most of the slurry fleet due to flight crashes it shows how freakin gutsy those guys were in 45 year old overloaded planes!

 

Every time I see on of those belly ball turrets It freaks me out.. Can't imagine being stuffed in that space for that log isolated from the rest of the crew, and being such a target. Makes being on a submarine a cake walk by comparrison.

 

I DONT KNOW ABOUT A CAKE WALK I HAD THE HONOR OF GOING ON THE USS SILVERSIDES WWII SUBMARINE. THAT WAS A CRAMPED UP SPOT TO BE YOU CANT LOOK OUT YOU SHARED YOUR BUNK WITH ANOTHER GUY TAKING SHIFTS NO SHOWER! THE SMELL OF DIESEL ALL THE TIME BASIC A FLOATING TIME BOMB IF YOU ASK ME. THE NARROW WALKWAYS AND JUST THE FEELING THAT YOU ARE POSSIBLY WALKING IN YOUR TOMB NEVER THINK ABOUT DYING BY DROWNING YOU ATE GOOD THOUGH LOBSTER, STEAK AND JUST GREAT FOOD. YOU DID NOT EVEN HAVE TO SHAVE. BUT STILL NO CAKEWALK. Knuck Fom Indiana.

 

Nice T-shirt!

 

WW2 planes and hot rods...they work in my book.....

 

Very nice. I dig them old planes.


Sent from my iPhone using TJJ

 

Great post & photos! Must be 5-6 years ago that I took a flight on the Aluminum Overcast, well worth the cost. Dad was an Armorer at Great Ashfield 1943-45, sure wish I'd asked him what day to day life was like on the base. Air crews and ground crews were housed in different sections of the base, and rarely hung out together. I always thought that was odd when I first read it. But when you think about the fact that over 50% of the crews never returned in the early days, you didn't want any bonds with the crew members. Each B-17 had 10 guys on it, Black Thrusday was October 14, 1943 when Great Ashfield lost 13 B-17's. Brave bunch of guys that we all owe so much to.

 

Great pics