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Cool weekend!

Mike67

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My daughter's AFJROTC arranged for a few cadets to go fly with the Civil Air Patrol...she loved it.
When we were leaving I saw some mechanics working on a B17. Decide to ask if we could take some pics, which the reply I got was not what I expected....he said hell son crawl up in there and take a look!!!
Even got to go in a Beechcraft C45...daughter now wants to join CAP...

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Pretty cool. Seem like tight quarters in a 17.
 
Ya to say the least...it was a tight squeeze for me to cross the bomb bay...my daughter laughed her but off!
It was special as her great grandfather was a bombadier on a 17 in WWII.
 
We couldnt get to the tail gunner section they had the floor out.
Found out a lot of interesting things about volunteering your time...can sign up for flights all over the U.S..
The mechanic said they even have a cadet group...they are trying to build interest in the youth...those guys are getting up there in years and need to be able to pass on their knowledge.
Daughter never had much interest in flight but this weekend gave her a new perspective and seems to have peaked her interest...
 
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Wife and I also visited with a B-17G Saturday. The EAA hosted their "Aluminum Overcast" restored B-17G at a local small airfield
here and I couldn't pass up the opportunity.
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Apparently this one is one of 10 B17-G's currently being flown; others are either in the works or are otherwise temporarily down for work of one sort or another.
It's the second one I've gone to visit in the last couple years, too - Sentimental Journey visited the area a couple years ago as well, brought by the CAA out of Arizona.
These planes took well over a decade each to be restored and a HUGE volunteer force is required to both restore and maintain them.

Love the visits and climbing through (although at my size, it's not a quick jaunt through 'em) but I've never actually ridden in one (that's a bunch of money, not to mention I've never taken a trip by plane in my life).
Maybe someday...
Instead, I buy all sorts of souvenirs from their fundraising efforts. :)
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Yes, an old man bought a snap-together model kit. How cool is it they have one of the actual plane, though? :thumbsup:
My wife doesn't even bat an eye with me anymore when I do that. :)

And the people you meet at these gatherings! Wow, their service to the country, the stories they have to tell.
Good Lord, man...
Bucket list also has to include both B-29's too, Doc and Fifi. MUST see those before I'm done.
 
I've never actually ridden in one (that's a bunch of money, not to mention I've never taken a trip by plane in my life).
Paul one of the mechanics who took us in said flights are $475, he said the easiest way is to join the crew and volunteer some hrs. He said the will teach you how to work on it and you basically build credits. Then you sign up for flights and the crew decide if you are worthy ( hours volunteered).
As soon as my car is done I might consider a new hobby!!!!
 
Pretty cool. Seem like tight quarters in a 17.

Back in the 40s people were a lot slimmer and trimmer. Didn’t have many crew members over 5’ crewing one of those planes. Imagine flying an 8 hour mission, flying at 25,000feet, on oxygen, 40 below zero in an unpressurized airplane. Add to that the flak and German fighters cutting you to pieces. They were tough people back then.
 
Ya Pop was about 6'2", Im 6'1 240...Pop was probably 160lbs back then.... To fly in those tin cans was a reflection of that generations fortitude.
When Pop was alive he told me many war stories...ine tgat always made me laugh was where they were flying out of Algiers, IIRC, into France bombing the Germans, they got shot up around the coast...the pilot got them out over the Mediterranean and told everyone to bail out. Pop was real close with the pilot and waited for him to start his way back to the gunners window...after a few minutes Pop went to the cockpit and asked Charlie when he was coming back...Charlie told him there wasn't no way in hell his was jumping out of that plane....Pop told him if he wasn't jumping he wasn't either! Pop climbed into the co-pilots seat and the belly flopped it into the sea...said they floated around in a life raft for about 4 hrs before being picked up...
It's a better story when he told it...
 
Back in the 40s people were a lot slimmer and trimmer. Didn’t have many crew members over 5’ crewing one of those planes. Imagine flying an 8 hour mission, flying at 25,000feet, on oxygen, 40 below zero in an unpressurized airplane. Add to that the flak and German fighters cutting you to pieces. They were tough people back then.
I think the majority of us were much slimmer when we were 'kids'......I know I was lol. At 18 iirc, was around 140 and hit 235 a couple of years ago but am now 195 but can't seem to get much below that.
 
Two cents worth...

Guess I was lucky on the B-25 'Brew...', made me a crew member 'cause of what I could do on the engines. Handful of years flying on her, when she was private. If you ever get a chance, do it! The smells, raw aluminum, avgas, loud, and gobs of horsepower. Nothing like you feel on the ground, you feel it in your bones!
Never had a chance to get upstairs, in a 17 (fav a/c), just the breaks. And a lousy story involving 'Texas Raiders', won't bother with it.
 
Paul one of the mechanics who took us in said flights are $475, he said the easiest way is to join the crew and volunteer some hrs. He said the will teach you how to work on it and you basically build credits. Then you sign up for flights and the crew decide if you are worthy ( hours volunteered).
As soon as my car is done I might consider a new hobby!!!!
I wish any of the bombers were home stationed anywhere in my area, but I understand they keep them in the warmer and dryer parts of the country.
Bucket list stuff, I guess.
 
Two cents worth...
Guess I was lucky on the B-25 'Brew...', made me a crew member 'cause of what I could do on the engines. Handful of years flying on her, when she was private. If you ever get a chance, do it! The smells, raw aluminum, avgas, loud, and gobs of horsepower. Nothing like you feel on the ground, you feel it in your bones!
Never had a chance to get upstairs, in a 17 (fav a/c), just the breaks. And a lousy story involving 'Texas Raiders', won't bother with it.
I'd love to read that story....
Anyways, since I don't know a darn thing about this subject but I am fascinated with these machines, I'm curious about the surviving B-17's especially.
I know the EAA has one and the CAF has one. Are there "rival" private restorers or museums or some such? How does all that work and who has all the remaining planes? Do the feds have any?
 
My daughter's AFJROTC arranged for a few cadets to go fly with the Civil Air Patrol...she loved it.
When we were leaving I saw some mechanics working on a B17. Decide to ask if we could take some pics, which the reply I got was not what I expected....he said hell son crawl up in there and take a look!!!
Even got to go in a Beechcraft C45...daughter now wants to join CAP...

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That's incredible Mike - and the smile on her face in all those pictures let's me know exactly what her thoughts are while being in that incredible airplane !

Glad to see you had a great time !
 
I'd love to read that story....
Anyways, since I don't know a darn thing about this subject but I am fascinated with these machines, I'm curious about the surviving B-17's especially.
I know the EAA has one and the CAF has one. Are there "rival" private restorers or museums or some such? How does all that work and who has all the remaining planes? Do the feds have any?
I know there's one in DC @ Smithsonian but you cant go in it...daughter went last year.
 
That does indeed look like a cool weekend, always great when you get to go have some fun with the kids.
 
I know the EAA has one and the CAF has one. Are there "rival" private restorers or museums or some such? How does all that work and who has all the remaining planes?
Like anything else, it's a dog eat dog world. 'Rival', sure, could be compared to car guys like us...damn, wish that one was mine!
Can't think of the website name, but a couple have info on surviving WW2 aircraft.

Tims picked up the B-25, as is, in Florida. Originally a solid nose, several modifications for missile test bed, airlines, and so on, even with an air stair installed. Replaced a tore up tail surfaces, new glass nose, even dropped in a brand new top turret. Guy selling it to him, had 'repaired' the leaky full cells, with household caulking. After getting it running, and flying her to Denver, entire fuel system got clogged up with that caulking. That's all before I got onboard.

Moved to Dallas...when I got the call for a little engine tuning/valve adjustments. Since I'm not a 'big guy', guess who had the pleasure of climbing into each (8) fuel cell, getting the caulk out, and repairing with the right stuff!
After I adjusted all the valves, Tims did a test flight. Back on the ground (hehe), came up to me, and asked what the hell I did to his airplane?? Told me on the roll out, had to work to keep the thing down, using a normal length of runway...said all it wanted to do was LIFT! I used the later US NAVY specs, for later R-1820s they used, and applied. Much smaller lash. Think he liked it!

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Without this getting too drawn out, I just add, on Brew, Tims took me for a drive in his butt ugly yellow/brown Rolls Royce, asking me to be part of the crew. All the beer I could drink, expenses covered, going to airshows, blah, blah.
Another free crewed 25 (The General) on the field, their crew had to have X amount of work time on it, pitch in for gas, pay your own way.
 
Got a ride in this B-25J. at the MT.Comfort airport in Indiana. They were doing a photo shoot for a warbirds calendar. I've had the privileged of flying on a B-24J, B-17G, and this B-25J and I have to say the the Mitchell is by far the loudest of three. I was rattled after that hour flight. Must be them two 1,600 HP Wright R-2600 Engines. This is a great site for info on B-25's b-25history.org/index.htm
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I have to say the the Mitchell is by far the loudest of three.
Yeah, I've heard that, too. Headsets all around! Helped a little.

A little funny, at least we got a good laugh out of it.
Tims made the call, time to go around the patch, just 'cause it was the weekend. Told the wife, lets go, youngest son in tow. We were known (Tims) to fly that thing like it was made to...including cutting grass...20 feet off the ground. So, put the wife and son up in the nose, going around the patch.
Time to go back, Tims would usually come in, cut grass, pull the nose up, then drop flaps and gear, and wing over for the go around for landing. So, here we are, coming in for the low pass, over the patch of grass between the runway and taxiway. Coming in, coming in...then suddenly, my wife says 'my god...he doesn't even know where the runway is!'. That was a good laugh. She swore she'd never get back in it.
 
Awesome stuff!!! My wife's boss wants me to go with him for a B17 or B25 ride, next spring. I think I'm too fat for those things.....so we'll see.
 
Awesome stuff!!! My wife's boss wants me to go with him for a B17 or B25 ride, next spring. I think I'm too fat for those things.....so we'll see.
I went up in the hatch under the the cockpit...being over 6' and somewhere 230-240 you need to be kind of limber and knees need to have enough flexion to get situated to stand up....I barely made it across the catwalk....my daughter was laughing her *** off and doubted I could do it...I told her to keep laughing as she has more of my genes than her mom's and all of this wonderfulness is what she has to look forward to!!!!! She shut up for a little while anyway, also told her that the ear hair was the precursor...Lol!!!!!
 
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