The AM Forum

Was on my porch having a cold one after some yard work when I heard the distinctive throb of multiple radial engines. I looked up and saw a gorgeous USA B17 bomber heading west at about 3000 ft.  It was a very rare and beautiful sight as it flew directly over my house. Not sure where it  had been or where it was going but being a former Air force navigator I was very impressed.  Thanks USA.

73s  Nigel

That must have been a beautiful sight and sound Nigel! I had the good fortune to work at the New England Air Museum for a couple of summers and now and then the mechanics would be working on something cool like an old Hellcat or a P51. They sure sounded sweet when they fired up one of those engines. They don't have a B-17 in their collection so I guess there's a pretty short list of ones that still fly or are good enough for use in a static exhibit.

Hope you didn't spill any of that cold one!

73,

Rob W1AEX

What a treat! There are only 12 airworthy B-17's presently

13,000 were built and 5000 were lost to combat, accident, or parts cannibalization.

  Collings Foundation B-17 at Moffet Field in the Bay Area taken by me about 10 years ago, they also had a B-24 and B-25. My father was on B-24's in WWII, I took a ride of the B-24.

Last year, I got the birthday present of a lifetime (ie, better than a NIB Johnson 500)!  My XYL and sister-in-law bought rides on the "Nine O Nine" for my brother-in-law and I.  It was when Collingsworth Foundation was here at Marana Field (Tucson).  Very cool airplane and way cool ride--I'm still talking about it.  Being a former radio op/ground pounder, I scrambled into the plane and occupied the radio ops position.  Had a nice BC-348 staring me in face on little plywood table but was too busy sticking my head out the top hatch in the radio compartment and then moving around the plane.  Not a cheap ride but is tax deductible and helps support the planes.  Got this shot from nose--below me is somewhere along I-10 corridor between Tucson and Phoenix at about 2000 ft or so.  Way Cool!   

Here is a short video of the Fortress and Mitchell that fly out of Falcon Field in Mesa, AZ.

I've seen them many times, and the bomber has an ARC-5 modulator I donated.

http://vimeo.com/18135369

73DG

  I took two B-24 rides a week apart, one out of Moffet Field and the second from Livermore, both here in the Bay Area. On the Livermore ride we flew up to the Mothball Fleet in Suisun Bay and did our turn back to Livermore over the Mothball Fleet, top ship in the row is the USS Iowa.

 There is a B-29 I think out of LA that I have seen when I was down in the LA area and has flown up here to the Bay Area.

The Collings Foundation B-17 and B-24 come to Dallas Love Field each year and spend a long weekend at the Frontiers of Flight Museum. They give rides all weekend. They pass by my house coming and going on the rides. I look forward to them each year. There's nothing like the sound of the "deep breathers".

Nothing sounds like a B-17! I've seen a couple go overhead here in CNY, and when I hear the distinctive sound, I instinctively look up to catch that profile.

Once a number of years ago, I was at the Arnot mall in Horseheads getting out of my car to walk in the mall when I heard the sound. Looked over the fence to the Elmira airport and there was Fuddy Duddy doing touch and goes in the pattern. Music to the ears.

Did some digging around and discovered that the B17 I saw is the Sentimental Journey out of Mesa Arizona currently on a tour of Ontario Canada and is now at Kingston airport until 27 July.  Kingston airport is only 30 min from my home so I plan today to visit and see it up close. They offer rides, though pricey I may look into that. My late Father was a Lancaster bomber pilot for the RAF in WW2 and flew by night while the B17s did the day stuff so this is pretty close. Well done y'all.
Local paper article with lots of pictures here:   http://www.thewhig.com/2017/07/17/i-threw-out-the-bucket-list

73s  Nigel

I've been waffling back and forth on taking a ride in one as they visit my area just about once a year.

But, I'm riding the next time they are here... its a life experience, and the money spent won't seem like much a year or two down the road.
The memory of the experience will last a lot longer.

  Good Link!! My father was a Bombardier, Radio Operator and Navigator on B-24's in North Africa and Italy, he spoke little about it. I got my Amateur Radio License in 1983, radio had always been an interest of mine, I found out my father could do 20 WPM in CW, he died a month later.

  The second ride I took on the B-24 was the only one for the day, they gave me the run of the plane to take pictures after we landed. I'm 5' 10" and my father was 4 inches shorter than me and weighed about half of what I do. I crawled in where the Norden Bomb Sight was, I could barely fit, if the SHTF you weren't getting out of in a hurry. I'm not sure if  you were even my father's size you would be able to wear a parachute. I thought about that quite a bit later afterward.

What an awesome and beautifully preserved aircraft.  Had a great visit viewing and chatting with the support staff who were very helpful answering my questions. Paid $10 for the internal tour for myself and XYL.  Unbelievably tight in there barely room to turn around.  How did those guys do it at 20,000 ft, 10 of them, no pressurization, no heat, and under attack. Incredible.  Checked out the CW/AM radio gear at the radio op station. Decided to sign up for a flight which start on Friday but unfortunately the list was full, dang.  The lady took my phone# in case of a cancellation.  Close as I will get to what my Dad went through. Those guys were the best ever.
Pics of myself and the B17.

73s  Nigel

Yep, that is the bird in the video I posted.

Lives just down the street from our old house.

73DG

20 years ago or so, there was an air show in Elmira NY that had 4 or 5 of the flying B17's there. The big draw was Memphis Belle as I recall, but Fuddy Duddy was there since it was quasi local (Genesseo at the time was it's home), the one shown above, and one called Aluminum Overcast as I recall. Pretty impressive to see them all together.

I got to do a walk through in one up in Ithaca another time and was amazed at how small and tight they were inside.

My dad went through pilot training in the Navy, but they didn't have enough planes to go around so he ended up as a gunner, then bombardier in B24s doing shore patrol. They sent him to Dartmouth for several months to learn about this new fangled stuff called Radar that would let you see the periscopes against the waves.  ;D

A few years ago, I was given an offer I could not refuse: an invitation to fly from New Jersey to Virginia on a B-17.... oh, and bring your pilot logbook... you can get an hour of loggable instructional time.

HO-LEE-COW!!!

Got LOTS of pics and video of that flight!!

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=nwjPHnQ4oqk (https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=nwjPHnQ4oqk)

Many great stories above.  Probably most of us are "boomers" whos Dads and some Moms served in WW2 as did both my parents.  So glad I got to see this aircraft, they are rare and almost never visit up here.

Clark you lucky sod.  Great video, thanks for posting. I'm still trying to get a ride on Friday or Saturday.

This evening I called CQ on 3885AM and hooked up with John W2FFC and guess what he was using..... A BC375 transmitter from a B17. Same rig I had seen yesterday in Sentimental Journey.  Awesome.

73s and thanks again USA.   Nigel

I just enjoyed a Bombardier seat ride with the Texas Raiders B-17 about three weeks ago here in Pittsburgh. It was chilling to think of a young guy in that same seat back in WWII and probably one of my motivations to pay for that ride.

A once in a lifetime experience if you are thinking doing it. I believe that their brochure said that they are one of eleven groups with B-17s

Bob

Yesterday was a day I won't soon forget. I had the opportunity to fly out of Burke Lakefront Airport in Cleveland on a B-17, Madras Maiden. If you get the chance for a flight in one, don't say no!
 

       I agree if you get a chance to ride in a B-17 take it!  I guess it was about 10yrs ago, I took a ride like
you George, out of Marana on the Collingsworth Foundation B-17.  What an experience, and I to, can't imagine
being shot at up there.  I'm adding a pic of "Al".  He was a ball turret gunner in WWII. its from 2015, I have
another video of him telling stories to folks gathered around him in 2016.  I think he told me he'd hit 92!
Al was mostly in the bottom turret!   Nice donation of the modulator Dennis.  I try and visit there every year, missed this years.  Nothing like the sound of those radial cyclone engines flying overhead.

It looks as if it will be in Albany,NY in August. The last B-17 that was here in Albany crashed in a field due to a fire and was a total loss. No one was injured. A B-29 was here a couple years ago and I toured that one with the XYL. The pictures are posted on this site somewhere?

https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/new-york/articles/2017-07-22/restored-world-war-ii-bomber-to-visit-plattsburgh-albany (https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/new-york/articles/2017-07-22/restored-world-war-ii-bomber-to-visit-plattsburgh-albany)   

That's an experience of a lifetime. Nice that you got your original instructor a ride. When I wa in HS I was taking lessons at Lincoln Park airport in NJ. My instructor at the tie was Ed Gorski, Amelia Earhart's mechanic.

I've never had an opportunity to see any B-17s when they're in the area but back in June my wife and I saw the B-29 Fifi in Hagerstown, MD. We arrived at the airport just a few minutes before she flew right over the parking lot before touching down after the first flight of the day. Impressive, the sound from those 4 big radials just catches you r attention, there's no mistaking that for anything else.

Visited the B17 at Kinston Ont airport. Got stuck trying to go go through thr bomb bay gangway. Managed to get back out but it wasnt pretty. Wanted to see the radio bay. If it wsnt for the two elderly lafies behind me who hrlped pull.me back out it could have been worse. I have an operational ARC5 station in my shack and wanted to see whst sn originsl.installation looked like.
Don ve3lyx

Saw the B17 flying around Hamilton, Ontario area several times on the weekend of July 1st.  Gorgeous plane and love the deep sound of those radial engines. 

It flew out of Hamilton airport where the Canadian Vintage Aircraft Museum is located.  The Museum has and regularly flies a Lancaster bomber, a B25 Mitchell, a Dakota, a PBY-5 Canso, and a Harvard amongst many other planes.  They are currently restoring an Avenger. 

Prices to go for a flight aren't cheap but probably only covers the cost of fuel and oil - those old planes are thirsty!  Lots of people must pay the freight (I recall a flight in the nose of the Lanc is Cdn $2k!) as it's quite common to see the birds in the air.  The Lanc has a special appeal as a great uncle of my flew 30+ missions as an Engineer and survived the war. 

The Museum has a number of planes as well on static display.  While they specialize in piston aircraft, a recent highlight for me was sitting in a Cold War era CF100 Canuck interceptor while a retired Airforce major walked me through the cockpit and talked about what is like to fly the plane.

Interesting on the 2nd Floor of the Museum that they also have a club station that has radio gear set up that would have been in the Lancaster: a Marconi R1155 and matching transmitter though I haven't seen or heard the station in action.

73

Flew over here twice. A day or so apart. Just this past weekend was the last.

Think it was landing at the airfield in Schenectady NY.  Or perhaps Albany International.
This QTH is directly under, and I do mean directly under the landing pattern for
one of the runways. I see the bellies of the planes around dinner time at maybe 1500 ft I'd guess,
perhaps a bit higher...

Was thrilled to see it twice.

Was upset that I did not know it had been here twice and I might have gotten aboard at least for
a visit!

                                 _-_-

I went to Kinston to see it as well. I took the  interkor tiur but got stuck kn the bombay. Two elderly ladies backed everyone out of the plane and helped me get back out both tugving on my shoe to pull my leg back thru the bulkhead  . After a bit I got out.Never did  get to see the radios but my brother was there the nextday and got me photos.  I have ARC5 ostuff here oprrational but the particular plane was not ARC5 equipped.
Don ve3lyx

There is a B17 here at   State College PA until Sept 4. Ground tours and rides available.  It is "Sentimental Journey" with the Betty Grable logo.

I have been to Hamilton many times. Watched thr Lanc from arrival to first dngine start and first flight( not a dry eye there I think). I have only been once to the new building as I organized a bus trip for the men from.our chuch to go. One had been a Lanc Nav and one had worked at AV Roe building the 3 foot section that join the front and rear of the Lanc. The station is new to.me

 They were both on.tneir 90s when I took them on thst trip

I feel you on being directly under the approach.

Because of where my QTH is in regards to BFL, I'm allowed a 36 foot max tower.

Nevermind between my house and the airport are 50 foot highline (2 seperate runs) and palm trees approaching 80 feet.

Utterly rediculous.  I'm gonna bring a plane down, and not the 14 and 22 kv lines......

Do get to see some cool planes, though.

--Shane
KD6VXI

Took an extended lunch break yesterday and went over to the Groton airport to get some pictures and video of the Collings Foundation B-17,  B-25, and P-51 as they took off for their next stop in New Bedford through Friday.  Was directly behind the 17 during its warmup, the propwash even a couple of hundred feet away was intense, getting smacked with the blasts of oil smoke as each of the 4 radial engines came to life added to the experience.

Sorry about the inverted thumbnails!  Don't know why that keeps happening. They do pop up normally when selected!