Selkirk Yard - I did not expect to come across this view this weekend!

Nice view, your crew knows your other interest uh ?  

I live in Holland Pa --- just outside Newtown Bucks County

My wife and I were sitting out back today when a B-17 flew over at a pretty low altitude

Assume it was going to Trenton-Mercer airport

Note uncommon to see these guys every now and then

You say some guy by the name of  Hunter Harrison was your pilot for this particular bombing sightseeing run? 

Practice, practice, practice....

Which B-17 is this? Most (if not all) of the flying B-17s have working bomb bay doors. I think this is the Collings Foundation one, painted as the "909" from the 91st Bomb Group. I have personally flown this airplane for a couple of minutes and have also gone up in their B-24 a few times.

It wasn't common for crewmen to cross the bombays when they were open, but it did happen sometimes. That's a very tight space and I can't imagine how they did it with parachutes, under fire and through turbulence.

I live near the flying area of the "Yankee Air Museum".  They often fly their B17, B25, and a couple trainers over my house.  Fun to watch.  They are housed at Willow Run where the B24 was built but they don't seem to have one.  Seems that they should.

Dennis

@Dennis, YAM would love to have a fully functional B-24 - they just are not that available (parts or whole) and the expense is great. Their Airshow is this weekend (http://yankeeairmuseum.org/airshow/aircraft-list.php) - go support them - ya never know what the amazing resourcefulness of the warbird community will crank out...

@p51:

very cool.

Not a B-17 but an Osprey runs a close second in cool factor. This one circled over my house earlier this Summer.

Bob

Wings of freedom was recently in town and took my son to see the B17 and B24.  Great tours and of course nothing sounds quite like those radials... Also, being an engineer, I'm in heaven tracing out systems, cables, and lines on these airplanes and understanding exactly what made them tick and then putting it into perspective for my son.  It was a great couple of hours.  I think these guys tour the country so you may be able to catch them if you are lucky.  They also offer the $450 rides in the bombers or $2250 ride in the P51. 

BTW, compare my sons size with that of the ball turret and remember that a grown man populated that space....

Edit** These are from the Collings foundation as Lee references above.  Very, Very clean planes too.

I did a photo shoot with the Yankee Lady last year and saw her flying 2 weekends ago at the Selfridge Air Show.   I hope to fly on her some day.  

A friend of mine's dad flew on B-24's in WW-ll, as a sergeant, before you had to be an officer.  He served in WW-ll, Korea, and Vietnam. His family says former military jaws dropped at his display of service medals and ribbons at his wake. He never wanted to be an officer and l think reached the ranking sergeant.  He served out his career on a USAF installation on Standiford Field in Louisville, Ky.

A couple of weeks ago on Aug. 5-6,  the Liberty Foundation flew their B-17,  Madras Madien,  into the Allegheny County Airport in West Mifflin, Pa.   That airplane has had quite a journey which you can read about on the Foundation's website.   Their were tours available and flights for $450.   I served in the Air Force,  but have never flown in an Air Force plane(LOL)

Nick 

Dennis Holler posted:

These are from the Collings foundation as Lee references above.  Very, Very clean planes too.

Well, clean except for all those names. Many people on the airshow/preservation circuit ref to the B-24J the Collings Foundation has as the "Flying billboard" for all the donor names on her sides...

The Arizona CAF group is pretty decent. I had a horrible experience with their B-29 crew at an airshow, from which neither myself nor anyone in my living history group would ever give a single penny to them ever again for the rest of our lives. Jerks and planes go together like peanut butter and jelly, but these guys were the worst I've ever run across. But the AZ group? Yeah, those folks are okay. They have a really good B-17, too. Never flew on it but I've seen her plenty of times over the years. I shot this video near my home a while back:

As for the re-enactor shots, I used to do that when I looked more the part (as can be seen on my profile pic from the late 90s). I still have all my gear and it still fits, though. I have everything from the thermal electrically heated long johns to the flak armor and working parachute, all original.

here are a few random shots I've taken from the past few years, the one of myself was taken in 2014, at Olympia (the corsair might have been flown by "Pappy" Boyington after the war).

machinist posted:

A couple of weeks ago on Aug. 5-6,  the Liberty Foundation flew their B-17,  Madras Madien,  into the Allegheny County Airport in West Mifflin, Pa.   That airplane has had quite a journey which you can read about on the Foundation's website.   Their were tours available and flights for $450.   I served in the Air Force,  but have never flown in an Air Force plane(LOL)

Nick 

Nick, I am guessing that was the same B-17 that flew into Butler Airport.  I was going to go, but learned they were leaving at noon, to late to drive up from work.  Thank you for the scoop!!  Dr you next show!

Interesting view of a rail yard. It looked like there were some bombs in the racks. Hmmm. B17; Bombs in the racks; Rail yard below...

Very cool video, BMORAN4

Great photos, Dennis. They remind me of taking my boys to see a B-17 and B-24 at a NJ air show, many years ago.

I always remember being kinda surprised at just how tight it was inside the B-17. Very cramped. The had guns mounted at the waist position, and I was trying to image what that must have been like. Shooting at enemy fighters, as they shoot at you, unpressurized cabin, trying to get to the target, flak exploding, etc.  Crazy stuff!

EBT Jim posted:

I always remember being kinda surprised at just how tight it was inside the B-17. Very cramped. The had guns mounted at the waist position, and I was trying to image what that must have been like. Shooting at enemy fighters, as they shoot at you, unpressurized cabin, trying to get to the target, flak exploding, etc.  Crazy stuff!

The one photo I have in my previous post is of Dave Tallichet's B-17, which was still in it's "Memphis Belle" moving filming markings (it was the primary 'star' airplane from that film). It had a working ball turret and the crew let me hop in it and spin it around while they had her powered up during a week-long engine change. After 5 minutes in there, I've have paid any amount of money to get let out of it. It was good to have the experience but I'd never want to do that again. I'm not claustrophobic, but man that was an insanely tight fit in there!

The tail gun position isn't much better. There's room to move but not all that much. And contrary to what you see in the movies, it's virtually impossible to get from the tail gun position to the waist gun positions from inside the plane, as the tail wheel is retracted full into the space between those two areas (the tail gunner had his own door, under the tail, to get inside for that reason).

Yeah, It was interesting how much larger in cross section the Fuselage of the B24 was versus the B17.  Lots more room in there.  The one thing I was telling my son when he was on the waist gun was to see how easy it would be to shoot the wing, the tail and another plane in the formation.  It was really eye opening. I've always had a keen interest in stuff like this and tried to learn  and understand as much as I could but it's a hundred times betting when you get to see it, touch it, and investigate it in person.  It's the same for me when I get to visit some of the Navy ships, go down in the engine room and compare with what I remember from days there in.  Just love it, can't ever get enough.

Dennis Holler posted:

Yeah, It was interesting how much larger in cross section the Fuselage of the B24 was versus the B17.  Lots more room in there. 

Indeed. As big a fan of the B-17 as I am, I must admit I very much more enjoyed riding in a B-24, so much room to move around. You can also get to the tail gun position easily. I actually rode alone in the Collings B-24 once, believe it or not. I had the entire plane aft of the Bombay to myself from Tallahassee to Panama City, FL on my second ride on that plane. I spent a good half hour sitting at the tail gunner position.

I think I took video of that, I should upload it to youtube eventually...

Dennis posted:

I live near the flying area of the "Yankee Air Museum".  They often fly their B17, B25, and a couple trainers over my house.  Fun to watch.  They are housed at Willow Run where the B24 was built ........

And they were built in Ft. Worth, TX, as well.

I asked a few questions and found that my friend's dad was a gunner on a B-24, and made many bombing runs into Italy.  His flight jacket is covered with bomb patches. He was one of the "greatest generation".

Having flown the T-28 in basic, then turboprop and years of multi engine time in Turbines, it is hard to imagine the hours tweaking radials, tuning the carbs and magnetos, and keep your fingers crossed the fuel was good, the anti-ice worked and the buzz of the props didn't deafen you. My hat is off to those who did careers in them, it was difficult enough with modern ( 1979-1994) era aircraft. All the ones I flew are either in Davis Mothan AFB or scrapped now.

The Collings aircraft visited Cumberland a few years ago. Always wanted an up and close with a B 17, as a kid during WW11, they were some of my favorites.

The 9-0-9

She brought some friends with her

And a "little" friend

Lotsa guns on them '17s

Really clean airplane.

Wonder if the engine looked like this after a few missions.

Had some shots of the interior, and video. Can't find them, darn it.

Well, I'll finish with this one.

Ed

 PS..I should have stated that the runway requires a plane to fly directly over the CSX Cumberland Yard!