MrMcCoy From United States of America, joined Sep 2005, 377 posts, RR: 2 Posted (7 years 1 month 1 week 1 day 9 hours ago) and read 2142 times:
Ok so I'm sitting here in my office, typing up an email to a client when a very rare noise fills the air around us and starts shaking the windows. My secretary hollers for me to look outside, so I grab my coat, head out and look up just in time to see a 4-engined radial blaze over my office at about 600 feet!
Now it's pouring out here in Westlake Village, CA and the ceiling is no higher than 1,500 ft. This aircraft (what I'm 90% sure was a B-17) blew over our roof so fast I couldn't even tell what it was with 100% assurance--and I could draw a -17 with my eyes blindfolded!
FlightAware didn't help much and KCMA didn't report any 4-engine props leaving the airport. I'm calling Oxnard tower now, but just in case someone know something I don't I thought I'd go ahead and post it here.
It only takes five years to go from rumor to standard operating procedure.
IAHFLYR From United States of America, joined Jun 2005, 4719 posts, RR: 25 Reply 1, posted (7 years 1 month 1 week 1 day 9 hours ago) and read 2129 times:
17's are really not that fast but love the sound of them and even better if you can track it down and find anyway to hitch a ride. What an experience.
Any views shared are strictly my own and do not a represent those of any former employer.
Laxintl From United States of America, joined May 2000, 22028 posts, RR: 51 Reply 2, posted (7 years 1 month 1 week 1 day 9 hours ago) and read 2122 times:
Its for a pretty well publicised event (news was on a few local channels, filers at FBO's etc..) You can even get a B-17 ride for a few hundred $$.
MD11Engineer From Germany, joined Oct 2003, 13336 posts, RR: 64 Reply 3, posted (7 years 1 month 1 week 1 day 9 hours ago) and read 2078 times:
There is also an airworthy Avro Lancaster on the North american continent and AFAIK a Liberator as well.
Though, as a four engined piston prop, there are still quite a few DC-4s, DC-6s and DC-7s around.
MrMcCoy From United States of America, joined Sep 2005, 377 posts, RR: 2 Reply 4, posted (7 years 1 month 1 week 1 day 9 hours ago) and read 2051 times:
Quoting Laxintl (Reply 2): Its for a pretty well publicised event (news was on a few local channels, filers at FBO's etc..) You can even get a B-17 ride for a few hundred $$.
Ahh that sums it right up! She was on her way to Van Nuys, which would have been my third call. Drat, if I only had the time to drive down there and see her.
It only takes five years to go from rumor to standard operating procedure.
MDorBust From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 5, posted (7 years 1 month 1 week 1 day 7 hours ago) and read 2008 times:
Quoting MD11Engineer (Reply 3): There is also an airworthy Avro Lancaster on the North american continent and AFAIK a Liberator as well.
There is most definately a liberator, I saw it near Dallas last sunday. It appeared to be olive painted with a white chevron on it's tail. Was near dark though so the coloring may be off. The day before I saw a chrome B-17 with a yellow tail near Gaitesville. Very special seeing both in one weekend.
CV990 From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 6, posted (7 years 1 month 1 week 15 hours ago) and read 1928 times:
Hi!
When I lived in FAT during 2003 one day both the Boeing B-17G and the B-24J Liberator landed on the executive park at FAT. I went there with my two boys and we paid $5 each to get access to those old bombers. It was fantastic to see them and latter I saw the B-17 passing close to my apartment, what a wonderfull sound it was! I consider myself a lucky man to have see those airplanes and also during the summer season I saw the old airliners water-bombers flying around, the C-54, the DC-6, the DC-7 and the P2V5's I took lots of photos os them and I still remember the sound of those old piston engines!
regards
N911ME From United States of America, joined Jan 2006, 117 posts, RR: 0 Reply 7, posted (7 years 1 month 6 days ago) and read 1819 times:
The Collings Foundation out of Stow, MA flies a B-17G ("Nine-O-Nine") and a B-24J ("All American Witchcraft"), both based out of New Smyrna Beach, FL. The aircraft fly on what is known as the "Wings of Freedom" tour.
The Commemorative Air Force also has two B-17's, an LB-30 (B-24), and a B-29 also.
Had to be the EAA's B-17G Aluminum Overcast - she was flying out of Van Nuys on Friday.
MD11Engineer From Germany, joined Oct 2003, 13336 posts, RR: 64 Reply 8, posted (7 years 1 month 5 days 16 hours ago) and read 1802 times:
AFAIK the Canadians have an airworthy Lancaster, the Battle of Britain Memorial Fundation in the UK has the other one. I have seen the later last year over the Netherlands.
Waterpolodan From United States of America, joined Feb 2005, 1649 posts, RR: 5 Reply 9, posted (7 years 1 month 4 days 22 hours ago) and read 1756 times:
It's always suprised me that there are so few Liberators still flying, despite being the most produced bomber (maybe even aircraft?) of the war. I saw the "all american" B24 and a B17 at weeks air museum in homestead, FL when I was a kid... still have some 50 cal bullets and a B24 tshirt. Great memories.
N911ME From United States of America, joined Jan 2006, 117 posts, RR: 0 Reply 10, posted (7 years 1 month 4 days 12 hours ago) and read 1736 times:
The Lone Star Flight Museum is restoring an ex-Hawkins and Powers PB4Y-2 Privateer (the Navy/Coast Guard single-tail version of the B-24). I am not sure, but I hope that their plan is to restore it to flying condition - there's not a lot of heavy Navy iron flying around these days.
KC135TopBoom From United States of America, joined Jan 2005, 11708 posts, RR: 52 Reply 11, posted (7 years 1 month 3 days 2 hours ago) and read 1677 times:
Quoting MDorBust (Reply 5): There is most definately a liberator, I saw it near Dallas last sunday. It appeared to be olive painted with a white chevron on it's tail. Was near dark though so the coloring may be off. The day before I saw a chrome B-17 with a yellow tail near Gaitesville. Very special seeing both in one weekend.
I don't know who the B-24 is, but I'm pretty sure that B-17 you saw was "Chuckie". She is out of Fort Worth, she was here at DFW last December.
Chuckie, saw the last 15 months of WWII, she is a "pathfinder" B-17G. They did not have the ball turret, but a radome in that position. Chukie currently does not have the radome, or her chin turret.
Sean1234 From United States of America, joined Aug 2000, 411 posts, RR: 0 Reply 12, posted (7 years 1 month 2 days 22 hours ago) and read 1661 times:
I was fortunate to fly on a B-17 several years ago. It was with the Collings foundation, on its tour made a stop at Moffett Field. The ride was quite expensive I can't remember it was like $500+ for a 30 minute ride, but I got on for free since I knew the right guy! The plane itself is not very big, especially the bomb-bay, I can't imagine it carrying a very large payload. The takeoff was sluggish, as was the climb. We were free to move about in the cabin and I even stuck my head out the top turret which had been removed, leaving it open to the air. I walked away with a few Polaroid pics and an oil stain on my shirt; what an experience. I'll see if can find those pics and put them on here.
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