Ferrypilot From New Zealand, joined Sep 2006, 897 posts, RR: 3 Posted (6 years 2 months 3 days 8 hours ago) and read 12084 times:
Apparently the "P38 Glacier Girl" will try for the second time in 65 years to fly to Great Britain in late June 2007. ...Should be a terrific adventure for the guy who gets to fly it. ...If the owner should read this "PICK ME" I'm free at the end of June and I could do it know problem. Anyway I imagine Glacier Girl will fly the route via Goose Bay, Narsarsuaq and Reykjavik. It seems likely that the owner will prefer that the P38 should not land at Kulusuk (very close to the sight of the crash landing) which although long enough, is a rolled gravel and dirt runway where the pristine P38 would be likely to suffer stone chip damage. Well I will certainly be looking out for an aircraft to deliver across the North Atlantic in late June in the hope that I might see "Glacier Girl" enroute.
Quote below is from:- www.thelostsquadron.com
Early morning on July 15, 1942, two squadrons of Lockheed P-38s escorting a Boeing B-17, were airborne on their way to Iceland. Hampered by bad weather and low on fuel, they were forced to land on the eastern coast of Greenland. After several days the pilots were rescued and planes were left to be recovered at a later date.
In the spring of 1992, a group of 40 people led by Middlesboro entrepreneur Roy Shoffner returned to Greenland and burrowed through 268 feet of ice to reach one of the Lockheed P-38s and brought it up piece by piece to the surface.
A decade later, on October 26th, 2002, after thousands of hours of work the P-38 they recovered, now dubbed "The Glacier Girl," took flight again.
Ferrypilot From New Zealand, joined Sep 2006, 897 posts, RR: 3 Reply 2, posted (6 years 2 months 3 days 6 hours ago) and read 12051 times:
Quoting Ryan h (Reply 1): Once it gets to England where will it be based?
I got the information above from www.provenancefightersales.com and it doesn't say any more. But I would have thought that as the P38 is still American owned that the flight is a visit and that the aircraft would fly back to the U.S.A. ...This is pure conjecture on my part, but in view of the advertised timing, I am inclined to think that they might be trying to get the aircraft to the "Flying Legends Air Show" at Duxford in England on the 7th/8th July 2007. ..."Flying Legends" is probably the greatest WWII warbird airshow in the World. ...I went to the show in July 2005 and it is piston fighter heaven. ...In the mass flypast that constituted the Grand Finale, amongst the myriad of rare beauties in the formation were no less than eight Spitfires.
FlyUSCG From United States of America, joined Jun 2006, 656 posts, RR: 0 Reply 3, posted (6 years 2 months 2 days 12 hours ago) and read 11941 times:
Quoting Ferrypilot (Thread starter): Should be a terrific adventure for the guy who gets to fly it
I'm 99.999% sure it will be Steve Hinton. He was the pilot for it's very first flight after restoration. He is also the Chairmen of the board for the Planes of Fame Museum in Chino, CA and I believe the owner of "Fighter Rebuilders" which is located on the museum property. I think he's flown something like over 100 different types of aircraft. Last time I saw him was in October when he flew the museums P-38 "Skidoo" (sp?) out to Prescott for our airshow.
KC135TopBoom From United States of America, joined Jan 2005, 11705 posts, RR: 52 Reply 5, posted (6 years 1 month 3 weeks 3 days 6 hours ago) and read 11702 times:
Quoting Ferrypilot (Reply 4): "Glacier Girl" was sold in February 2007 for a sum described as a World Record, ...does anybody know who the new owner is?
No, but I thought it was someone in England who bought her. IIRC, there was some tie up in the export/import paperwork, but that is all settled now (read both the US and UK got the tax money they wanted).
Sprout5199 From United States of America, joined Feb 2005, 1779 posts, RR: 2 Reply 7, posted (6 years 1 month 3 weeks 2 days 17 hours ago) and read 11637 times:
Its sort of sad that one mans dream and passion is just let go for the allmighty $$$$. It sounds like The Shoffner Family didn't have the passion that their dad did. I hope she stays in the US, but I know the as long as she has a good home, and keeps flying, thats all that matters. I visited the museum in KY in 1998. Was cool to actually touch the aircraft knowning the history. And to see the "guts" of it while it was being restored. Thats the way I would spend my $$ if I was rich.
Ferrypilot From New Zealand, joined Sep 2006, 897 posts, RR: 3 Reply 8, posted (6 years 1 month 3 weeks 2 days 6 hours ago) and read 11589 times:
Quoting Sprout5199 (Reply 7): I hope she stays in the US, but I know the as long as she has a good home, and keeps flying, thats all that matters. I visited the museum in KY in 1998. Was cool to actually touch the aircraft knowning the history.
Looks like you guys are safe, ...see quote below specifies that it's "new home is in Texas" so seems like it is just going to be a visit to England.
{Quote} The Lightning was flown to it's new home in Texas in early February. The new owner is committed to completing the trip to recreate the P-38's Atlantic Crossing and the plan is still to fly Glacier Girl to England in late June 2007. Provenance Fighter Sales will remain as a major sponsor of this historic flight. {Quote}
DL021 From United States of America, joined May 2004, 11433 posts, RR: 81 Reply 9, posted (6 years 1 month 3 weeks 15 hours ago) and read 11505 times:
I saw her fly at PDK for Pat Epps and Paul Tibbets birthday when they had a private airshow for the gentlemen and shut down the airport, while the Air Force sent a C-17 on a wheels down low pass. It was impressive as hell and flew alongside the Liberty Belle B-17 and several other vintage warbirds.
I hope she fares better this time across the pond.......
Ferrypilot From New Zealand, joined Sep 2006, 897 posts, RR: 3 Reply 10, posted (5 years 11 months 4 days 16 hours ago) and read 10780 times:
Glacier Girl is apparently going to leave New Jersey in next few days to commence a flight across the North Atlantic to the U.K. where she is planned to fly at the Flying Legends Air Show at Duxford near Cambridge on 7th and 8th July.
Jwenting From Netherlands, joined Apr 2001, 10213 posts, RR: 21 Reply 11, posted (5 years 11 months 4 days 13 hours ago) and read 10765 times:
Bit late for delivery to the Western Front, but the Brits may yet need her to stop yet another German invasion attempt if that EU "constitution" goes through (which has been duely renamed "treaty" so they don't have to ask permission from the voters).
RedFlyer From United States of America, joined Feb 2005, 4175 posts, RR: 30 Reply 12, posted (5 years 11 months 4 days 1 hour ago) and read 10691 times:
Ok, I have a question for all the restoration experts here: How much of Glacier Girl's restoration involves original parts? I mean, this old gal was sitting under tons of ice pressure and I can't imagine a lot of her parts were restorable as a result of being deformed. So how much of her (percentage wise) is the original article and how much of her has been put together from other P38 surplus or fabricated during the restoration project?
Quoting Jwenting (Reply 11): Bit late for delivery to the Western Front, but the Brits may yet need her to stop yet another German invasion attempt if that EU "constitution" goes through (which has been duely renamed "treaty" so they don't have to ask permission from the voters).
Leave it to a politician (or lawyer) to come up with a work-around by changing just one word!
Sprout5199 From United States of America, joined Feb 2005, 1779 posts, RR: 2 Reply 14, posted (5 years 11 months 3 days 10 hours ago) and read 10637 times:
Quoting ZBBYLW (Reply 13): Wait am I reading that there are numerous aircraft there. Planes landed and where to be recovered at a later date, is there another P-38 there?
IIRC there was 4 P-38's and 1 B-17 that went down there. The B-17 was (is) in bad shape(crushed by the ice). Dont know about the other P-38's.
Quoting RedFlyer (Reply 12): Ok, I have a question for all the restoration experts here: How much of Glacier Girl's restoration involves original parts? I mean, this old gal was sitting under tons of ice pressure and I can't imagine a lot of her parts were restorable as a result of being deformed.
As far as original parts go, they used what they could(was something like 85%) but also either got parts from other P-38's or actually made new parts from the manuals/blueprints. Some of the gages for it and the B-17 were sold to collectors to help pay for the restoration. They had a mocked up cockpit in the hanger with the gages in it with a sign saying you could buy one for the right price. The actual .50 cal's were there also--when they brought them to the surface, they mounted on on a barrel and fired it with the ammo from the plane. after all these years it still worked.
Ferrypilot From New Zealand, joined Sep 2006, 897 posts, RR: 3 Reply 15, posted (5 years 10 months 4 weeks 14 hours ago) and read 10508 times:
See where P38 Glacier Girl and a P51 Mustang that is accompanying her across the Atlantic are on www.AirshowBuzz.com ...they are also accompanied by a PC12 for support. ...I had very much hoped to see them enroute in either Greenland or Iceland, but I am stuck in Sept Iles in Quebec with a C182 and a bad oil pressure indication.
Ferrypilot From New Zealand, joined Sep 2006, 897 posts, RR: 3 Reply 16, posted (5 years 10 months 3 weeks 5 days 12 hours ago) and read 10415 times:
Well I did get to see Glacier Girl very briefly on the ground at Goose Bay yesterday morning and during a refuelling stop.
Unfortunately I was obliged to continue with my ferry flight in a C182 to Narsarsuaq in Greenland. ...But anyway first time I have seen a P38. "It looks very cool" and appears almost brand new. Sure would like to be flying that across instead of what I am flying. ...Although I am in Iceland now and the P38 team is currently unserviceable and stuck in Goose apparently until Thursday.
Ferrypilot From New Zealand, joined Sep 2006, 897 posts, RR: 3 Reply 17, posted (5 years 10 months 2 weeks 2 days 9 hours ago) and read 10235 times:
I saw P38 Glacier Girl again yesterday morning, ...stuck now for about ten days at Goose Bay in Newfoundland. ...Has missed the Flying Legends Airshow in England which is on this weekend. ...Apparently both (150 hour) engines are now going to be replaced in Goose, after which the aircraft will continue to make the attempt to reach England.
ZBBYLW From Canada, joined Nov 2006, 1922 posts, RR: 7 Reply 19, posted (5 years 10 months 2 weeks 2 days 8 hours ago) and read 10227 times:
Quoting Ferrypilot (Reply 17): I saw P38 Glacier Girl again yesterday morning, ...stuck now for about ten days at Goose Bay in Newfoundland. ...Has missed the Flying Legends Airshow in England which is on this weekend. ...Apparently both (150 hour) engines are now going to be replaced in Goose, after which the aircraft will continue to make the attempt to reach England.
Having some issues, are they replacing both engines, or rather just sending them off to be redone. They use the Allison V-12s right?? Those would be really hard to come by as far as replacements. How long should it take before they are ready to go?
Scottieprecord From United States of America, joined Jul 2004, 1363 posts, RR: 12 Reply 21, posted (5 years 10 months 2 weeks 1 day 23 hours ago) and read 10182 times:
Wow... I didn't realize "Glacier Girl" was owned by Rod Lewis. He's based here in SAT... I've enjoyed seeing some of his other little toys, but never imagined he'd end up with this.
I'm looking forward to seeing Glacier Girl in OSH, at Airventure, any news on if she'll make it back?
"Very interesting to hear that interview with Steve Hinton" which I think was probably recorded about a week ago. ...I was in that hangar on friday morning (2 days ago) taking some photos of Glacier Girl and talking to the single engineer left behind and who was working on the starboard engine.
He inferred that the attempt to reach England would now continue this summer and when for the sake of safety both Allison engines have been replaced and which he expected to take about 10 days. He said more guys were flying in to Goose to help him in the next few days and the P38 would go to a later airshow in the UK.
Incidentally the P51 Mustang "Miss Velma" which was accompanying Glacier Girl left her behind and made it all the way across to Duxford in England via Narsarsuaq(BGBW) in Greenland, Reykjavik(BIRK) in Iceland and Wick(EGPC) in Scotland. ...Check out this awesome photo of P51 Miss Velma taken by an Icelander and flying in front of the spectacular cathedral in Reykjavik on June 30th.
Ferrypilot From New Zealand, joined Sep 2006, 897 posts, RR: 3 Reply 23, posted (5 years 10 months 1 day 13 hours ago) and read 9897 times:
I saw Glacier Girl again yesterday morning and still in Woodward's hangar at Goose Bay. Both engines are now replaced and the aircraft was apparently nearly ready for a test flight which the team hoped to accomplish yesterday afternoon. Regrettably I was obliged to leave Goose Bay in the morning with a DA42 that I am delivering from Phoenix, Arizona to Denmark, I reached Iceland with it last night and so sadly I didn't see if Glacier Girl flew or not. ...The P38 is now apparently not going to try and fly to England this year and her team is now trying to get her directly to the Oshkosh Air Show.
Ferrypilot From New Zealand, joined Sep 2006, 897 posts, RR: 3 Reply 24, posted (5 years 9 months 3 weeks 2 days 10 hours ago) and read 9731 times:
I am in Goose Bay for the sixth time since the beginning of June and I had seen Glacier Girl on three of those occasions but always disabled. Apparently she left Goose about a week ago and heading back to the USA and Oshkosh so I will not see her fly this year. ...Nor have I seen any other P38 in flight. ...Well anyway perhaps Glacier Girl will try to fly across the Atlantic again next year, but for the time being I am tempted to think that this P38 was destined never to make it to England.
25 Ferrypilot: Does anyone Know if Glacier Girl made it to Oshkosh??
26 ZBBYLW: This is all I could find. http://www.airventure.org/2007/news/070719_glacier_girl.html I hope she at least made it to Oshkosh and hopefully next year
27 Ferrypilot: Another interesting question about P38's and crossing the North Atlantic relates to the one formerly known as "White Lightnin" and acquired by Red Bul
28 Ferrypilot: The P38F found recently on a Welsh beach is said to be surprisingly intact and still leaking fuel. It had succeeded in flying to Europe as part of the
29 ZBBYLW: Awesome thank you for the update!! I know not many people on these forums care about warbirds, but I prefer them to other airplanes and news like this
30 BaldurSveins: It seems that P-38L-5-LO former White Lightning belonging to Red Bull will make the trip across the pond sometime next week. Does anyone know more abo
31 Ferrypilot: Hi Baldur, I would think the most likely route for P38 "White Lightning" to fly to Europe is via Goose bay (CYYR), Narsarsuaq(BGBW) and then Reykjavi
32 Ferrypilot: Red Bull's Chief Pilot has decided not to make the planned ferry flight of their P38 "White Lightning" from Texas to Austria. ...The aircraft is now g
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