American B17s

WINGS of FREEDOM ( B-17, B-24, B-25) Burbank, Ca. April 28- May 2 Friday- Tuesday
Bob Hope Airport Flight reservations 800-568-8924 (Flights are $425 for the 17s and 24s, but $325 and $400 for the 25s. (Tax Deductible Donations) $10 walk through adult

$425? Hmmm That’s about what they paid me for flying them for 2 months.

IIRC the ‘Belle’s last sortie was a milk-run. Not a very exciting last mission to make a film out of…. :rolleyes:

It was every pilots dream to go to breifing and find that the mission would be a milk run. First. last or all of them.

i think they should re make memphis belle, this time cut the hollywood out of it, make it true to the events and people to bury this hatchet once and for all how many times do we ask the same questions? we all know what hollywood is like for changing history for a few bucks, i cant imagine how 8th airforce crew feel when they twist things. my great uncle was on the boarding party for u571, he and his family were livid about the fact hollwood changed it, warner bros should get a grip nuff said.

IIRC the ‘Belle’s last sortie was a milk-run. Not a very exciting last mission to make a film out of…. :rolleyes:

i think they should re make memphis belle, this time cut the hollywood out of it, make it true to the events and people to bury this hatchet once and for all how many times do we ask the same questions? we all know what hollywood is like for changing history for a few bucks, i cant imagine how 8th airforce crew feel when they twist things. my great uncle was on the boarding party for u571, he and his family were livid about the fact hollwood changed it, warner bros should get a grip nuff said.

Jules,
By the way, my dad was a B-17 pilot with the 463rd BG of the 15th AF. From looking at his records it looks like he got in on the very end of the war.
He died while I was fairly young, but towards the end of his life we had a few talks about the war, and he answered my many questions about flying the B-17. It’s too bad I didn’t know enough then to ask better questions.

Thanks for answering the questions posted here. Passing on your memories to “us” is a great service to history and will help us keep the sacrifices made by men like my father and yourself alive for future generations.

John Boyle

John,
The reason that I monitor these several websites is to talk to people like you, second and third generations who are interested in the WW2 period

For the last 15 years I have gone to 3 local airports when the Collings planes
spend a few days here. I act as a docent and answer any queations that people have. Quite frequently someone will say ” I want to shake your hand and thank you for what you did” That is payment enough for me.

Another fellow who was a waist gunner and was shot down,the last 2 years we have gone to 12 high schools, and spoke to ROTC classes about the Air War in Europe, it was vey well received.

Solo Pilot B17

This can be done and in 1981 a Bolivian Pilot single handedly brought a Weary Meat Hauler B17 from La Paz Bolivia to March AFB Museum – Riverside California – that is some Airmanship considering the distance – he then turned around and flew back a swapper – C54 back to Bolivia .

My vet freind who was waist gunner on the Boeing Belle – 100th BG said Memphis Belle was “Too much Hollywood ” – I guess that says it all , great visuals and music though

Jules,
By the way, my dad was a B-17 pilot with the 463rd BG of the 15th AF. From looking at his records it looks like he got in on the very end of the war.
He died while I was fairly young, but towards the end of his life we had a few talks about the war, and he answered my many questions about flying the B-17. It’s too bad I didn’t know enough then to ask better questions.

Thanks for answering the questions posted here. Passing on your memories to “us” is a great service to history and will help us keep the sacrifices made by men like my father and yourself alive for future generations.

John Boyle

John,
If I remember correctly, one man can manage the throttles, mixture and props

John.
Browsing thru this thread. re message #17— I remember a story I heard at one of my group reunions, in fact I met the guy, but the story didn’t come from him. A pilot named Christianson in my group, his plane got pretty badly shot up at a target, once he was in the clear he had his crew bail out, the plane then seemed stable enough, so he decided to stay with it a awhle. To make a long story short, he actually flew the plane alone back to base and landed it, an unbelievable feat. I dont remember the distance, the hours or the target, but he did quite a job.

Jules,

I understand Paul Mantz was fairly modest when it came to his claim of solo B-17 flying for the crash landing seen in the film “12 O’clock High. While he would acknowledge that he did indeed, take one off solo (I understand it had the throttles…and perhaps mixture and props…rigged so he could control them with his right hand), he was always quick to point out while he did land solo…”a lot of guys brought them home” with severely wounded (or worse) pilots/co-pilots.

John.
Browsing thru this thread. re message #17— I remember a story I heard at one of my group reunions, in fact I met the guy, but the story didn’t come from him. A pilot named Christianson in my group, his plane got pretty badly shot up at a target, once he was in the clear he had his crew bail out, the plane then seemed stable enough, so he decided to stay with it a awhle. To make a long story short, he actually flew the plane alone back to base and landed it, an unbelievable feat. I dont remember the distance, the hours or the target, but he did quite a job.

He was quite a character to boot. He sailed a boat from Boston to Alaska where he remained. This was quite a few years ago, I dont know if he is still alive.

My father-in-law’s mighty B-17..

My father-in-law’s main crticism of Memphis Belle – the modern movie was that the crew clothing etc looked much neater than it actually was. Oil stain/layers of non standard clothes etc were the order of the day according to him. He flew the original Memphis Belle when it was one of the three original TB-17’s assigned to his newly formed 815th BS of the 483rd BG. Wasn’t known by that name he said, but rather by a training side number…. 😮

Re the query in post #12, that’s a DF (Direction Finding) loop under the nose.

Thanks. I just couldn’t remember what it was 😮

Why not?
The last half hour was a total embarassment.
Much better to watch William Wilder’s original, or 12 O’Clock High if you must watch fiction based on real events.
Moggy

Remember, In 12 O’Clock High we get Paul Mantz belly landing a B-17. They say he was the only person ever to take one off solo. No models or lousy CG stuff there!!

I agree with the earlier post..if you want a B-17 fix go to Duxford and stare at Sally B or Mary Alice for a half hour..(or Hendon’s B-17).
At the risk of sounding like a complete idiot, when I look at a Fortress and think of the crews that flew them into harms way, it never fails to bring a tear to my eyes…

And to my English friends lest you think I’m being too nationalistic…I get the same way when I see the BBMF….

Re the query in post #12, that’s a DF (Direction Finding) loop under the nose.

Thanks for the offer John. If I come over it won’t be til next year.

1 more in Texas

Depends on time of year, I reckon….Texas has three in October at the CAF show at Midland (usually ‘Texas Raiders’, ‘Sentimental Journey’, and ‘Thunderbird’, all usually attend the show, but you might also see Doc Hospers ‘Chuckie’ on the line, or another visiting B-17

It you come all the way to Texas for the Midland show, you may pass through Abilene…it’s on the main motorway between Dallas-Ft. Worth and Midland…if you do, be sure to see the B-17G at the Dyess Air Force Base airpark.
With new security restrictions it’s tough to get on base, but if you contact me by pvt. message, I can get you on….I’m a retired officer.

Good chap. Admire your taste. 🙂

Moggy

I meant I’m not knocking the efforts of the film makers.
I agree about the last half hour being grossly exaggerated, and have always felt a better film about B17’s should be made. I have Twelve O’Clock high (which is a much better film), and the original Memphis Belle documentary.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not knocking the film.

Why not?

The last half hour was a total embarassment.

Much better to watch William Wilder’s original, or 12 O’Clock High if you must watch fiction based on real events.

Moggy

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not knocking the film. I do appreciate the fact that they went to the effort of modifying the planes instead of leaving them as they were and giving them a lick of paint! The small differences mean you can identify which plane is which as well. It was also the film that got me interested in B17’s, just like Battle of Britain got me into WW2 aviation.