Fifi and Doc get it together….

Hi All,
JohnTerral – Many thanks for posting the video excellent sound and that missing man just shows how agile a big aircraft the B-29 was….:eagerness:

Geoff.

“Bomber Day” at Oshkosh, filmed yesterday, featuring some much closer formation flying by the two B-29’s and a remarkable missing man formation flown by the two B-29’s and two B-25’s. All of these bomber passes, featuring WWII-era and modern bombers, was to celebrate the 75th Anniversary of the 8th Air Force.

Hi All
John Terrel Many thanks for posting the info and the videos along with the excellent photo, now if they could just both 29’s to the ‘UK’……;)

Geoff.

That Scott Slocum air to air is superb,so much shiny metal held aloft by the skill of many.

Strange to remember the old ‘print’ era, when the first you knew of such events, is when you opened Flypast, Aeroplane, etc and found out about stuff which happened maybe a month ago. Now we can often watch live streaming, and see the latest photos within hours.

Seeing them both together was the first time I noted Doc was bereft of turrets. I thought it was just the polished skin that made it look sleek, but now I know!

An amazing feat…two of the war’s most complex bombers airworthy.
Even with their advanced features (pasteurization, remote turrets, etc) their complexity must make maintaining a B-17 or Lancaster look easy.

If I recall correctly, while the B-29’s were beginning their race track pattern, there were large formations of T-6’s going overhead, along with, a little later, 11 B-25’s that were also all flying at the same time, in two separate race track patterns at a lower altitude. All of the airshow flying participation at Oshkosh is regarded as being of the highest level of safety and professionalism, and all of the flying that is to be done during the airshow is thoroughly briefed and approved prior to each day’s show, so the tandem pattern by the B-29’s in the actual air show portion must have been all that was agreed on/approved of, but then some closer formation work was done out and away from the actual air show/airport boundaries. I believe all pilots performing formation flying over Oshkosh during the air show may have to have special certification/”FAST”-cards to be cleared to do so. When the B-25’s were up, they were all flying in trail of each other as well, though some months back I think there was talk of getting all of the B-25 crews that were going to participate at Oshkosh to get together and get formation certified ahead of Oshkosh, which didn’t pan-out.

In the formation flying videos I’ve seen of “Doc” and “FIFI”, outside of the airshow, both traded positioning for the camera ship. Here “Doc” is flying off the wing of “FIFI” in a video shot by the flight engineer aboard “FIFI”: https://www.facebook.com/b29b24crewchiefscorner/videos/1655869271122173/

Some video of “FIFI” flying off the wing/in-trail of “Doc”: https://www.facebook.com/jerry.palmer.121/videos/1814153551933180/

Photo by Scott Slocum, taken from the B-25H camera ship, of “Doc” and “FIFI” in loose formation (I imagine there will be many photos that will be published from this flight, and any more that take place today/tomorrow, just as if, not more, spectacular): https://scontent-ort2-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t31.0-8/20369910_10155744083458623_2449032161617245227_o.jpg?oh=a63f2f349a4ea938798ed4f0fb2700b4&oe=59EFE0B7

After the flying that took place on Tuesday, “FIFI” left for Appleton, Wisconsin to provide rides, but “FIFI” has returned to Oshkosh again, now today, to do some more display flying with “Doc” and a number of other bombers.

First time such a sight has been seen since the 1950’s:

Hi All,
Jeepman,John Terrel,vultee35

Many thanks all for posting those videos my only nag was against those pesky ‘Harvard’s’ trying to get in on the act farting away what appears to be
underneath them ? 😀 Would that be the take-off’s for the next formation ? Would have been nice to see and hear both ‘B-29’s’ in a flyby together
in close formation, was the distance a safety thing anybody ?

I must say ‘JT’ your video sounded lovely and it was just perfect without the ‘Harvard’ engine noise, and the footage from inside ‘Doc’ was just lovely.

Again many thanks for posting well done all three…..:applause:

Geoff.

A nice one here from the nose of Doc looking out at Fifi

Some more high quality video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQSqa7REpZ0

When it comes to this time of the year, I say tuned to the “AirShowStuffVideos” and “AirRailImages” Youtube channels, which always has great video coverage of Oshkosh.

Some other videos/photos I’ve seen on Facebook indicate that the two actually did join up in formation, outside of the airshow display, off the wing of a B-25 camera ship. I believe they’re flying together again in tomorrow’s show and/or at least in the Saturday show. I believe it is on Saturday, at Oshkosh, that they well be celebrating the 75th Anniversary of the 8th Air Force, with formation passes featuring a B-1, B-2, B-52, both B-29’s, at least one B-17, several B-25’s and the A-20.