A statement has been issued by B-17 operator Ellie Sallingboe in the wake of recent wing spar issues affecting US-based aircraft.

The following statement has been issued by B-17 operator Elly Sallingboe on the impending FAA B-17 AD.

“After careful consideration it has now been decided to ground our beloved B-17 until the ongoing wing spar issues [are] sorted. As I write this we are working flat out to complete this difficult task, helped by our devoted team and many friends.

"Thank you IWM Duxford for giving us space in the AirSpace Hangar to carry out the required work. As we mentioned previously our Chief Engineer, Daryl Taplin, is in contact with the FAA, the CAA, and some US B-17 Operators via the B-17 Co-op. The wing spar and the spar caps have been the subject of earlier AD’s for more than twenty years.

"Each winter, our engineers complete a comprehensive CAA-approved check with the help of NDT (Non-Destructive Testing) specialist Kearsley Airways. Also, our pilots have flown Sally B very gently, with low G loads for many decades. We trust that our B-17 is structurally sound and can hopefully fly for many more years and will update you in due course.”

FlyPast and Key.Aero send their best wishes to everyone involved in this important work on this world-famous airworthy machine.