B-17 Flight Experience

Hey Jules,

Always a pleasure to have you out. I posted some shots of you “in action” telling stories by the tail of 909. Have a look at http://rides.webshots.com/album/557281101lNPlUO

It was a short Florida tour this year, only 23 days, normally we are in your area a couple weeks. We start back up next Friday. Again Jules, thanks for introducing yourself and we look forward to next year.

Jim Harley
Collings Foundation

B17

The B17 and B24 left my area last Sunday after a weeks visit. Again I was out each day acting as a docent. This time it was a little special because I had my lady friend along on Sunday, to see the planes take off. I induced her to go into the B17. She wouldn’t climb the ladder in front, so she and I went in the exit door, she was awestruck. However she wouldn’t cross the bomb bay, with the doors open. I had a rough time getting in and out, and moving around inside, with my creaking bones. I kept thinking how I used to run through the the bomb bay, also it brought back memories of the extreme cold while flying above 20M feet.

If any of you UK people get to the US and are anywhere near Savannah, Georgia ,be sure to viisit the 8th AF museum, lt is one of the best. It takes you on a mission, you hear the radio chatter, the room gets a cold wind blowing and you hear the baombardier call out “bombs away”

B17 Flight

Just wondering if B17 Buff made any choices yet from the several options available – a 17 ride is about $425 now and at Chino a 20 min hope in a P51 Is around $725 – pretty good value considering operating costs these days

I’m also hoping to make to the Gathering. The chance of trip in a Heavy with the possibility of a few ‘Stangs in formation is an opportunity that should not be missed. It may not happen like that, but hey, it’s worth a try. I think I paid around £200 sterling for my last trip in a Fort so that will give a guideline as to the cost.

As I’m in the process of scratch building a full scale P-51 Cockpit Procedures Trainer, I’m also looking forward to my first flight in a ‘Stang. All I gotta do is hope that there’s a heavy in the circuit and can come alongside…..my camera shutter will go into meltdown at this time !.

Incidently, I’m also going to video each flight from start to finish. How can he do that and take pictures and enjoy the ride ?….Quite easy!. I’ve got a digital handycam with a ‘Bullet camera’ attached to it and for want of a better phrase, ‘gaffer taped’ to a baseball cap / hat of some decription, so that wherever I look, I’ll also be filming and it leaves my hands free to take pic’s as well. These bullet camera’s are available in the UK from around £170.00 upwards and are available in monochrome or colour.

Mustang Legends

Chris – It’s going to be massive. i am sure the B17’s in attendance will be offering rides

As of now, 100 Mustangs, 3 B-17s, 5 B-25s , 3 P-38s, a P-40 and a P-47. Several “civilian “ acts…wing walkers, etc. The military will provide us with 2 F-15s, 2 F-16s,

2 F-22s, F-117, B-1, B-2 and a B-52. Plus the Thunderbirds.

Flying to start at 10am through 5pm.

Anyone know if there are any B17s (or the B24) offering trips at the Mustang Gathering in September?

17 RIDE

Enjoyed Gee Dee’s description also -Sensory Saturation is a great term to use

I enjoyed my second ride on 909 better (first on Yankee Lady ) as I was less emotional and excited -it was awesome being sat behind the pilots on engine start , taxi and take off .Mac did an amazingly smooth landing

My friend in LA – Brian Thrailkill is a 909 Plane Sponsor and is very passionate about 909 – think he has done about 28 or so hops on her now .

I reccomend doing it ASAP as the FAA get more uptight each year ! -security , safety ,etc

Jules – hope your keeping good – you do a great job supporting 909 !

Best …Ron

B17

The Collings B17 and B24 are presently at my local airport on their annual tour.
I have acted as a docent since they started touring in Florida. Many times I’ve spoken to people as they exited the plane after landing, I asked how they enjoyed the experiece, they all said that it was just the greatest. Not one complaint in all the years that I questioned the people.
Gee Dee’s post gave a pretty good description of his experience.

Just a comment on Gee Dee’s Post—-When I was flying we just ran through the bomb bay, also at 20000 to 28000 feet we had tempratures of —50 to -60 F ,with no heat and open waist windows.

Well you could go to CWH and fly on their lanc come summer but I am afraid its out of my snack bracket all my coin goes into building my spit. Last I heard it was $5000 CDN for approx 1/2hr flight. I will see if I can find the pics my buddy took the other year of his lanc flight to post.

Cheers

J

… now you’ve made me feel like ive missed out all this time and should have done it years ago!!:o

Yes…it’s an experience any WWII aviation enthusiast should do.
Too bad Lancaster fans don’t have the opportunity to fly in their favorite heavy bomber. I have a hunch it would be sold out for months.

And a good reason to do it sooner rather than later…I’m afraid all it would take is a tragic mishap…and the FAA and/or the insurance companies…would probably put an end to such flights.

Thanks for the very descriptive take on what its like to actually do it geedee… i had a huge grin on my face just reading your experience!:D Thanks for sharing it and inspiring me further!!:) Im looking at my options as we speak and will be booking asap… now you’ve made me feel like ive missed out all this time and should have done it years ago!!:o

Hopefully i’ll be able to share my experience in the near future!;)

Who needs to go states side when it is on your door step once a year.

‘Pink Lady’ is grounded at the moment so a US trip is the only answer.

Dont think…do it !.

I’ve had two sorties in Fuddy Fuddy, once in 2004 and once 2005 both times at Oshkosh.

I’m going back for third trip this year.

Talk about sensory overload…when you get to sit down in a live Fort with the engines running and feel the whole ‘plane living, smell the smell, hear the noise, sense the excitement of the other passengers, its quite a moment.

Then the taxi out to the active, with creaks and groans of the undercart, the odd dab of brakes and a slight increase in revs to go around the taxi corners.

Then the final turn onto the active. S’funny, but nobody, not one single person says a thing as the levers are advanced to take off power….. You dont just hear the noise, you feel it !. Everything is alive and the feeling of tremendous power pulling you forward…totally different to a jet airliner acceleration, not as fast but in a league of its own !….its magical.

The signal is given to to undo the lap straps and go walkabout. You suddenly realise that you’re surrounded by grinning idiots !. Every one, but every one has gone into silly grin mode….and that includes you…..then every one without fail says things like “awesome”, “oh ma gawd”, “aw man, yeah !”.

First trip is under the pilots and upto the bombadiers station at the pointy end. To get to the pilots you have to cross over the bomb bay and yes, its a mighty narrow bit of ‘plane you have to walk over the bomb bay to get to the office. You can see the ground below through the cracks where the bomb doors meet. Then you get to enter the front and see that solo sit waiting for you to sit in, directly behind the Nordon.

When you finally get to sit in that seat…and you look around… and realise that you are sitting in a ‘Fort, with the roar of air through the fresh air vent vieing with the roar from the four big radials seemingly an arms length away though the side windows, it truly a humbling feeling. Oh yeah, your grin is now threatening to go into ‘flip top head’ mode !.

You feel like a dog with five tails…you dont know what to do first or next so instead you’ve gone into machine gun fire rate on the camera shutter clicking away, trying to capture every moment.

You wont, BUT….and its a very inmportant BUT, you will never, ever forget that time that you sat up there…trust me (anyone who’se flown in a ‘Fort whether as crew or a fair paying passenger will back me up on this) every time you see a ‘Fort in a film or in the flesh, you’ll be instantly transported to its inside, cos you’ve been there.

Then its time to get back into the office and get the pilots views. Again, outstanding views looking over the leading edge of the wings and just soaking up the atmosphere.

Back across the bomb bay catwalk and back through the radio section and into the waist area to see view while holding onto the waist 50 Cals’. Relax, there will be other fanatics there to use your camera to take the obligatory shot of you crouching down behind the 50 cal.

25 to 30 odd minutes of sheer sensory saturation, then its back to the seat and the final rumble as the wheels kiss the tarmac and you slow down for the short taxi back.

It’s funny, but when you get out through that rear door, your feet dont seem to touch the ground….and they dont for a few weeks after either !.

And then the trip back by mini bus to the pick up point. Another funny thing is that on the bus trip to the flight, everyone is non stop chatting…..on the trip back, its like sitting in a library, no one speaks, all lost in their thoughts.

If you are going, go to an airshow, nope, go to a big, really big airshow and then arrange for your flight half way through the event. You will not regret it.
Bear in mind that every ‘plane you see, you will be seeing in the flesh for the first time if its your first trip to the States.

I have one bit of advice, take plenty of film or lots of storage cards. ….and then you can have a cracking screen saver that’ll be the envy of anyone you know, cos you where there, you took the pics and you wont be able to stop talking about it.

Trust me.!

It seems the Yankee Air Museum will have their B-17 at Oshkosh….here’s a link to their schedule.
http://yankeeairmuseum.org/Airshow.shtml

I went up in the CAF’s Texas Raiders…an event of a lifetime.
Hope you have fun.

Thanks for all your input guys… nice to hear i would be doing the right thing!!:D I didnt think flights were availiable to the public in Pink Lady due to the european laws though??:confused: Liberty Belle would certainly be a good one as you say richb but they havent posted their tour schedule yet and i want to book!!

Think i’ll need to check out where and when the major airshows are too as i guess it would be killing two birds with one stone!:)

Jim, thanks for your input – i am looking at your schedule at the moment so i may need to have a chat if that is ok! Can I book any other way than over the telephone with you guys? – It’s probably between you and EAA’s Aluminium Overcast – Which is better?!!:D

Yes I agree take in an airshow with the ride it will make your trip all that more worthwhile. I went up in the “Yankee Lady” at the Willow Run Thunder over Michigan show this past summer and it was the best money ever spent. Went up for almost 45min flight out over detroit area, the best part of the ride though was to sit up there in the nose oh and opening the bomb bay doors in flight that was great to.

I am not part of the organization but that airshow last year was the best I have been to in a while. They had one of the largest flying RAF/RCAF collections present outside the UK last year. So if you are not set on California that would be another place to take in a ride.

Cheers

J

Hey guys, I am the ride coordinator for the Collings Foundation…feel free to write me anytime for tour information and scheduling. I am on the “road” with the 17, 24, and 25 for 11 months out of the year and I can assure you a seat at any of our locations. [email]frenese@aol.com[/email]

Jim Harley

Check out the Collings foundation tour schedule as they regularly visit airfields doing walkthroughs and flights – may get a better deal if its not at an airshow?

They all seem to be around the same price – I would like to check out Liberty Belle – as she is the ‘newest restoration’

Go for it though – which ever one you take will be an enjoyable experience – and make sure you get into the nose for the best view in the world!

Hope you have a good trip.

I do know what it,s like two trips in the pink lady.

Who needs to go states side when it is on your door step once a year.

No passport or Visa problem have a nice holiday and hope you enjoy the show.

Hi Guys,

I wonder if anyone can help… I’ve finally decided to take the plunge and try to arrange a flight in one of the 17’s in the states as its an excuse to go on holiday and the final (ultimate) thing left for me to do with my obsession with the aircraft!!

Any ideas on best aircraft/ org to go with (would like to do it in california) and any problems in not being a US citizen in having the flight? Whats the deal if it cancelled and you’ve made the trip over? Hard luck i guess?

Have looked into nine-o-nine, senti journey, Allie overcast, Yankee Lady and liberty belle – these seem to be the only ones doing it.

Guys that have done it, I would appreciate your thoughts!

Go for it!! Geedee and I flew in the B17 Fuddy Duddy in 2005 at Oshkosh..25 mins of joy. What I would suggest is that you time your trip to coincide with an airshow….the best one/choice would be the one at Commemorative Air Force Airsho…lots to ride in (see latest Flypast for details). You will then get a few days at a nice airshow as well and the choice of a few bombers to fly in.

If you make it to Dux on 17th Feb, we could bring some phots