The ultimate FLYING B-17 thread!!

Sentimental Journey

In British Columbia, August 2004

and another with the UKs other ‘Heavy’:

Sally B banking onto Duxford October 10.

Aerovin-

Just something I seem to recall having read once in the aviation mags a long time again…not sure how accurate it was or how shot my memory is, but it’s all moot anyway…the F is no longer flying and we’re the poorer for it, unfortunately.

Mark

Corsair166b,

Can you please advise me of your source about Richardson’s will regarding N17W because that information is 180 degrees different from my sources.

Thanks much.

Liberty Belle

Some shots of her on Airliners.net pretty cool ones of the restoration

i flew on Yankee Lady at Reading PA , Hopefully one day i will fly in Liberty Belle

http://www.airliners.net/open.file?id=791271&WxsIERv=Obrvat%20O-17T%20Sylvat%20Sbegerff&WdsYXMg=Gur%20Sylvat%20Gvtref%20Jneoveq%20Zhfrhz&QtODMg=Beynaqb%20-%20Xvffvzzrr%20Tngrjnl%20%28Zhavpvcny%29%20%28VFZ%29&ERDLTkt=HFN%20-%20Sybevqn&ktODMp=Bpgbore%2030%2C%202003&BP=1&WNEb25u=Enzba%20Orex&xsIERvdWdsY=A817OE&MgTUQtODMgKE=Pybfr%20hc%20bs%20gur%20ratvarf.%20Nsgre%20erfgber-crevbq%20bs%2014%20lrnef%20guvf%20O-17%20unf%20znqr%20vg%27f%20svefg%20syvtug%20ba%20qrprzore%208%2C%202004.%20Ba%20guvf%20cubgb%20vg%20vf%20fgvyy%20orvat%20erfgberq.%20Guvf%20O-17%20vf%20snzbhf%20sbe%20orvat%20rdhvcrq%20jvgu%20n%20svsgu%20ratvar%20va%20gur%20abfr.%20Vg%20jnf%20n%20sylvat%20grfgorq%20sbe%20Cengg%26Juvgarl%20jvgu%20n%20G-34%20Gheobcebc%20ratvar%20va%20gur%20abfr.%20Vg%20vf%20sylvat%20nf%20%27Yvoregl%20Oryy%27%20abjnqnlf.&YXMgTUQtODMgKERD=615&NEb25uZWxs=2005-03-08%2000%3A49%3A28&ODJ9dvCE=297894&O89Dcjdg=44-85734&static=yes&sok=JURER%20%20%28nvepensg_trarevp%20%3D%20%27Obrvat%20O-17%20Sylvat%20Sbegerff%20%28299%29%27%29%20%20BEQRE%20OL%20cubgb_vq%20QRFP&photo_nr=2&prev_id=792618&next_id=790405&size=L

As I understand it, Richardson willed it to the Museum with the understanding that they keep it a flyer….but they seem to have forgotten about that part and decided NOT to honor a dead man’s wishes….nice mentality, they would’nt HAVE that B-17 if it was’nt a flyer…

M

I’ve flown “Texas Raiders” in the Harlingen days – what a gracious hoot….

My understanding, based on a number of conversations occurring in the early to mid 1990s with several individuals with the MOF, was that the donation agreement from the Richardson family specified that the museum was NOT to fly the airplane. Whether or not Bob would have wanted it that way, his family did not. The museum tried to keep the airplane airworthy as long as possible, given the restrictions imposed by the FAA airworthiness requirments and excessive insurance costs.

Since the story keeps surfacing that the museum grounded the airplane contrary to the wishes of the Richardson family, I would sure like to hear the sources for that information or is it just convenient thinking?

Besides that, if the airplane is to be grounded, where better than the centerpiece display at a major museum at the birthplace of the B-17?

My computer (dial up wasn’t working too well) So I could not post. I tried a couple times.

But B-17F N17W will always be a flyer in my heart.

Here’s a vintage shot of her…previously posted to the “War Lover” thread.

Yeah, Richardson would have wanted it that way….but that seems to have been OVERLOOKED by the management of the Museum of Flying….but we do have others that still fly, thank god…

M

My computer (dial up wasn’t working too well) So I could not post. I tried a couple times.

But B-17F N17W will always be a flyer in my heart.

Figured you’d probably enjoy it, Go4B17….STILL NEED PICS OF ‘LIBERTY BELLE’ FOLKS!!! Anyone?

Mark

Miss Angela

Was over at Palm Springs in January for the 100th BG Mini Renion – had a walk thru Miss Angela for $5 , great fun , no Boeing Motif caps on the Yokes though – they could put em on but they walk – sad really

great thread but i would say that wouldn’t I :p

Here is a shot of ‘Miss Angela’ Unfortunately the Pond collection left the area before I started taking photography more seriously, so the quality isn’t that great.

Tallichet “Memphis Belle” Replica and Fuddy Duddy. Pictures taken at Mid Atlantic Air Musuem World War II Days 2002 (Reading, PA)

Fuddy Duddy from quite a few years back.

I can play this game, But I have to be home first. My Company has blocked webshots
I’m pretty sure I can fill in the Holes of “flying” B-17s

Actually, as of about a month ago, Aluminum Overcast flew back to Oshkosh to undergo her repairs, so TECHNICALLY she has flown recently….and will again, you can be sure…

Mark

I’m classifying them as flying B-17’s in the simplest sense…they once flew and they are expected to fly again, and if they can be pictured flying in the last few years then they count…some have said that ‘Chuckie’ might be out of the game also, but I’m counting her here because the pic was shot in 2000 and I’m sure she could be made ready to fly again if needed, if she isn’t ready already…likewise, although ‘Killer B’ flew recently, apparently it was her final hop to the Museum of Flying in Seattle and she will fly no more, so I am counting her now as a museum piece, like the ‘Mary Alice’…not active, not included (sad but true)…

Thanks for the comments on the pics…some better than others but that’s due to improving autofocus technology (all pics are print scans by the way, no digital here!)

Mark