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.

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.!

Hi Phil.

Still looking in occasionaly but I stopped posting here well over a year ago.

That reminds me, I’ve still got to send you that book about Cobham !. PM me your address and I’ll see about getting it to you….unless you’ve since got a copy from elsewhere ?

adieu !

Nothing I can add that others havent already said….just got back from Oshkosh to find this terrible terrible news….condolescences to all family and friends.

Likewise, just returned from over the Pond and was looking forward to sharing some of the 5000 plus pictures Rocketeer, myself and Spotter Spotter had taken during the show…however, I am unable to attend the service and as a mark of respect to Steve, will refrain from posting until later in the week.

Steve…Farewell, my friend.

Check this link out. Got some excellent video’s. This lot of the Mirage….you almost got to stand up to see over the dashboard !!!. Cracking soundtrack as well !!

Well recommended

http://www.patricksaviation.com/videos.php?action=view&id=50

I think you’ll find in Flyapst magazine an advert for a CD that will give you evrything you need to know about the Lanc, from outside to inside ….and probably upside down as well. In the latest edition, in the classified pages there is quarter page advert on the left hand page, apropriately called The Lancaster…..might be worth checking out.

Now if they also did one on the B17 as well…..