Heavy Bomber at KCHA

[triple8s]

Got a surpirse at Wilson today, saw a B17 setting on the ramp, a few hours later I was at home well over 100 nm to the east and l hear the roar overhead and its 4 big radials. I get goosebumps thinking about all those youngsters getting ther training, getting a pat on the back and a pep talk then going to a foreign country to save our world

[Yooper Rocketman]

I just inked the contract today for a B-17 appearance at our 15th annual "Ford Airport Day" at my home airport  (KIMT) in September.  We plan to have an extra day just for the Veterans, feeding them lunch and letting the crew show them around the plane.  With a local VA Hospital, we should get a reasonable amount of vets being brought over by the special "handicap access" bus.  I can't wait to see the smiles on those vets.

 

Tom Sullivan

[ryoder]

We have had one at zph for a couple of weeks. Id love to take a spin.

[bonal]

Whenever someone mentiones an encounter with a 17 it reminds me of a flight returning home from Palomar. We were on a 1 mile final to Fresno for 29L when the tower advised us to look out the right windows and there was a beautiful B17 making a low fast pass over 29R he came and went too fast to get a photo but what a sight.

[1964-M20E]

Last year returning form Sun & Fun we stopped in Pensacola for weather and there on the ramp was FI FI the only flying B29.  What a site.

 

Can you imagine hundreds of B17s with fighter escorts flying over head? 

 

Every once and a while you get a small feel for it when they have a flyover with a couple of fighters and maybe a B25 or a B17 quiet impressive to hear all those big engines rumbling along and to think what they were deigned and built to do.

[Raptor05121]

I taxiied behind Panchito, the B-25 at Palatka last month My tiny bladder prevented me from seeing her before she left.

[bonal]

I for one feel so privileged to be involved as a GA pilot, to be able to pull next to a Curtis P40 and park at an aviation event. To be next to go as a Cal fire air attack lands does a quick turn around and departs to drop another load before control clears me for departure. As a low time pilot get a real kick out of being on the cool side of the fence even though GA is kind of on its dying legs and I am glad when I hear from those that have tons of years in aviation still get a thrill from a close encounter with an old war bird or something like that.

[Yooper Rocketman]

I was coming out of Madison WI years ago and was asked to hold while taxiing for departing traffic.  I looked up and two F-16's started taking off in formation on the runway I was about to cross.  There's an air guard unit based there.   I opened up the little pilots window and pulled my headset off my left ear to get the full effect.  They stayed about 20' above the runway until the very end and then launched almost straight up.  One of those moments you're proud to be an American.

 

I thanked the ground controller for holding me up.

[DrBill]

We gave our older son a ride in Aluminum Overcast (EAA's 17) for his birthday one year.  He sat next to a Vet who had been given the ride by his kids.. He had not been in a 17 since the war (he was a waist gunner).  He told my son some great stories on that ride.

BILL