I'm on vacation, and a local airport had a static display of flying condition B17 Flying Fortress "Sentimental Journey", B25 Mitchell "Maid in the Shade" and B29 Super Fortress "Fifi" WWII bombers. I saw all 3 this morning before the B29 took off for a hour long flight.
They were promoting B17 flights for tomorrow, so I signed up. It ain't cheap, but I figure the opportunity doesn't come around very often. I'm in the waist section, but I said if one of the nose people doesn't show up I'm interested in upgrading. I'll try to post photo's later in the week - didn't bring my digital camera, had to pick up a disposable job.
-- Edited by seventy2plus2 on Sunday 21st of November 2010 03:05:51 PM
Way to go Clint You are one lucky passenger. Sadly, I'm in school this week, or I'd be phoning in with something contiguous and trying to go jump seat with you. There's only a few in the world gets to do what you are about to do. Let's hope the landing is smoother than our last one............ HAVE FUN!
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"Repulsive since 1959"
2015 Camaro SS1 2014 GMC Sierra 1969 GTO 2005 Dodge Daytona Short Box Regular cab P/U 1979 Pontiac Grand Prix Enduro stock car
You will have a blast! Those old radial engines beasts are truly the hot rods of the sky. Nothing else sounds as good maybe except for the P51's, but in the B17 there are 4 of them throbbing away.
About 20 years ago I got to fly on a test flight on this machine.
In one of my other lives as an Bird dog officer with the Alberta Airtankers I wanted to see what the pilot of the A26 Invader could actually see as he made a drop so we took a test flight and ran though an approach and cycled the bomb doors over a target.
Like a dump truck on steriods!
Unfortunately tanker 27 doesn't exist anymore. It and about 5 other A26's were burned up in a hanger fire in Penhold about 10 years ago.
If you want to hear these babies run heres a youtube with Tanker 32 starting up. The smoke is normal.
"So when you spot violence, or bigotry, or intolerance or fear or just garden-variety hatred or ignorance, just look it in the eye and think... The good outnumber you, and we always will." Patton Oswalt
Yeah there were some days as we worked a fire or were flying over the bush or mountains to somewhere I'd say to myself, "I can't believe I'm getting paid for this!" Unfortunately I got sucked into taking a highly political type desk job some years ago so i have to try to get back to this in the next few years and enjoy my work again!
Worked with some legendary machinery over the years from the DC6, A26, CL 215 and 215T, Trackers, Electra, the Martin Mars (once) and the pilots were equally as legendary (in their own minds anyway)
Best guy I ever worked with was a WWII lancaster pilot with a DFC (I found out later) He was 72 when we flew together and could still outlast me for endurance.
Good memories there.
Here are a few more prints that a friend of mine does on Airtankers. He really captures them superbly!
Kudos to you 66 Grande guy. You've basically lived I dream I had starting back in 1997 or so. I went to an Air Show in Red Deer one summer and thought "I gotta fly an A-26 water bomber". I started on my private pilot's rating. Got the license, plus night rating, plus mountain check, plus constant speed prop and retractable landing gear check, got 240 T.T. hours in. Final destination........flying any water bomber. Never happened. Well, life, money, 9-11, (ya-da, ya-da) I could go on in the excuse department why it didn't happen in commercial/water bomber career department. But what did happen, was some great times, great friends, great stories and close to making my goal. It was a real good opportunity to add a chapter in one's life, and to use many skills I learn't in aviation, even to this day. As a foot note, I toured the "Air Spray" hanger a few months prior to the tragic fire that occured there. I was shaken to hear of the loss of the AME's life that was caught in the whole episode. May he R.I.P.
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"Repulsive since 1959"
2015 Camaro SS1 2014 GMC Sierra 1969 GTO 2005 Dodge Daytona Short Box Regular cab P/U 1979 Pontiac Grand Prix Enduro stock car
Yeah his death was ghastly....horrible. He was a really nice guy, right in there to help. He lingered with his burns for about 8 months. His funeral was crowded with pilots AMEs and forestry guys like us. I hope it helped his wife and family a bit.
For me I got into this through the forestry firefighting end of it not as a pilot. I think that would be more fun although stuff like this can happen. The guy who ran this machine out of gas works for Buffalo Joe now....
We get our share of fires around here too, and I got to watch the Martin Mars bombers working the Penticton fire of 94. Sat on a friends deck and watched them trying to gain altitude after scooping up water from Okanagan lake.
I shot this little video just up the hill from where I live a couple of summers ago, when they were fighting a grass fire. It was used on Global news that night.
This morning I was there when they fired up the 4 radial engines of the B29 (18 cylinders each, turbosupercharged), but they shut down engines 1 & 4 before they taxi'd out to the runway. Once at the end of the runway, they fired up 1 & 4 again, then took off and I got a side shot of it as it got airborne.
I cleared off a bunch of garbage photo's from my cellphone, and bought a disposable camera so hopefully I can get some good shots.
BTW - late last week we were at the Pima Air Museum in Tuscon, and I saw a B36 Peacemaker nuclear bomber. They were post WWII, with 6 radial engines in a pusher configuration. That plane is HUGE
I had my flight this morning, and yes it was cool. I was seated in the radio operators area, and once we were airborne we could walk around the center part of the aircraft. Keep in mind there aren't a lot of windows, so it makes photo opportunities a little difficult. However, the sense of sound is overwhelming - yes those 4 engines make lots of noise. I've flown in a number of DC3 cargo planes, so generally the same vintage, and yes I'd say this is a little louder. It was interesting seeing people trying to walk around while we were in the air, they didn't seen to have their footing - however as many who know me knows - I move like a cat.
It was an extra $175 to have a seat in the nose (the bombadier and navigator positions) and I can only imagine how cool it was to sit up there. I tried to get a shot of me at one of the waist gunners position, not sure how well they turned out as you're inside, and taking a photo against a cloudless sky. I'll try to post in a few days.
You are one lucky passenger. Sadly, I'm in school this week, or I'd be phoning in with something contiguous and trying to go jump seat with you. There's only a few in the world gets to do what you are about to do.
