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Juan Freizwidatt
Associate
Joined: 18 Apr 2004
Posts: 20834
Location: Hanging out at In-n-Out
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Posted:
Mon May 07, 2012 12:54 am |
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Like a lot of people, I'm a big fan of Warbirds -- WWII aircraft. Four years ago I had the thrill of flying over San Francisco Bay and the Golden Gate in a B-17 bomber, "Liberty Belle." (Sadly, that plane was destroyed by fire last June after making a picture-perfect emergency landing in a corn field in Illinois; everyone got off safely but the plane was totally lost.)
A year later I flew over the vineyards of Sonoma in a B-24, the only one still flying.
Today I went up in another B-17, "Aluminum Overcast." With the loss of the "Liberty Belle," there is only one other B-17 still doing nationwide tours, the Collings Foundation's "Nine-O-Nine." A couple of others fly out of their home bases (and occasional large airshows), and another 2 or 3 are airworthy but not currently flying. Of the nearly 13,000 originally built, only about 10 are still capable of flying.
I fear the days of the public getting to soar in these grand old planes is coming to an end. Aside from losing a plane to an engine fire, it's simply reaching a point where the operators cannot cover their costs anymore. Keeping a B-17 in the air runs over $3,000 an hour, but the number of paying enthusiasts has plummeted. In the past a plane like Aluminum Overcast could count on going up for 4 to 6 flights each weekend day. Yesterday and today they only did a single flight each day. And they've cut their annual tour from 60 locations to 36. They may not do a tour next year.
Some pics:
What a glorious machine:
My daughter took the next 3, and used an app in her iPhone to give them a faded Kodachrome look. Pretty cool.
A group of WWII re-enactors came out to volunteer as ground crew assistants:
It was a true honor to have an 88 year-old B-17 bombardier veteran flying with us today, thanks to the generosity of his son. He had a difficult time getting around in the plane but with some help he was able to sit in the bombadier's perch in the very nose of the plane, and work the Norden bombsight. He was as happy as a kid. This was his first time in a B-17 since 1945. And he was especially happy that there were no Messerschmidts attacking us:
It's sad that there are so few surviving veterans.
Shortly after takeoff:
A Chevron oil refinery. This sort of facility would have been a prime target for a B-17 during WWII....
Looking out through the top of the radio operator's section. In the Liberty Belle, this was left completely open so you could stick your head outside the top of the plane. In the Aluminum Overcast there's a plexiglass window. Still a cool view.
The pilots at work:
Two of the magnificent Wright engines:
Sitting in the bombardier's seat in the plexiglass nose cone. The view from this position is mindblowing. But for the young kids who held this position in combat it was the most terrifying and vulnerable spot in the plane. Nothing but plastic around you at top, bottom, front, left, and right...
Anyway, it's an experience like no other and I would strongly encourage anyone who loves these historic planes to take advantage while it's still possible, before they all end up on static display in museums. |
_________________ "SATAN WILL KILL YOU . BECAUSE YOU ARE A DAUGHTER OF MERMAID"
"HOW DOES IT SOUND TO YOU THAT ANOTHER PERSON IS DEALING WITH YOU AND ASK YOU TO CONTACT ANOTHER PERSON AND NOW YOU SAID THAT YOU WANT TO DEAL WITH THE OTHER PERSON WITHOUT THE KNOWING OF THE PERSON THAT ASK YOU TO CONTACT THE OTHER PERSON"
I apologize again that I will lick the dust from your sandals - Shorty
x4: Shorty
x 16:
US lad w/Capone: ( )
- ATL>DC>ATL>Vegas>Seattle>ATL>San Diego>LA>ATL>Seattle>ATL>WY>ATL>Aspen>ATL (21K+ miles, $11K+ expenses)
Shorty w/bohigal:
- Lagos>Abidjan
Random lads:
- Douala>Korup; Lagos>Cotonou>Parakou; Cotonou>Niger border; Cotonou>Pendjari>jail in Tanguietta; Asaba>Abuja; Accra>Tamale
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Seamless
Baiting Guru
Joined: 16 Apr 2009
Posts: 5868
Location: Paradise
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Posted:
Mon May 07, 2012 1:45 am |
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Great pictures and view of history, Thanks. |
_________________ 419Eater wastes their time - <a href="http://scamwarners.com/"target="_blank">Scamwarners</a> exposes their crimes
"You are a destinated Idiot. a fibol element, a rebel against humanity.
You are a goat. And very stupid. I will deal with you very soon, just wait, I have all your contact address, and I will trace you very soon, for insulting me, all evidence of your insult to me has been filed.
Lawyer M4nu3l told me that you could be one of this terrorist in the usa. and I later find out on my research on you, that you are one of the bastards in wherever you are. not even in usa."
< S4NI S4LISU Ghana to Togo
< St3lla J0nta Cote d'Ivoire to Ghana
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basts child
Elite Baiter
Joined: 03 Aug 2011
Posts: 1318
Location: confusing the shit out of my spam filter
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Posted:
Mon May 07, 2012 2:26 am |
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How amazing! Thank you for sharing. I love flying and enjoyed these pictures very much. In a society that craves the newest and fastest treasures like this get over looked. |
_________________ x9 x2 X24 X138 x3 x2 x2 x4 X2 X3 x5 x11 x2 X4 X12 x10 x3 x2 2 Antigua flag needed
x 15
for my Lagos,Nigeria to Parakou,Benin Lad Senator Anyim Pius
~okay yes i we be mayonaise for you~
THE WESTERN UNION MUST GIVE YOU A PEPPER AS A RECEIPT. IF THEY GAVE YOU THIS CONFIRMATION PEPPER THEN ATTACH IT AND SEND IT TO ME OKAY.
'rooms are fully air-Conditional' Air, get while it lasts!
~ANCIENT, not old!~ Says Basts Child! |
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Morgain Le Fay
Baiting Guru
Joined: 14 Oct 2010
Posts: 5800
Location: Taking my new .38 special to the range
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Posted:
Fri May 11, 2012 1:17 am |
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Thanks for sharing, Juan. The pictures are wonderful.
I have always loved airplanes starting with joining Civil Air Patrol in high school and being fortunate to live on Navy bases with all sorts of jets flying over. |
_________________ X42
Nash and 6 friends 488 Km within Ghana - bait with Agda (2012)
Safari Philip Ghana-Benin (bait w/Agda) 2013
x5
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lotta
Baiting Guru
Joined: 08 Jun 2005
Posts: 13613
Location: 2 Speckled Cct Springfield Lakes QLD 4300
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Posted:
Fri May 11, 2012 3:00 am |
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What a fabulous experience, Juan! great pictures. |
_________________ <a href="/forum/donate.php">[Click here to donate to 419Eater.com]</a> Lead Support Contact for Missing Posts - (pm me)
bank kills
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Frederick Fokker:
"I am giving you about a month to get your act together, i am cutting you and the eater a bit of slack"
Dec 11, 2007
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Badgerbait
Baiting Guru
Joined: 07 Jan 2009
Posts: 4507
Location: Winter spites...
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Posted:
Fri May 11, 2012 4:41 pm |
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Had a great chance to board a A-26 Invader last year. Couldn't muster the courage to ask to go up because of the soup can used to repair an engine...beauty of a bird though real workhorse. |
_________________ I have arrived in Moscow. Has gone to bank and to me have told that there is no such transfer for me!!!!
What does it mean? You played with me? If it so that you very much the cruel man and I am assured of that that the god will see your cruelty.
Explain to me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! - Alena Byk0va
-----------
x13 x3 x4
We are Karma's soldiers.
<a href="/forum/donate.php">Mugu Gold</a>
I must be cruel, only to be kind:
Thus bad begins and worse remains behind. -Hamlet, scene iv
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bohigal
Baiting Guru
Joined: 01 Aug 2007
Posts: 7226
Location: Epstein's Delicatessen
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Posted:
Sat May 12, 2012 3:26 am |
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Wow, what a day! I love that you share these treasured moments with us Juan. |
_________________
Stop typing in french, am seriously dissapointed....am just confused!!!
You will have my nuts in your hands as soon as i have the latrine in my hand & i will pay the goats to the lawyer
My dear with this only, it is clear you have contacted and communicated with Africa Fraudsters and even send funds to him. what a pity!
YOU ARE A WITCH. MAY YOU MENSURATE NON STOP TILL THE END OF YOUR LIFE
Team Hector:Lagos-Douala,Benin-Liberia,Senegal-Gambia-Mali-Chad, Egypt ,Awka w/ Shorty
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Bibian
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Scentless Apprentice
Elite Baiter
Joined: 26 Sep 2009
Posts: 1955
Location: North of the border - Boldly going nowhere.
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Posted:
Sat May 12, 2012 6:36 am |
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Juan Freizwidatt
Associate
Joined: 18 Apr 2004
Posts: 20834
Location: Hanging out at In-n-Out
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Posted:
Sat May 12, 2012 3:25 pm |
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Thanks for the link, I hadn't seen that report. It's always amazing when a time-capsule discovery like that turns up. I hope it can be salvaged intact. |
_________________ "SATAN WILL KILL YOU . BECAUSE YOU ARE A DAUGHTER OF MERMAID"
"HOW DOES IT SOUND TO YOU THAT ANOTHER PERSON IS DEALING WITH YOU AND ASK YOU TO CONTACT ANOTHER PERSON AND NOW YOU SAID THAT YOU WANT TO DEAL WITH THE OTHER PERSON WITHOUT THE KNOWING OF THE PERSON THAT ASK YOU TO CONTACT THE OTHER PERSON"
I apologize again that I will lick the dust from your sandals - Shorty
x4: Shorty
x 16:
US lad w/Capone: ( )
- ATL>DC>ATL>Vegas>Seattle>ATL>San Diego>LA>ATL>Seattle>ATL>WY>ATL>Aspen>ATL (21K+ miles, $11K+ expenses)
Shorty w/bohigal:
- Lagos>Abidjan
Random lads:
- Douala>Korup; Lagos>Cotonou>Parakou; Cotonou>Niger border; Cotonou>Pendjari>jail in Tanguietta; Asaba>Abuja; Accra>Tamale
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doc holliday
Squirrels Hate Me
Joined: 06 Feb 2008
Posts: 2477
Location: Behind the Oriental,taking potshots at hitlads.
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Posted:
Sat May 12, 2012 9:58 pm |
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Great stuff Juan!About 10 years ago I saw Nine-o-Nine come in for a landing at an airport,flying parts in for the Collings Foundations B24 which was painted the time as the famed Dragon and His Tail.Incredible how graceful these old birds can be.
Video footage of the crashed P-40
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=M9LsK74J_W0 |
_________________ Fuck off, and wait for your death, you fucking dog's eater, I will see this to the end, already, you are a fucking negativity to this world, go to hell after two puuuuuuuuuuuuuuu
Jack N0delay,hitlad
You have given me enough stress through the shit you sent to me
Jack the hitlad
What you sent to me is not real, don't you fucking understand simple english, that is not real slip from money gram, I have been using money gram before now, FUCK YOU. IDIOT. PLAY YOUR GAME WELL. MASTER OF ALL PLAYERS
Jack,the hitlad who keeps giving me fresh sig lines
x35 x2 |
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Juan Freizwidatt
Associate
Joined: 18 Apr 2004
Posts: 20834
Location: Hanging out at In-n-Out
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Posted:
Sun May 13, 2012 12:15 am |
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The B-24 I flew in was the Collings Foundation's plane, now fitted up as "Witchcraft." I got to see their Nine-O-Nine B-17 then. They're coming to town in a few weeks, I plan to go see them again. Maybe next year I'll go up in the Nine-O-Nine. Eventually I'd like to fly in every B-17 that is still operating but since the Nine-O-Nine is the last of the ones that comes out here, I'd have to travel to go see the ones that only operate from local bases. |
_________________ "SATAN WILL KILL YOU . BECAUSE YOU ARE A DAUGHTER OF MERMAID"
"HOW DOES IT SOUND TO YOU THAT ANOTHER PERSON IS DEALING WITH YOU AND ASK YOU TO CONTACT ANOTHER PERSON AND NOW YOU SAID THAT YOU WANT TO DEAL WITH THE OTHER PERSON WITHOUT THE KNOWING OF THE PERSON THAT ASK YOU TO CONTACT THE OTHER PERSON"
I apologize again that I will lick the dust from your sandals - Shorty
x4: Shorty
x 16:
US lad w/Capone: ( )
- ATL>DC>ATL>Vegas>Seattle>ATL>San Diego>LA>ATL>Seattle>ATL>WY>ATL>Aspen>ATL (21K+ miles, $11K+ expenses)
Shorty w/bohigal:
- Lagos>Abidjan
Random lads:
- Douala>Korup; Lagos>Cotonou>Parakou; Cotonou>Niger border; Cotonou>Pendjari>jail in Tanguietta; Asaba>Abuja; Accra>Tamale
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