B-17 Flying Fortress @ Local Airport
07-11-2008, 09:15 PM
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B-17 Flying Fortress @ Local Airport This B-17G Flying Fortress is in town for the next two days at KCMI (University of Illinois-Willard Airport). Free tours for Military so my roomy and I took them up on it (would have done it even if it wasn't free). Awesome piece of history. This particular aircraft is owned and operated by EAA (Experimental Aircraft Association) that is famous for having their annual fly in at Oshkosh, WI every year.
Make believe is fun...
Me with one of the Universities PA-28 Piper Seminole's (Note the bomber in the background).
I think it is really important to keep these types of airplanes alive and flying. So future generations can learn. I honestly imagined the forward gunners compartment would have been bigger, but never really realized until climbing in there how damn small it is.
How does this relate to us today? Well the Navy recently decided to destroy a lot of F-14's at Davis Monthan AFB, deciding not to keep any in flying condition for historical purposes. I think this is pretty tragic, since the F-14 is a pretty large icon of the Cold War. Hell, even the USAF keeps F-4's flying, and I can only hope they will keep F-15s and F-16s around after their retirement.
Make believe is fun...
Me with one of the Universities PA-28 Piper Seminole's (Note the bomber in the background).
I think it is really important to keep these types of airplanes alive and flying. So future generations can learn. I honestly imagined the forward gunners compartment would have been bigger, but never really realized until climbing in there how damn small it is.
How does this relate to us today? Well the Navy recently decided to destroy a lot of F-14's at Davis Monthan AFB, deciding not to keep any in flying condition for historical purposes. I think this is pretty tragic, since the F-14 is a pretty large icon of the Cold War. Hell, even the USAF keeps F-4's flying, and I can only hope they will keep F-15s and F-16s around after their retirement.
07-14-2008, 07:29 PM
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That is awesome, and I agree I hope to see these badboys flying too. I love B-17s. I have a soft spot for em though, my grandfather was a radio operator on them during WWII. We have some really cool pics actual bombing missions over Germany that he took.
I hear ya on the F-14's too, also love that plane. Im here at DM so I've seen a lot of cool aircraft they have in the boneyard. Every now and then I see a F4 fly over...pretty sick. I crewed B1's for nearly 8 years so I have a pretty strong love for cool aircraft.
I hear ya on the F-14's too, also love that plane. Im here at DM so I've seen a lot of cool aircraft they have in the boneyard. Every now and then I see a F4 fly over...pretty sick. I crewed B1's for nearly 8 years so I have a pretty strong love for cool aircraft.
07-29-2008, 05:01 PM
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That's cool... There was a different B-17 and a B-24, B-25, and P-51 all at our local airport in Blaine, MN a few weeks ago that my GF and I checked out. It was really cool to check them out. We could have gotten the free tours, both of us being OIF Vets, but we figured we would pay to help keep them flying. I always wanted to see one in person since I was little and never really got close to one until now. It is amazing how small some of the guys had to have been to be able to operate those plans...
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07-29-2008, 05:42 PM
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Thats awesome, The B-17 is one badass aircraft....the WW2 period of aviation and military weapons was so awesome. Not as advanced as today but very deadly.
