Sunset flight in a B-17

Thanks for sharing this!

I have saved it for at least a few reads in the future, with your
permission..

Where is the hanky..

.....I would drop a lot more than a few hundred bucks for this ride!

Woudda grabbed a ride in "Crazy Horse" 3 weeks ago if they (all THREE
Mustangs) were not booked solid for 4 weeks, at $2900 US per ride!

Next trip I will plan better...

Dave


On Wed, 08 Mar 2006 14:02:50 -0500, Dave wrote:


Let me begin by saying that I'm one of those guys in Jay's recent
post...that stranger over there on "the wrong side of the fence".
I won't sue, OK? G

Over the past few years I've read posts by others about their
experiences in vintage aircraft and now it's my turn to share. My story
begins last Thursday; I was doing laundry and heard the unmistakable
sound of four big radials approaching. I was out the back door in a
flash shouting for my wife to come see, hurry... Maggie the dog joined
in the excitement thinking no doubt I'd spotted the biggest squirrel
ever. There overhead, rumbling sedately along at about 1000' was a
gorgeous B-17!

Kyle Boatright wrote:

If you'd like to look at an air-to-air picture of the Liberty Bell over Lake
Allatoona (Just north of Atlanta), do this link and you'll see the best one
I made at about 5:00 or so on Saturday. Probably the flight immediately
before yours.

http://www.vansairforce.net/

If you click on the picture, it'll expand to a screen filling size. If
you're *really* interested, send me a note outside the newsgroup and I'll
send you 3 or 4 of the best pic's. Note, the files are 3-4 mp...

KB


OMG, Kyle!

This is just too good! Thanks a mil, and *yes* I'm really interested.

I read your text, and get this...First, our flight was late Sunday.
Saturday I was at Red Top making charcoal (big fire, sealed 55 gal
drums, etc) to fuel our iron bloomery for the upcoming Hills of Iron
event. All day I watched Liberty pass by in the near distance and return
at fairly regular intervals. Eye and ear candy all day long.

Later in the afternoon (and I'm trying to remember this carefully)
Liberty was chugging along not far south of my position (about 1/4-3/8
mile SE of Bethany Bridge), headed back to McCollum apparently,
northwest of Acworth and I heard a second, smaller plane behind her and
closer to my position. I looked and saw the smaller plane approaching
her quickly from behind and thought how cool to be a ga pilot and spot
that baby on a Saturday cruise. The smaller plane approached from the
NW say, and swung behind her and to my memory made a *tight* right turn.
One of them thar Acarobatic airyplanes, I thought to myself. I may have
watched a bit longer, I'm not sure. Wish I could remember more...

Hm! Betcha that was you! Way too cool!

FIL will love the pic!

~Dave

JJS wrote:

BTW what & where is: ABPA? I want to see the pics.

Alt.binaries.pictures.aviation, another usenet group.

See Jay's response, however.

~Dave

Jay Honeck wrote:

If you pick your favorite dozen or so,
send 'em to me via email (like, maybe, two at a time?), and I'll create a
webpage for them. They're too good to just evaporate into the ether!



You're too kind, Jay. Thanks!

~Dave

I could kick my self for missing my free B-17 ride in the Aluminum
Overcast years ago because our chapter also sponsored it. I had been off
three days already and thougth I needed to get back to work. Boy did I
make the most stupid decision of my life that day. The others that went
had a wonderful time. This would have been a once in a life time
experience. I will have to buy the next ride. A B-25 ride is also desired.

Ross

Morgans wrote:

"Dave" wrote


I'd like to thank:
The crew and members of The Liberty Belle Foundation. Very


The Men that actually flew these planes in war. THANKS


I second your motion! Also, great writing!

I'm a member of the free B-17 ride, too. I got mine for working the crowd
at the EAA's Overcast Aluminum tour, a few years back. They take some of
the workers with them, to the next stop on the tour, where one of our
drivers went and picked us up. It was about a 45 minute flight, I guess.

I was also blown away, and will never forget it. It seems like it was only
yesterday.

You can stand up with one foot on each seat, and stick your whole torso out
of the top hatch. Backwards works better; you can breathe, that way! g I
got a fantastic picture looking out past the tail, with the ground below.
To top it all off, a little added bonus was the fact that the anti collision
strobe blinked while the shutter clicked. It is probably one of the best
pictures I have ever taken.

The whole thing was quite a rush, but one could not help but stop to think
about all of the brave young men that fought and died on one of those
planes. There certainly is no protection against flying steel and lead, and
they knew it. Intestinal fortitude was not lacking, for all of them, or
they could never have gotten up in the morning to fly that next mission.

My Salute. We owe more than words can express!

Jay

I know that the Collings Foundation has a package on their website
regarding hosting a tour spot. I am working a joint local EAA event with
them in Houston the first of April, and have the B17, B24 AND B25 coming
to visit.

Perhaps you can ralley the same folks who were involved in the
recent political wranglings, and seek to try and get the bombers to come
to Iowa City next year. Much of their market appears to be veterans, and
much of their flying is in California and Florida, but they cover the
midsection of the US in transit between those populations.

If you are instrumental in getting it there (as in coordinating it) you
have a good chance of getting a ride in it to the next stop, not just
having a 30-40 min revenue ride. Check out the website and package for
details, and perhaps you can make it happen for next year.. have Alexis
Park and some other local businesses sponsor it. May even give you some
suite naming ideas.

http://www.collingsfoundation.org/menu.htm

Dave

"Dave" wrote in message
...


Kyle Boatright wrote:

If you'd like to look at an air-to-air picture of the Liberty Bell over
Lake
Allatoona (Just north of Atlanta), do this link and you'll see the best
one
I made at about 5:00 or so on Saturday. Probably the flight immediately
before yours.

http://www.vansairforce.net/

If you click on the picture, it'll expand to a screen filling size. If
you're *really* interested, send me a note outside the newsgroup and I'll
send you 3 or 4 of the best pic's. Note, the files are 3-4 mp...

KB


OMG, Kyle!

This is just too good! Thanks a mil, and *yes* I'm really interested.

I read your text, and get this...First, our flight was late Sunday.
Saturday I was at Red Top making charcoal (big fire, sealed 55 gal
drums, etc) to fuel our iron bloomery for the upcoming Hills of Iron
event. All day I watched Liberty pass by in the near distance and return
at fairly regular intervals. Eye and ear candy all day long.

Later in the afternoon (and I'm trying to remember this carefully)
Liberty was chugging along not far south of my position (about 1/4-3/8
mile SE of Bethany Bridge), headed back to McCollum apparently,
northwest of Acworth and I heard a second, smaller plane behind her and
closer to my position. I looked and saw the smaller plane approaching
her quickly from behind and thought how cool to be a ga pilot and spot
that baby on a Saturday cruise. The smaller plane approached from the
NW say, and swung behind her and to my memory made a *tight* right turn.
One of them thar Acarobatic airyplanes, I thought to myself. I may have
watched a bit longer, I'm not sure. Wish I could remember more...

Hm! Betcha that was you! Way too cool!

FIL will love the pic!

~Dave

Yep, that was me. Seems like this internet thing has reduced the "7 degrees
of separation" in life to about 2.5 degrees of separation.

KB

("gatt" wrote)
It kills me that some fatass volunteer just glazes over and looks at me
when I ask if they've put the site together in the ball turret, etc.


"Hey!"


Montblack
Fatass volunteer :-)
http://www.goldenwingsmuseum.com/Aircraft.html
....and Aluminum Overcast visit.
....and Collings Foundation visit.
....and National Air Tour visit
....and Aviation Days Open House/Fly-In
....and Linbergh Foundation event
....and etc, etc, etc volunteering.

Again, "Hey!" g

"Hey!"

In case you missed them, here are the pix from Dave's flight:

http://www.alexisparkinn.com/b-17_liberty_belle.htm
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"