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Saturday, July 14, 2007

Flying on history

I've written a number of times that I'm a member of the 8th Air Force Historical Society, the guys who flew in WWII. This weekend we've brought in three of the surviving WWII bombers (owned by The Collings Foundation ) to Holman Field in St. Paul. Yesterday after they flew in the pilots let me do some minor work on the B-17. At the end of the day, the Chief Pilot Rob Collings put me on the last flight of the day on the B-17. It's my second time flying on the Flying Fortress. I took pictures of my second time flying history.

The B-17 nose canopy with the chin turret and cheek guns

















Throttles and flaps



















The Norden bomb sight



















The bomb bay
















"Flying the ball"- the ball turret or belly turret.




































The B-24 , nose on. There were more B-24's produced than B-17's. The B-17 received the bulk of the publicity as it preceded the B-24 as America's first four engine heavy bomber. However, the B-24 flew faster and carried a heavier bomb load. Collings B-24 is the only fully operational B-24 flying.
Any how, come out to Holman Field Sunday and Monday. Walk around and see the planes. Talk to the men who flew them in combat. And for the ultimate, take a ride in history ($425 for a half hour flight). $10 and you can go through all three planes (The B-17 Flying Fortress. B-24 Liberator and B-25 Mitchell). You'll be at about 1,500 feet and in a shirt sleeve environment; not 25,000 feet and -50 degrees, breathing through an oxygen mask and wearing a flak helmet and a flask vest... and, of course no one will be trying to kill you.
So, come on out. It is certainly worth the trip. And time very well spent.

1 Comments:

Anonymous said...

wonderful plane! I'm doing research about the female pilots of WWII, both Russian and American. There are now two films in preprduction about the 'Night Witches'.
However, I am a Progressive...a Liberal.
Why do you want to crush me?
Please explain at the address below. Your website seems thoughtful and well-written. I cannot believe that a man who writes like this would espouse such tactics as "crushing".
tristanshout@gmail.com

2:23 AM  

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