WW 2 Wings of Freedom Tour

[Sooner or later]

The Collings Foundation is stwrting its annual tour. B17,, B24, B25, and P51 two seat trainer.

You can walk through the bombers and take flights on all four. I have been in the B17 and B24 fligts. Flight time is about 30 minutes and you can walk through the planes during flight. You can get to the tail gunner in the 24 but not the 17 The 17 has an open top hatch that you can stick your head out of during flight. Sitting up front surrounded by glass gives a special view. The sides are open on both.

The flights are spectacular. All original radios and bomb sights. Swiveling 50 cals out of the side windows. 75 year old seat belts. The insides are tiny. You climb up, over, and through compartments while in flight.

Ain't cheap but well worth the experience and memory. 400 to 450 for the bombers. 2500 or so for the P51 with aero included. I think you get some tax deduction since they are a non profit.

15 bucks or so to get ground access to all.

They are just getting ready to start the tour. Jan 18 in Ft. Lauderdale and then a bunch of stops in Florida and then around the US.






https://www.collingsfoundation.org/events/category/wings-of-freedom-tour/

[gshase]

There is a distinct aroma to old airplanes that I have grown fond of. Thanks

[herr_oberst]

Originally Posted by gshase

There is a distinct aroma to old airplanes that I have grown fond of. Thanks

[Skytrooper]

Spent a lot of time in hueys, definitely a distinct smell to them.

[john70t]

Dad's uncle flew one and buried in Arlington. I took dad (and um myself) up for his 70th bday. What an experience.

[Sooner or later]

Originally Posted by afterburn 549

Sorry-------truly.
We lost a lot of em over there...I don't have the balls to go to the wall and read em.
I could tell ya many accounts ..there was no EZ run, some were just more EZ then others.
and sorry I derailed this thread.
Back to regularly scheduled programming

You are cool.

There will be added dates to the schedule. OKC, Tulsa, or Lawton gets stops about every otherr year. They skipped us last year.

Also, the B24 is the last flying B24 in existence. Ride it while you can. It is worth seeing them just to hear them fire. Esp the P51.

[Sooner or later]

Originally Posted by afterburn 549

I have read some on the WW2 bomber runs .
Those guys had gonads.
HS !
And-Every Run was death run, not just a "ash and trash" run.

They had huge ones. Odds were you wouldn't make it to the end of your tour. Below freezing. Noisy as hell. Cramped spaces. Pure hell.

[Sooner or later]

My Dad was a B17 pilot. Was certified just before the war ended so he never flew. Pops was dead when I took my first fligh (t B17) or I would have taken him along.

So instead of him I took my girlfriend. She hates to fly so I nearly had to threaten bodily harm to get her on board. When they gave us the unbuckle sign she was up and into the front bombardier seat. She was in awe.

[Sooner or later]

Promo video for the B17 flight.


https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_BNUJfbr3z8

[Youtube]_BNUJfbr3z8[/youtube]

[Zeke]

Cool! They will be in the OC May 8-12 and admission includes the Lyon Air Museum which is on my bucket list.

[Scott Douglas]

I saw that too, Zeke.
No way will I go up in one (I don't want to have to clean up the mess I'd make) but I'll try to go to take some photos if I'm in town.

[Baz]

Thanks for the thread and info, guys.

There's a place here that restores vintage war craft and they have open houses every year with donations to the local animal shelters.

A great vibe and some truly impressive restoration work.

BTW.... if you get a chance, this PBS special by NOVA is really good:

[Baz]

Here's the place here in town...check out their website if you are interested:

American Aero Services index page

There's a museum too with a lot of cool stuff.....

[Sooner or later]

Adding to the fighter thread.

OKC has been added to the schedule. March 22-24 at Wiley Post Field.

P51 two seat trainer
B17
B24
B25


https://www.collingsfoundation.org/events/category/wings-of-freedom-tour/map/

[pwd72s]

Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress 42-38093. 367th Bombardment Squadron, 306th Bombardment Group, 8th Air Force, US Army Air Force, based at Thurleigh Bedfordshire.
Pilot Lt Gordon L Donkin.

On the 12th September 1944 the 306th BG took part in a raid on the Ruhland oil refineries south of Berlin, part of a concentrated effort by the USAAF to destroy German fuel supplies.
367th BS sent nine aircraft, with Lt Donkin's 42-38093 as the lead aircraft of the lower group. North of Berlin the group came under heavy flak and fighter attack, 367 squadron losing four aircraft to fighters and 42-38093 badly shot up. In 42-38093 the tail gunner was killed, the radio operator and top turret gunner wounded and one of the engines shot up. The aircraft continued to the target and on the return flight came under renewed fighter attack with another engine and the intercom put out of action.

Escorted part of the way by P-51 Mustangs 42-38093, now with just a single engine, crossed the English Channel rapidly loosing height. As soon as the English coast was crossed Donkin ordered the crew to bail out but only four had time to do so. On the final approach to Manston the last engine quit and the aircraft crash landed on a smooth area, crossed a ditch and knocked down a search light tower before coming to a halt, then catching fire, the bombardier being killed in the crash.

The crew.

Lt Gordon L Donkin: pilot. Injured in crash.
Captain Donald C MacDonald: Co-pilot. Injured in crash.
2nd Lt Gerald A Weiler: Navigator. Injured in crash.
Technical Sgt Clarence B Tuers: Flight engineer/top turret gunner. Wounded in action.
T Sgt Willard M Colvin: Radio operator. Wia.
Staff Sgt Norman Morrow: Ball turret gunner. Injured in jump.
Sgt Lawrence G Joslin: Waist gunner.
Capt Arthur S Hostettler: Bombardier. Killed in crash.
S Sgt Jack B Eppler: Tail gunner. Killed in action.

7 crew returned to duty.

[Sooner or later]

This Sunday I am scheduled to fly on the Commemorative Air Force Fifi B29 and a 40 minute ride on a T6 Texan trainer. Flying out of Duncan, Oklahoma Haliburton airport.

I have already been on the Collings Foundation Nine O Nine B17 that crashed and burned and their Witchcraft B24.

Love these flights. I still need to get the B25 and P51 sometime in the future.

[drcoastline]

They were in Cape May, NJ this past weekend.

[Eric 951]

Had the opportunity to fly on B-17 'Aluminum Overcast" and it was so worth it.

[Robert Coats]

Originally Posted by Eric 951

Had the opportunity to fly on B-17 'Aluminum Overcast" and it was so worth it.

I got a ride on it @ Oshkosh/EAA a few years back. My company was a sponsor at the show, and a ride on the B-17 was a much coveted perk. Amazing, and the smells and environment oozed with history.

[Sooner or later]

They canceled my B29 flight due to a "chip" problem. Honest, that is what they told me. Chip shortages are everywhere! Lol

They have a metal detector in the oiling system and it was showing a concentration of metal particles in the oiling system. They were still going to fly it home but didn't want to risk passenger service.

The T6 flight was terrific. Pilot was a retired F15 pilot from NY state. Flight time was nearly 40 minutes. We did maneuvers up to about 3 g. He leaned it over to about 80 degrees and made a couple of "strafing" runs. We did multiple Lazy 8's where we would climb and roll off to the right and start down at near zero g. At the bottom he would pull it up and back left which would pin me to the seat. He would string several together, enough that I had sweat rolling down this old fukers face.

We chatted back and forth the entire flight. He said the plane reminded him of a Harley. Low rpm thumper. Red line was 2,750 rpm. I took control for a couple of minutes and didn't manage to crash the thing. We were going to hook up with the B24 during it's flight but it was late taking off and we missed it by about 5 minutes. Dammit.

Here is the actual plane.