B-17 Cockpit 360

[Solitaire]

www.stclairphoto-imaging.com/360/aircraft/B17_Memphis-Belle/B17_swf.html

[19000rpm]

Really neat. A B17 from the Collings Foundation flies over my area quite often in the Summer. Every time that happens it's a thrill that's hard to describe. One day, I hope to take a ride in it.

www.collingsfoundation.org/cf_flightexperiences.htm

[Solitaire]

I'd give my right one to go for a spin in a B-17. All four radials just-a-growling...

[19000rpm]

It's $425 pp. You me and 4 other guys.

[Solitaire]

I'd do it in a second, but it looks like you have to go to TX, AZ or CA to hitch a ride.

[19000rpm]

They fly out of here too. Just depends on where the group is you get together. I know a guy in town who took his dad and brother on it a few years back. Said it was an experience of a life time. And, I've seen it fly over at least 3 times each summer so somebody is still popping for group flights here.

[Dave]

I work with a guy that was a flight engineer on one during WWII. Yeah you heard me right, 90 years old and he still works, every day 5 days a week.

These guys, The Collins Foundation, fly into our area at least once a year and every time they do Jep, that's the ninety year old, and I go over and hang out with them until they shut it down for the night. Most of the time they are here for around three days.

Jep has been up with them just about every time they come in, no charge. They tell him it is their way of saying thanks for what he did, pretty cool

[19000rpm]

That is beyond cool Dave.

My son inlaw's grand dad was a crew chief on 17's in England. He'd lost some of his documentaion and his son, his grandson and I were able to track it down through the Pima Air Museum in Tucson a few years back. He would have given anything to take a ride in the Collin's 17. Unfortunately he passed last year.

There's a guy at the church school I fly at and he's also a 17 pilot that went on to have a full career as an airline pilot and retired in the early 80's. He has an easle presentation of his entire flying career with some really neat pictures.

Listening to these old guys tell their stories is really neat and increasingly rare. The greatest generation for sure.