Another aviation thrill

[Rocky]

These pics were taken in upstate New York at a WWII flying museum about 18 years ago.
This was the first time I had ever seen a B-17. This one was in full flying condition and I was allowed to go inside and sit in the cockpit. As I sat there a shudder came over me as I thought about all the young men who lived and died in these planes. I'm a bit of a WWII historian and know a bit about the horrors of the air war over Europe.
Anyway, I was unsupervised and spent some time looking the plane over and seeing how well and authentically it had been restored. I also couldn't get over how small it is in there and how difficult it must have been to get out if the plane was going down.
On another visit a couple of years later they were running the engines up, but not flying that day. Just hearing those engines run and rev up gave me shivers. What a fantastic sound!!!

 

[CarlS]

Rocky, when I was in my mid teens, three B-17's were used for fire ant eradication. I used to watch them drop their pesticide at low levels all over the rural areas and woods. They were based at what is now the Orlando Executive Airport.

A ten year old boy sneaked into the airport one night and fired one of them up. He started taxing and the only thing that stopped him form taking off was that the controls were locked.

 

[otherwise]

Sobering!

 

[Rocky]

Back when I was in my teens the RCAF used WWII Lancaster bombers for coastal patrol and we saw them in the sky almost every day.
Today, there are only two flying Lancasters in the world (England and Canada), but still quite a few B-17's.
Flying and maintaining planes like that today is super expensive so they aren't in the air a lot.
Our Lancaster is based in Hamilton, Ontario and I have visited the museum many times. I saw it flying once and the sound of four Merlin engines on takeoff is such a thrill.
A few years ago an Arabian oil prince came over and wanted a flight in the lancaster. It cost him mucho grande bucks, but money was nothing to him and he got his flight.
Great story about the kid and the B-17.

 

[otherwise]

A ten year old boy sneaked into the airport one night and fired one of them up. He started taxing and the only thing that stopped him form taking off was that the controls were locked.

Small world, I remember reading about that in our local paper all those years ago. I recall one of the lads was called Carlyle and he was given the option of being locked up for 5 years or join the army. I often wondered whatever happened to him.

 

[Rocky]

He's probably a retired 4-star Air Force general now

 

[otherwise]

He's probably a retired 4-star Air Force general now

Or an aging motorcycle hooligan retired in Florida.

 

[CarlS]

Small world, I remember reading about that in our local paper all those years ago. I recall one of the lads was called Carlyle and he was given the option of being locked up for 5 years or join the army. I often wondered whatever happened to him.

:y24: :y24:

 

[Rocky]

Or an aging motorcycle hooligan retired in Florida.

That too

 

[nbsdave]

Rocky, when I was in my mid teens, three B-17's were used for fire ant eradication. I used to watch them drop their pesticide at low levels all over the rural areas and woods. They were based at what is now the Orlando Executive Airport.

A ten year old boy sneaked into the airport one night and fired one of them up. He started taxing and the only thing that stopped him form taking off was that the controls were locked.

Collier County, Florida hired a contractor for mosquito control and these were used.
A wake up call at 7:00 am when they flew over at 500' or less!

 

[CarlS]

Lee and Collier counties were using DC3's for mosquito control when I lived in the Ft Myers area in the '70's. They would certainly wake you up in the morning as they flew over at low levels!