B-17 Flyover

[Rboski 114]

So I was outside working on my parents house when I heard a rumble in the sky. Looked over to my left and this is what I saw.  (turn the sound up and listen to the engines rumble wish the video did it any justice. pretty damn cool)

 

 

There was a small "wheels and Wings" show at the local airport.  (BVY for anyone interested)  The main attractions were two bombers, a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress “Nine O Nine†WWII Heavy Bomber and a Consolidated B-24J Liberator “Witchcraft†WWII Heavy Bomber. There was also a P-51C Mustang.  Just got a glimpse from a distance.

 

[AMC RULES 36,941]

Hey, like deja vous...

I remember a flying fortress doing a fly over the day we moved into the new house.

You don't forget 'em when they're in your neighborhood.    

[Rboski 114]

Too funny!  That's pretty cool. Definitely not something you forget.  I'll try and get some more pictures and better video tomorrow. 

[timo4352 147]

I'll see these monsters come flying over the small lake where I go sailing. Sometimes single, and sometimes two at a time. They are really low going over. There is some military training base nearby. They really rumble - I think it shakes the water! Fly so low you think they are gonna land right there. Pretty impressive. Gives you goosebumps. No pics, sorry.

[Rboski 114]

Picturing them flying over your lake reminds me of a story my Dad and Uncle would tell.  As I remember it they were pretty young and in a small boat just off the coast fishing with a couple of friends.  The saw one of these big bombers flying over head pretty low so they all started to make machine guns out of their fishing poles, oars, arms and whatever they had in the boat.  The plane was low enough to see them and the pilot had a sense of humor so he made a wide loop and then came back around.  This time he was brushing the tree tops.  He snuck up on them good.  They didn't hear him or see him until he cleared the coastline and when they did they were jumping out of the boat to get out of the way.

 

I'm sure the story has been embellished a bit over the years but I bet that's exactly how they remember it.  They can't tell the story without busting up laughing.     

Edited September 22, 2013 by Rboski

[Lane Ranger 10,472]

Just imagine how much fuel that thing is sucking up to fly around !  A very expensive ride but beautiful to see and hear!  Thanks for posting the photos you took!

[redidbull 54]

My Son and I went to the local airport when the Liberty Belle came in a few years back. He took this vid.A few years later it was destroyed in a crash. I love the WW2 planes. My Dad worked at Chance-Vought where they made the Corsair in town and worked on them in the Navy. Jim

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsfXmAt7nOM

Edited September 22, 2013 by redidbull

[Rboski 114]

Jim, I just found a video of the crash. Doesn't look like there was much left after it burned.  That's a real shame.  Glad you two got a chance to see it.  These big boys always put a smile on my face.  I had an opportunity to sit in the cockpit of the "Spruce Goose" when I lived out in Oregon.  I'm smiling now just thinking about that thing. It's massive.  

 

It's pretty cloudy here today, I'm not sure there will be any more photo ops but I'll post them later if I get anything.

[varosd 1,185]

I saw the same B-17 and B-24 down at Ft Bragg some years ago and last year they were here in the Harrisburg, PA area.  I think you can pay and fly around as a passenger.

[papaglide 541]

Awesome vid. Those wright cyclones sound awesome. Just imagine a couple dozen of them doing a fly over! Beautiful plane! Thanks for sharing.

[Rboski 114]

They are part of the Wings of Freedom Tour.  http://www.collingsfoundation.org/menu.htm  There's a schedule on their website.  $425 a head for a 30 minute flight. 

 

Under the right circumstances, a dozen of those over head would be pretty cool.

 

 

Here are the rest of the dates. Looks like mostly East Coast for the remainder of the year.  

 

9/23 - 9/25 Plymouth, MA (B-17, B-24 & P-51)

  Airport: Plymouth Municipal

  Location: Main Terminal Ramp

-

9/25 - 9/27 Hyannis, MA (B-17, B-24 & P-51)

  Airport: Barnstable Municipal Airport

  Location: East Ramp

-

9/27 - 9/29 Quonset, RI (B-17, B-24 & P-51)

  Airport: Quonset State Airport

  Location: Ramp near old control tower

-

9/30 - 10/2 Bridgeport, CT (B-17, B-24, & P-51 )

  Airport: Igor I Sikorsky Memorial Airport

  Location: Three Wing Aviation

-

October

10/2 - 10/6 White Plains, NY (B-17, B-24 & P-51)

  Airport: Westchester County Airport

  Location: Million Air

 

  Upcoming Tour Stops

10/11 - 10/13 Westminster, MD (B-17, B-24, & P-51)

  Airport: Carroll County Regional Airport

  Location: Skytech Inc.

-

11/1 - 11/3 Perry, GA (B-17, B-24 & P-51)

  Airport: Perry-Houston County Airport

  Location: General Aviation Ramp

[redidbull 54]

Excellent I see they will be here on 9-29 to 10-2. Maybe I can get some more vid. Jim

[Rboski 114]

So, the weather improved so I headed up to the airport to see if I could catch them in action today.  Got some pretty good videos and pictures.  Here's a taste.  Some of them are too big for photobucket.  I'll get them up later.  For now enjoy these.  B-17. B-24 and the P-51.

 

Video Clips:

B-17

 

B-24

 

P-51

 

 

Pictures:

 

 

[MalMac 1,328]

Beautiful pictures of the tools for Freedom. Always love the "War Birds" thanks for sharing.

[redidbull 54]

Beautiful pictures! Thanks for sharing. Jim

[Rboski 114]

How about that P-51 flyby!  I lost it for a second there, was trying to watch it for real and not through the camera, but I think I captured it pretty good.  Sounded so cool.  The P-51 did one more flyby that I didn't record.  I was heading out and wasn't sure if the P-51 was coming back or it it had left for the next destination.. So I fired up this app I have on my phone called LiveATC, it lets you listen in to the tower communication.  Just as I connected to the tower I heard the mustang getting cleared for a low pass.  So I swung around and into this parking lot on a hill over looking the runway and managed to catch him doing his high speed low pass. Way cool. That thing isn't going to be sneaking up on anyone.  The flyby is at the end of the P-51 video, starts around the 2:00 mark.  I have a couple more longer videos I need to get up on youtube. Check back later.

[Rboski 114]

Ok here's one of them.  B-24 taking off, making a wide turn and flying over head....

 

http://youtu.be/GKjMRH6JbYo

[Uncle Buck 246]

That is always good stuff, the WWII birds were all just so classic, their lines, the way they sounded, the history behind them. How can you not love them if for no other reason than the history behind them! My uncle piloted a B-17 with the 8th Air Force. I did not know it until recently but supposedly he was checked out to fly not only the Fortress, but the B-24 and the B-29 as well? That surprised me as I would have just figured they would only have been cleared to fly one type of plane and not multiple types.

 

BTW: I do not know if this is true or not, but according to my dad (85 yo) he says that the B-17's in operation today do not sound as those during the war because the engines in those remaining are not the same as what they originally had. As I said, I am no expert and for all I know pop is wrong, but for what it's worth that is what my old man says.

Edited September 25, 2013 by Uncle Buck