Isn't it frustrating when you go through older images and you imagine what it would have been like if you had the gear you have now, or are getting soon. The eternal quest.
I'll add to the rainbows, taken on Iceland's south coast along with a DC-3 fixer upper on a nearby beach & a Rhode Island Air National Guard C-130J landing at Quonset Point RI.
viczig wrote:
I'll add to the rainbows, taken on Iceland's south coast along with a DC-3 fixer upper on a nearby beach & a Rhode Island Air National Guard C-130J landing at Quonset Point RI.
JWilsonphoto wrote:
A B-17 that is no more....................
Jim, what was your take on the NTSB preliminary crash findings? Reading it as a non-pilot it struck me as pretty damning, and makes you wonder what else goes on (or doesn't) when apparently reputable organizations fly these planes and sell rides.
I had been inside 909 years ago, and before this I could easily see myself paying for one of these flights someday. Not so sure now.
I didn't realize Collings owned a second B-17 that they bought in 2015 (Shady Lady, a bare aluminum B-17G). But last I saw FAA would not renew Collings' passenger exemption for any of their planes.
I know how cautious you are before you board a B-25....
Damning indeed, that preliminary report was a plaintiff lawyer's dream. Truthfully, as much as we all love those old pieces of history, I'm surprised this didn't happen a long time ago. Even taking the FAA's fervent desire to curtail vintage ride programs into consideration, the conclusions were very convicting.
Re: the B25's, I quit using "The Pacific Prowler" because one of the crew cautioned me that there were serious mechanical issues that weren't being attended to. Our last flight I noticed a perfect O Ring of smoke on my right side every few seconds so I asked about it, that was the tip of the iceberg and the $$$ weren't there to address any of it.
Good morning Jim. I remember on June 6, 2015 (70th anniversary of D-Day) I went to Washington DC for the Arsenal of Democracy flyover featuring hundreds of different types of WWII war birds. Quite a few of them developed mechanical problems when they were over Washington and had to make emergency landing at the Reagan National Airport. For the age of these planes, I am amazed they can still fly.
Around 1985 our unit had a requirement to demonstrate we could quickly relocate a detachment to fly and fight from a remote base to demonstrate an ability to continue operations during a nuclear attack. One of our first exercises was to fly down to Harlingen, Tx airport, home base, at the time, for the CAF. Since we were in uniform, we had free run of their hangars and displays (and officers club). After we launched our F-4s, we would go talk to the guys working on the CAF birds in the hangar. I talked to an instrument guy who was installing the avionics gear in the Zero the CAF had recently acquired. We also talked to guys working on various aircraft and would give them a hand if they needed help. Most of them were over 65 years of age. After our first rambling through the hangar, a few of us were talking about what the mechanics told us. They said the one thing they couldn't keep in stock was safety wire. Well, as aircraft mechanics, we knew the importance of safety wife. Our jets were cycled from Ellington so they could send new aircrew for the exercise. We sent word back to Ellington we needed all three sizes of safety wire and we told them what it was for. I guess you could say it was payback to the CAF for them allowing us to use their facilities and parking area. We called the mechanics over to present the gift and they had to hold back the tears. Most of us, at that time decided we would never fly in a CAF bird. If they had a hard time keeping safety wire in their bench stock, what else was missing. They were very nice to us. (Oh, I got a free ride in the back seat of an F-4 prior to the exercise. They sent me down with a pilot to scope out the location. The Harlingen departure was south with a vertical climb at the end of the runway, he pulled back on the stick to to head north inverted over the same runway, then we rolled to straight and level.)
JWilsonphoto wrote:
Re: the B25's, I quit using "The Pacific Prowler" because one of the crew cautioned me that there were serious mechanical issues that weren't being attended to. Our last flight I noticed a perfect O Ring of smoke on my right side every few seconds so I asked about it, that was the tip of the iceberg and the $$$ weren't there to address any of it.
Yes, I seem to recall you telling us about something else minor, like wing root corrosion.
"Pacific Prowler" is now "God and Country" .... Scott Glover has taken very good care and she's in fantastic shape now.
The CAF was quite the shoestring operation back in the day, it shows in their safety record.
They have made tremendous headway and their airplanes seem to be very well maintained now.
The preliminary news from the FAA on the Collings Foundation is a very hard pill to swallow. I know many of their crew personally, they are very proud of their and conscientious about what they do and who they are flying.
The whole thing worries me.
You're right Zane, The Prowler and the C47 that still resides at Meacham were not under the CAF umbrella, they were their own shoestring operation. "God and Country" is exactly where it should be, getting the care it deserves.
A couple of years ago, I took a ride on a B25 that shall remain nameless. Now, mine was the first flight of the day, so we might cut them a LITTLE slack, but.... There was about 30 minutes of trying to get #2 to start followed by removing panels, fiddling, and trying to get it fired up again, and again, and again. It finally caught after generating a smoke cloud that probably still hangs over the field. With some thoughts of walking away, I boarded and took my seat behind the pilot. The engine finally smoothed out and we were off (maybe in more ways than one). The flight was uneventful, but that was my first and last B25 ride.
I am not sure who was flying Betty Jane that day at McKinney. They were there for two or three days and generated a lot of interest. I'm sure those guys were dedicated to keeping those aircraft in as good a shape was possible, given their age, parts availability and the massive task of keeping something like that flying, the odds of something untoward happening have to go up. Honestly, in all the hours I've worked with B25's as photo platforms, I was more surprised when something didn't break than when something did. The tenacity of the crews on those aircraft never ceases to amaze me, hot, oily, heavy and unwieldy, they are all too happy to jump in and try to fix whatever the latest hiccup might be.
One year we flew the B25 to "Last Time" and then on to Oshkosh, on the flight home we landed in Moberly Missouri for fuel. Everyone was hot and tired after two events back to back. We topped off, cranked up, and Gunny noticed something that he didn't like so we taxied back in and the guys began troubleshooting. Turns out an exhaust stack cracked off at some point and when he opened the cowl flaps taxiing in at Moberly the broken shard of stick fell out on the runway.I got on the phone and between Gunny, the guys at Meacham and a great friend with a King Air a replacement stack arrived around 8:30 that evening. Th crew set in to make the repair. That was a rare moment when I had just about all the B25 time I could handle so I jumped ship and went home on the Beechcraft.
Those airplanes broke all the time when they were brand new and here we are 80+ years later. Doesn't mean they are loved any less, age is just a cold hard fact.
A couple of years ago, I took a ride on a B25 that shall remain nameless. Now, mine was the first flight of the day, so we might cut them a LITTLE slack, but.... There was about 30 minutes of trying to get #2 to start followed by removing panels, fiddling, and trying to get it fired up again, and again, and again. It finally caught after generating a smoke cloud that probably still hangs over the field. With some thoughts of walking away, I boarded and took my seat behind the pilot. The engine finally smoothed out and we were off (maybe in more ways than one). The flight was uneventful, but that was my first and last B25 ride....Show more →
Your experience is pretty much the norm Jerry. Glad you got your ride, they are amazing pieces of history.
