Anyone else notice the B-17 flying around?

[basstracker89]

I saw this very same B17 in Macon at the Herbert Smart airport back in the 1990s. There was a lady from Great Britain who was a little girl during WWII, and she said she would be awakened in the early mornings by the crew chief's warming up the engines on the bombers at the airfield. She told how her "mum" would get her up so they could say prayers for the young lads going out that day.

All you had to do was complete 25 bombing missions to rotate home. It took until 1943 for anyone to do that. The airplane that did it was the Memphis Belle. She's been fully restored and resides at Wright Paterson museum in Dayton, Ohio.

Good story

 

[Jambo]

Good story

Remember the stats from early in the war: When you climbed into a B-17 for a mission you had a 1 in 3 chance of not coming back. Every single mission.

During the Italian campaign one B-25 bomber went out for an afternoon raid and got so shot up the pilot had to ditch in the Mediterranean. The crew survived and was picked up by a submarine and ferried back to their base on Corsica. The flight surgeon checked them out and approved them to fly again, and they went out for another bombing mission THE NEXT MORNING.

 

[unheard]

My Mom got my Dad a ride on one for his 60th bday. Probably one of the best things he's ever done in his opinion.

 

[BIKER13]

Remember the stats from early in the war: When you climbed into a B-17 for a mission you had a 1 in 3 chance of not coming back. Every single mission.

Real men not some panty waist peons like we see on this site

 

[basstracker89]

Remember the stats from early in the war: When you climbed into a B-17 for a mission you had a 1 in 3 chance of not coming back. Every single mission.

During the Italian campaign one B-25 bomber went out for an afternoon raid and got so shot up the pilot had to ditch in the Mediterranean. The crew survived and was picked up by a submarine and ferried back to their base on Corsica. The flight surgeon checked them out and approved them to fly again, and they went out for another bombing mission THE NEXT MORNING.

I was telling my wife about this post. I had to explain the high risk involved. That was a time the entire country, even the world worked together hand in hand

 

[Stampede]

 

[lostchild]

I saw this very same B17 in Macon at the Herbert Smart airport back in the 1990s. There was a lady from Great Britain who was a little girl during WWII, and she said she would be awakened in the early mornings by the crew chief's warming up the engines on the bombers at the airfield. She told how her "mum" would get her up so they could say prayers for the young lads going out that day.

All you had to do was complete 25 bombing missions to rotate home. It took until 1943 for anyone to do that. The airplane that did it was the Memphis Belle. She's been fully restored and resides at Wright Paterson museum in Dayton, Ohio.

There are several documentaries and at least one Hollywood movie about the Memphis Belle.
Amazing story.

 

[CardsFan]

The B-17 was bad arse.

A chit load of Nazi and Bushido a-holes learned that the hard way, for a few seconds until lights out.

 

[Klif]

When I was a kid I loved all the WWII aircraft. I remember watching Twelve O'clock High late one night on TBS and loving the the B-17.

15 years later I was a military aviator stationed in Arizona. I went to the Pima Air Museum, lots of great aircraft displays and a really pristine late war all silver B-17G! Honestly, I was shocked at how small it was.

If you are ever in the Tucson area, the Pima Air Museum is definitely worth the time.

Funny, I'm sitting here about to go to bed and you mentioned Pima Air Museum and I looked down and that is the tee shirt I'm wearing today. Didn't realize anyone else knew about it. I've never been there but my daughter is married to a Navy guy and on one of their trips to this coast and back they stopped there. Took a ton of pictures and brought me back this shirt. It is a small world.

 

[Stampede]

Funny, I'm sitting here about to go to bed and you mentioned Pima Air Museum and I looked down and that is the tee shirt I'm wearing today. Didn't realize anyone else knew about it. I've never been there but my daughter is married to a Navy guy and on one of their trips to this coast and back they stopped there. Took a ton of pictures and brought me back this shirt. It is a small world.

I went there many years ago.