B17

[DRob]

So I'm driving down I-65 around 11:45 this morning and, as I approach the Greenwood Main St exit I spot an airplane flying fairly low. I take a good look and HOLY COW IT'S A B17! It landed at the Greenwood airport and is on display through Thursday. It's The Commemorative Air Force Texas Raiders plane. Rides start at $475 but you can walk through or around it for only $10. Love the old warbirds.

 

[PGRChaplain]

I've been in 2 of them, Aluminum Overcast and Panchito. Studebaker Engines, made in South Bend!

 

[1911ly]

That would have been an awesome sight!

 

[Hoosierkav]

I saw it too; it was hard to concentrate on the road while looking at it. If it weren't for the blinking lights, I would have thought it was a remote control plane...

 

[nra4ever]

It flew over while I was weeding the garden. I got it on video but I was a little slow and it was already going away. I'll try again tomorrow if it goes by.

 

[oldpink]

Awesome that you got to see that old bird.
If you want to read something incredible about a B-17 pilot and his encounter with a Luftwaffe pilot over Germany, check out the book A Higher Call.
Trust me; you'll be moved.

 

[Cameramonkey]

Im still kicking myself over not paying the fee to skydive out of a B17's bomb bay doors for $250 back in 1999 at the World Freefall Convention in Quincy, IL. It just seemed so damned expensive. I should have charged it on my CC. Almost double now just for a ride.

Hoping to at least take the kids to tour it.

 

[DRob]

I think they are flying around 4:30 & 5:30 today and tomorrow. We went back and watched the 4:30 take off and landing. Hope to find a better vantage point today. We live a couple of miles north of the airport so they're flying nearly over the house on each trip.

 

[maansmit]

That must be the plane we saw flying over New Pal last night while we were watching the boy's little league baseball game.

 

[snapping turtle]

Please mister please. Don't play b17.

 

[Spear Dane]

Im still kicking myself over not paying the fee to skydive out of a B17's bomb bay doors for $250 back in 1999 at the World Freefall Convention in Quincy, IL. It just seemed so damned expensive. I should have charged it on my CC. Almost double now just for a ride.

Hoping to at least take the kids to tour it.

Wow. Kick yourself a couple more times for me. That would have been an incredible experience. You could have pretended to be shot down over Schewienfurt.

 

[actaeon277]

Please mister please. Don't play b17.

Every time I see the thread title, I think the same thing.
[video=youtube;O6JJjfnNwsY]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6JJjfnNwsY[/video]

 

[nra4ever]

Darn plane didn't flight over after work today. Maybe tomorrow....

 

[bloodandgutsmurphy]

I never understood why the owners of these planes charge so much for a spin. About 7 years ago a few bombers came to the Valparaiso Airport. Rides were free, but a minimum donation of $250 had to be given to the society that owns them. The trip was only 30 mins. If it was $200 I would do it, but nowhere near $400.

 

[Cameramonkey]

I never understood why the owners of these planes charge so much for a spin. About 7 years ago a few bombers came to the Valparaiso Airport. Rides were free, but a minimum donation of $250 had to be given to the society that owns them. The trip was only 30 mins. If it was $200 I would do it, but nowhere near $400.

Somebody doesnt understand how much it costs to run these things. When something breaks, its not like they can go to the local parts store and buy a replacement. We are talking about equipment that hasnt been produced in over 70 years. LOTS of fabrication on the fly for these old birds, and that aint cheap.

 

[Bigtanker]

They had one at the Elkhart airport about 4-5 years ago. Sentimental Journey was the name. I got a great picture of my daughter looking at it. Those things are simply majestic.

 

[rob63]

Somebody doesnt understand how much it costs to run these things. When something breaks, its not like they can go to the local parts store and buy a replacement. We are talking about equipment that hasnt been produced in over 70 years. LOTS of fabrication on the fly for these old birds, and that aint cheap.

This^, plus they burn 200 gallons of fuel per hour! That is aviation fuel, so they probably need at least 2 paying customers just to break even on fuel cost.

This guy, and he seems to know what he is talking about, puts the operating cost at about $3,000 per hour:
https://www.johnweeks.com/b17active/index.html

I never understood why the owners of these planes charge so much for a spin. About 7 years ago a few bombers came to the Valparaiso Airport. Rides were free, but a minimum donation of $250 had to be given to the society that owns them. The trip was only 30 mins. If it was $200 I would do it, but nowhere near $400.

FWIW, it was $350 when I flew on Aluminum Overcast several years ago. It was a lot of money to me, but I still consider it the best $350 I ever spent. It's only going to get more expensive and harder to do, if you want to do it, do it now.

 

[Morgan88]

I had a chance to take a ride a couple years ago at the Huntington Airport. I think it was $400+ then. I would do now. Once they got the shot up ones back in the states my dad flew them to where they were mothballing them. He said it was purty scary sometimes. I think dad would really appreciate it if I ever got the chance again to take it. We have photo's of dad standing in front of his B-17s in his jodhpurs(sp) and flight outfits.

Morgan88

 

[ghitch75]

rode in a B-25 when i was 14......never have forgot and never will.....would pay the fee to ride in a B-17.....

 

[DRob]

Lady who was part of the ground crew told me how much it costs to fly the old bird. I don't remember exactly what she said but the word "thousand" was in the answer. I watched a crew member pour 6 gallons of oil into it. He said it uses a gallon per hour/per engine. Straight 60 weight. No wonder they take so long warming up the engines before they give them any throttle.