[sci.military] Where to see operational B-17's

dennett@cyclone.kodak.com (Charlie Dennett) (10/11/90)

From: dennett@cyclone.kodak.com (Charlie Dennett)
Glad to hear _Memphis Belle_ look like a good movie.  Maybe a review
of the movie, at least from a sci.military point of view might be
in order.  What say, Mr. Moderator?

[mod.note:  Suits me. - Bill ]

Actually, mention of the Memphis Belle jogged my memory. I went to
the Wings of Eagles Air Show this past summer at the National Warplane
Museum in Geneseo NY.  (Just outside Rochester.)  This was my first
trip to any such event.  I was impressed.  (As was my 8 year old son.
Never will forget that smile on his face as stuck his head out of the
side bubble of the PBY-6 Catalina.)  The museum puts on an air show of
old war planes with fly-bys of more modern planes - this year they
had a B-52, a couple of F-16's on Saturday.  I think an A-10 showed
up on Sunday.  Unfortunately, all the cargo transports could not be
there as they were busy with the Iraq/Kuwait crisis.  The museum has
its own B-17G, the Fuddy Duddy, named after the original that flew
96 missions without an abort.  There was also another B-17 there that I
believe was used in the movie.  It might even have been the one that 
played the Belle.  

Anyway, the event is held the second or third weekend in August.  If 
you're in the area plan on stopping by.  We are planning on getting a 
gang of people and their kids from the neighborhood together for next year.
There were over 200 planes there this past year and I'm told it gets
bigger every year.  It's been going on for 10 years now.

ntaib@silver.ucs.indiana.edu (Nur Iskandar Taib) (10/15/90)

From: ntaib@silver.ucs.indiana.edu (Nur Iskandar Taib)
*>the Wings of Eagles Air Show this past summer at the National Warplane
*>Museum in Geneseo NY.  (Just outside Rochester.)  This was my first
*>trip to any such event.  I was impressed.  (As was my 8 year old son.

-stuff deleted-


*>there as they were busy with the Iraq/Kuwait crisis.  The museum has
*>its own B-17G, the Fuddy Duddy, named after the original that flew
*>96 missions without an abort.  There was also another B-17 there that I
*>believe was used in the movie.  It might even have been the one that 


They reviewed last year's Geneseo air show 
in Flying Models magazine. Among the airplanes
present was an Avro Lancaster that came down
from Canada (if I recall correctly). One of 
the pictures was of the Lancaster and a B-17
flying together. Must have been a sight. I ex-
pect the four Merlins on the Lancaster sound 
very different from the radials on the B-17s.


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rrd@hpfcso.fc.hp.com (Ray Depew) (11/17/90)

From: rrd@hpfcso.fc.hp.com (Ray Depew)

The U.S. Forest Service (or somebody) uses 17's for fighting forest fires in
California.  I don't know if they are refurbished warbirds or later models 
built with the same airframe.  I do know that they used to (1986-ish) circle
Santa Rosa once or twice before touching down at Sonoma County Airport.  I
used to jump in the car with my 4-year-old fighter pilot and race out to the
runway to watch these birds touch down.  The pilots always grinned and waved
back.

> the pictures was of the Lancaster and a B-17
> flying together. Must have been a sight. I ex-
> pect the four Merlins on the Lancaster sound 
> very different from the radials on the B-17s.

Must have.  I've never seen a real Lancaster in the air, but I can't imagine
anything that looks more graceful, or sounds better, than a '17 in the air.
(Okay, I can imagine one thing:  the view and the noise from the bombardier's
seat of a '17 in the air.)


Regards
Ray Depew
IC's by Bill and Dave   
rrd@hpfitst1.hp.com

rbeville%tekig5.tek.com@RELAY.CS.NET (Robert E Beville) (11/22/90)

From: Robert E Beville <rbeville%tekig5.tek.com@RELAY.CS.NET>


	The Strategic Air Command Museum at Bellevue, Nebraska has (as of 89)
	a B-17 with nose art "KING BEE".
	Also, a B-25 with nose art "DESERT DOOM"

	While traveling through western Montana(Missoula to Havre on hwy
	200, I passed an airfield (on the right if traveling east) with
	an active fire-fighter district B-17 retard... duster.

	Of this site, I'm not sure of a B-17, but some planes here are
	old:  at a field Northwest of, & close to Buffalo, Wyoming....

	that's -OWARI- from GLOWWORM-7-9-4
	best regards, rbeville@tekig5.PEN.TEK.COM
	Bob Beville, Tektronix, Inc., Beaverton, OR 97077