The Down Range Forum
Member Section => Down Range Cafe => Topic started by: Rastus on September 30, 2012, 10:09:52 AM
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Getting ready for church and heard an airplane fly directly over the house. It was FiFi, a B-29 at low altitude. It headed NW from my home, swung over Hominy, OK and flew back directly over my house in a bank a second time at 1,000 ft or less.
It had a P-51 flying around it.
Really KEWL.
The Tulsa Air & Space museum is having an airshow. If I had the $595 I'd get a ride....maybe later in life.
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Not often do you see a Superfortress flying overhead!
Never is more the case 'round these parts!
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No photos...didn't happen. Just kidding. I love air shows!
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No photos...didn't happen. Just kidding. I love air shows!
Maybe later...I caught him in a 3rd pass between the dam and where I live...about a mile away in a bank. I'll post it if it isn't too blurry.
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On the anniversary of Doolittle's raid, we had 19 or 20 B-25's flying around for about a week. You could not only hear them, you could feel them when they flew at low altitude. The USAF Museum is just a couple of miles away. Whenever O'bummer comes around, Air Force one lands at WPAFB. Cool seeing the plane. Not so much the POTUS.
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On the anniversary of Doolittle's raid, we had 19 or 20 B-25's flying around for about a week. You could not only hear them, you could feel them when they flew at low altitude. The USAF Museum is just a couple of miles away. Whenever O'bummer comes around, Air Force one lands at WPAFB. Cool seeing the plane. Not so much the POTUS.
I love the USAF museum! I used to go every time I was in the area visiting stores.
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In March 76 I was at the Confederate Air Force museum in Harlingon Tx and touched Fifi while they were restoring it.
I understand they have since moved Mercedes and expanded to other Western states as well.
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FiFi is flying out of OKC next week. I've got to sell something to get a seat on that thing.
Anybody round here wanna buy a bass boat?
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(http://i603.photobucket.com/albums/tt114/RastusNR/FIFIII.jpg)
There she is about a mile away on the third pass around. I wish I could have gotten pics on the second pass when she was banking over the house at around 500'.
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I was sitting down at North Beach in Hampton one summer day, bikes had been going by then I heard what sounded like Harley's, but from the wrong direction.
It was the B 17 "All American" flying up the coast out of Pease (Former SAC Base).
I looked around and the young people were doing beach stuff, Every old guy in sight was looking at that plane.
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I think that is the plane visiting the Tulsa air & space museum this week. I saw a piece on on channel 6 this evening
Ranger Dave
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I think that is the plane visiting the Tulsa air & space museum this week. I saw a piece on on channel 6 this evening
Ranger Dave
Yep. That's the one. I think it's the only airworthy frame right now. Others like Bockscar and Enola Gay are restored but they are static museum displays.
It flew over Skiatook Lake a few times...right over the house twice...once no more than 500' up.
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Got me wondering so I looked it up.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_surviving_Boeing_B-29_Superfortresses
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Anybody ever been to the museum at Eglin? I like that place.. :)
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I took a flight around OKC today.........
(http://i603.photobucket.com/albums/tt114/RastusNR/tookaridetodayjpg.jpg)
Got to sit in the navigator seat. Dutch Van Kirk signed off on the map at the navigator's station during a ride at Oshkosh this past year. Smooth flight.
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Lucky SOB.
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Lucky SOB.
Yeah..... ;D
Cool ride, Rastus..... what kind of mileage does she get...... ;D ;D ;D
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2 gals per yard ;D
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What'd ya sell to find the 600 bucks? Actually, wasn't it more for the cockpit ride?
Either way, you've experienced a piece of history that most will never know!
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What'd ya sell to find the 600 bucks? Actually, wasn't it more for the cockpit ride?
Either way, you've experienced a piece of history that most will never know!
I put off roof repair, injector on truck that is down, not going to get a winter jacket, no buying lunch at work, that 2,000 rounds of 5.56 and 3,000 rd of 9MM I was saving for, driving 45-50 when I can, etc. My oldest son sat in the radio man's seat and I was in the navigator seat....I was supposed to sit in back in a gun seat but...someone backed out and that put me in the navigator seat....that and my 83 year old mom was so thrilled about us flying that she sent $400 she had saved for vacation she can't take because of her back. $400 was exactly what was needed to advance to the cockpit.
One thing that struck me is that you have to fly that plane...it's work, it is a job. The flight engineer is the busiest guy in the plane and never has a break. You can make out Dutch Van Kirk's signature in the pic below:
(http://i603.photobucket.com/albums/tt114/RastusNR/100_5007.jpg)
(http://i603.photobucket.com/albums/tt114/RastusNR/100_5010.jpg)
(http://i603.photobucket.com/albums/tt114/RastusNR/100_5024.jpg)
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It's a good thing I took a flight on FiFi when I did instead of waiting until next year. You never know what tomorrow will bring.
FiFi's #2 engine went down and it's going to cost $250k to get her in the air again.
There's a donation page....just in case any of you guys want to help keep a piece of history flying. I'm going to chip in and forego some training to save on ammo.
So, if you'd like, here's the link to donate: http://www.keepfififlying.org/ (http://www.keepfififlying.org/)
:'(
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I bookmarked the page for a future donation!
Thanks!
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It's a good thing I took a flight on FiFi when I did instead of waiting until next year. You never know what tomorrow will bring.
FiFi's #2 engine went down and it's going to cost $250k to get her in the air again.
There's a donation page....just in case any of you guys want to help keep a piece of history flying. I'm going to chip in and forego some training to save on ammo.
So, if you'd like, here's the link to donate: http://www.keepfififlying.org/ (http://www.keepfififlying.org/)
:'(
250k maybe the Obamas can skip a 2 day trip to the Hamptons and pay for it. Or sell a couple of that hideous bitch's outfits.
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<jealous>
So very
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I remember seeing a documentary on the one that made an emergency landing in Greenland (I think) during WWII. It was restored on the ice and made airworthy only to be consumed by fire after they did a taxi test. A mechanic died during the restoration after working in the cold. So sad on many levels. :'(
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FiFi was the last operational B-29. Its last flight for the Air Force was on June 21, 1960. It was just on Great Planes on Military Channel.
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Any word on the repair progress ?
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Sorry to bring up an old topic but.
When I was visiting my old dad in the home before he passed I was talking to 90 year old man who used to fly Lancaster Bombers, now I know they are very different than the old B52s but some of his stories was amazing, he talked about bombing germany about the tailgunner that was shot in half etc.
Its such a shame that no one takes the time these days to spend time with these old people, their knowledge, their wisdom, courage and memories are astonishing. Unfortunately 99.9% of these types of people will die with out their story being known.
To hear him speak about them flying these war machines was hypnotising.