[DeTomaso] Goofy Stuff on Memorial Day

[jderyke at aol.com]

At my age, I am allowed to do nut-ball stuff once in a while. So to celebrate Memorial Day (the REAL one, not the rescheduled gov't one so they get another free 3-day vacation), I climbed into a 1944-built B-17 E not quite as old as I am but with 140 WW-2 bombing missions, and flew from Minden NV to Stead Airfield northwest of Reno- a 30 minute cruise.

Having 3000+ hours of military flight time- all in big prop-driven airplanes, the surroundings were eerily familiar. The pilot (also a '40s vintage) after finding out my military background, sat me in the radioman's seat of his personal bomber. I took one look and told him  "Umm, this is kind of embarrassing but I know how to operate your BC-348 and ART-13 radios,,,,'  He laughed and said, "Just relax- I got a modern radio. You can go pull the prop blades through if you need something to do."

One thing WAS different: they retract the gunner's turret into the top of the fuselage right next to "my" seat. This leaves an observation hole 2-1/2 ft wide and 4 ft long wide, open during flight! We were warned to hold onto hats & glasses but that's all. The boundary layer was thick enough that you could stick your whole head outside the fuselage without much buffeting. Walking around during flight was encouraged. All thirteen .50 cal machine guns were present but the ammo belts were empty. The five 500-lb bombs in the bomb-bay were mock-ups. This's why the B-17 was dubbed the "Flying Fortress" 

Much thanks to PCNC's Denny Morse for the opportunity to relive some of my mis-spent youth. Thanks to my wife for encouraging me to do this- both this time and all those other for-real flights. And especially thanks to The Wings of Freedom Tour for bringing their vintage aircraft to my adopted hometown and allowing me aboard for a flight. They also brought along a B-24, a B-25, a dual-control P-51 trainer and a Stearman biplane trainer. I'm already thinking about next year. RECOMMENDED!           

J DeRyke.
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   At my age, I am allowed to do nut-ball stuff once in a while. So to
   celebrate Memorial Day (the REAL one, not the rescheduled gov't one so
   they get another free 3-day vacation), I climbed into a 1944-built B-17
   E not quite as old as I am but with 140 WW-2 bombing missions, and flew
   from Minden NV to Stead Airfield northwest of Reno- a 30 minute cruise.
   Having 3000+ hours of military flight time- all in big prop-driven
   airplanes, the surroundings were eerily familiar. The pilot (also a
   '40s vintage) after finding out my military background, sat me in the
   radioman's seat of his personal bomber. I took one look and told him
   "Umm, this is kind of embarrassing but I know how to operate your
   BC-348 and ART-13 radios,,,,'  He laughed and said, "Just relax- I got
   a modern radio. You can go pull the prop blades through if you need
   something to do."
   One thing WAS different: they retract the gunner's turret into the top
   of the fuselage right next to "my" seat. This leaves an observation
   hole 2-1/2 ft wide and 4 ft long wide, open during flight! We were
   warned to hold onto hats & glasses but that's all. The boundary layer
   was thick enough that you could stick your whole head outside the
   fuselage without much buffeting. Walking around during flight was
   encouraged. All thirteen .50 cal machine guns were present but the ammo
   belts were empty. The five 500-lb bombs in the bomb-bay were mock-ups.
   This's why the B-17 was dubbed the "Flying Fortress"
   Much thanks to PCNC's Denny Morse for the opportunity to relive some of
   my mis-spent youth. Thanks to my wife for encouraging me to do this-
   both this time and all those other for-real flights. And especially
   thanks to The Wings of Freedom Tour for bringing their vintage aircraft
   to my adopted hometown and allowing me aboard for a flight. They also
   brought along a B-24, a B-25, a dual-control P-51 trainer and a
   Stearman biplane trainer. I'm already thinking about next year.
   RECOMMENDED!
   J DeRyke.