Flight in a B17 today

Spent the afternoon in the OC with the guys from the Collins Foundation and ticked off one of these "bucket" list items today by going for flight in a B17 Flying Fortress. What an amazing experience, vibration and noise as we started up and taxied was incredible but got super smooth as we got airborne headed along the California coast, just that beautiful droning of 4 radial engines. Gives you an entirely new perspective of what these aircrews must have gone through during the war, especially the poor guy who ended up in the ball turret (damn that's a small space!).

 

Anyway, the Collins guys are on trip around the US with a B17, B24 and a P51 Mustang, and if anyone wants to join them check out their schedule at http://www.collingsfoundation.org/cf_schedule-wof.htm (they're in the OC until Monday) and you won't meet a more dedicated team of aviation enthusiasts. Now just got to figure out how to get a ride in a Spitfire and my aviation bucket list will be complete!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

That looked amazing, thanks for sharing.

I'm not really an aviation enthusiast. But that is f***ing cool!

Awesome!!!!

 

I'm doing it this Friday out of Burbank. Can't wait.

I've heard about this event. I've also heard there are hardly any flying B17s left. very cool experience, thanks for sharing.

Very cool, thanks for sharing! There is an aviation museum nearby in Detroit that has a b17, b25 and a c47. All of those are on my list as well. The dontion to fly is like 500 bucks aa half hour here, similar pricing with this group?

COOL!

 

My dad's friend and plane mechanic (he passed away a couple of years ago) was a ball turret gunner in WW2 in a B17. Beautiful planes!