a trip of a lifetime for Steven and
Joanne
A few weeks ago, Steve Bolin had what he has described as 'a
thrill of a lifetime' when he and his wife "First Lady" Joanne had a flight in
this restored B-17 WWII bomber, "909". The trip will have had an
added interest for Steven as he is building a large-scale B-17 - a project
we are following on ModelFlight.
The B-17, together with a B-24, flew into Bellingham International
near Steve's home town of Kent,
Washington, USA on a touring schedule, which they seem to do on an
annual basis. The planes, owned and operated by The Collings Foundation,
are on tour for ten and a half months out of
the year and all donations arising from the trips go to support the
aircraft.
Steve and Joanne's flight lasted for about an hour whilst they flew
over Puget Sound and the city of Seattle. Steven says, "It was a
thrill of a life time. All this while the sun was setting too.
Magnificent!"
The aircraft takes eight passengers at a time plus three crew. Steve
says that sitting in the glass nose was truly an experience to be had.
There was also a section on the top that was removed, so passengers
could stick their head out into the slip stream to take their
photographs.
 This
shot was taken in the nose of the B-17 - Joanne's head just in view and
Puget Sound not more than 100 feet below. Access to the nose was gained
by crawling down between the pilot and co-pilot! Steven says, "The
sight of the Puget Sound at dusk . . . with people running out of their
houses to stare up and wave as we flew overhead was overwhelming! You
could see their faces."
 Steven
stuck the camera out the top here. Mount Rainier, dormant for a while
now, can be seen on the horizon. Steve got so excited, he didn't think
to retain the camera strap which flapped across his field of view as he
pressed the shutter - hence the bit of rough touching up to get rid of
it!
 The
section in which these two are standing is where the radio operator would
normally reside. The top had been removed for viewing pleasure and it
was also where Steven sat for take-off and landing.
And finally, this moody shot taken shortly after take-off at 8.13
p.m.
Biography of "909"
After hostilities
ceased, the original 909 with its 600 holes flew back to the
States and succumbed to the scrapper's guillotine. She had
successfully completed no less than 140 combat missions.
The B-17G 44-83575, now
restored as "909", was built in Long Beach, California
and commissioned April 5th, 1945. Too late for war service, 575 did
serve with Air/Sea 1st Rescue Squadron and later with the
Military Air Transport Service.
April of 1952, 575 was
subjected to 3 different nuclear explosions with instrumentation
on board to measure effects. After a 13-year cool-down period,
575 was sold as part of an 800-ton scrap pile, and Aircraft
Specialties Company began restoration.
For the next twenty
years the plane served as a fire bomber and was then sold in
January 1986. Restored by Tom Reilly Vintage Aircraft back to
her wartime configuration and renamed "909", she
represented one of the finest B-17 restorations, having won
several awards. Then, in August 1987, 575 - now 909 - was caught
by a severe crosswind after touchdown. Crashing through a chain
link fence, she sheared off a power pole and roared down a
100-foot ravine. No fatalities, but the aircraft sustained major
damage.
Landing gear was
sheared off and the chin turret was pushed into the nose. The
plexiglass nose was shattered and bomb bay doors, fuselage, ball
turret, wing and nacelles all took a tremendous beating. Engines
and their props were torn from their mounts as well.
Again, this B-17 has
arisen from the ashes. With nacelles from the "Shoo Shoo
Baby", thousands of volunteer hours, support from the folks
of Beaver Falls and donations from individuals and corporations,
she flies yet again! She requires $2000 an hour to operate. |
My thanks to Steven for details and
photographs of his trip and biographical information and
acknowledgements to The Collings Foundation.
|
