Aluminum Overcast

Steve

Steve

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Fly Right
Arrived here (HKS) today. Gave a couple of media rides and then secured for the day.

I'm on the manifest for the first hop tomorrow.

It's headed to GKY on Thursday. Chances are good I'll have a seat for the ride over.

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Dude, that's just frickin' awesome.
 
I rode from Lincoln, NE to KC, MO, and I got a little stick time also, 10 mins in the right seat. She handles like a lumber wagon, but is quite nimble and responsive. Just unbelieveable to me that men went to war in these planes.
 
Steve, do you know anything about the B-17 that has been sitting at AUS the last week?
 
What's the nose art on it?

If it's "Thunderbird" it is the one from The Lone Star Flight Museum based at Galveston Scholes (GLS). They re-positioned it out of the path of IKE and won't bring it back until the building is in a condition to house it again.

www.lsfm.org

Those boys can use any help they can get.

I just got a handwritten note from them today thanking me for the $25 I sent them via PayPal.

KennyFlys said:
Steve, do you know anything about the B-17 that has been sitting at AUS the last week?
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Steve said:
What's the nose art on it?

If it's "Thunderbird" it is the one from The Lone Star Flight Museum based at Galveston Scholes (GLS). They re-positioned it out of the path of IKE and won't bring it back until the building is in a condition to house it again.

www.lsfm.org

Those boys can use any help they can get.

I just got a handwritten note from them today thanking me for the $25 I sent them via PayPal.
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It's down at the other FBO so I'll have to take a walk down there when I get a break. I'll let you know.

I did see where the museum there took a bad hit. In fact, the airport and entire island was hit hard. We can only hope it washed some drug dealers out to sea but not likely.
 
Wouldja believe, "Liberty Belle"?
 

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Spike, what's that hideous color on that poor kids shirt?

(Oh crap...I don't have room to talk anymore! :dunno: :rofl:)
 
haha! Not next weekend. Anything can happen, though....OU has learned that the hard way the past couple of years. I'm still anxious about OSU and Tech, and I need BOTH of those teams to beat Texas to give OU a shot nationally....but dang Texas is going to be hard to beat!
 
RossFischer said:
haha! Not next weekend. Anything can happen, though....OU has learned that the hard way the past couple of years. I'm still anxious about OSU and Tech, and I need BOTH of those teams to beat Texas to give OU a shot nationally....but dang Texas is going to be hard to beat!
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Ross, if they start to believe that, that's when they lose. Difference seems to be, this year, they buckle down and play. Fingers crossed...
 
If that's the case, then it's not Lone Star's.

http://www.libertyfoundation.org/

That aircraft survived a hurricane in Florida while being finished out by Tom Reilly's Vintage Aircraft/Warbird Museum at Kissimmee airport.

I got to see it before the storm. I was told later it was anchored to several pickup trucks on the ramp during the storm. A couple of T-6's nearby ended up crushed by a tornado. Reilly's museum sustained severe damage.



SCCutler said:
Wouldja believe, "Liberty Belle"?
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Geico266 said:
I rode from Lincoln, NE to KC, MO, and I got a little stick time also, 10 mins in the right seat. She handles like a lumber wagon, but is quite nimble and responsive. Just unbelieveable to me that men went to war in these planes.
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What's even more mind-blowing is that they were barely men for the most part- a bunch of kids, really.

I had a blast on my ride (literally, when I stuck my head out the radio op's hatch, LOL), but it was also sobering, thinking about how vulnerable those guys were even in those tough old Forts.

Lucky you, getting to fly it- it's a beautiful resto of one of my favorite warbirds.
 
Nice, Steve! :yes: :goofy:

I've gotta admit, when I saw the picture of the IAR and the B-17, my first thought was "FIRE!!!" :rofl:
 
So how do you guys get to ride right seat in these fabulous planes? There was another member who flew in a Ford Tri-Motor a few weeks ago,... is there a website where you can signup and reserve a spot when it comes to your area?
 
Dear Steve;

You suck.

With love,
Teller



Seriously, that's incredible. Fantastic photos, and I'm sure an unbelievable flight. Has that smile worn off yet?
 
Teller1900 said:
Dear Steve;

You suck.

With love,
Teller



Seriously, that's incredible. Fantastic photos, and I'm sure an unbelievable flight. Has that smile worn off yet?
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+1

you get that grin wiped off your face yet?
 
Rob Schaffer said:
So how do you guys get to ride right seat in these fabulous planes? There was another member who flew in a Ford Tri-Motor a few weeks ago,... is there a website where you can signup and reserve a spot when it comes to your area?
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Rob, the EAA's website for their B-17 is www.b17.org . On the current tour they are headed toward AZ in December with several stops along the way.

One of the perks of being a member of the local EAA chapter thats hosts a stop is the opportunity to deadhead on the plane to the next stop (if you actually help with the plane's visit). You do have to provide your own transportation home. Six of us rented a van for the 7 hr drive back from Arlington, TX. The flight over was 2.5 hrs. We thought it was worth it.

The "flight experience" offered to the public does not normally include any right seat time.

There are 14 B-17s currently flying and several of them offer "flight experience" besides the one owned by the EAA. Here are a few that I am aware of that do:

http://www.libertyfoundation.org/

http://www.collingsfoundation.org/

http://www.lsfm.org/b17flyingfortressbomber.html

http://www.azcaf.org/index.html?var=http://www.azcaf.org/pages/rides.html

http://www.gulfcoastwing.org/GCW/B-17_AirplaneRides.htm

These aircraft are quite expensive operate and maintain. Hopping rides is one way to offset a small part of the cost. The experience is incomparable, imho.
 
Teller1900 said:
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Seriously, that's incredible. Fantastic photos, and I'm sure an unbelievable flight. Has that smile worn off yet?
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tonycondon said:
+1

you get that grin wiped off your face yet?
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In a word

NO! :D

Ironically, the left seater was someone I had met, and not seen since, 20 years ago at a small fly-in near Milton, Florida. He was astonished as I was that I remembered him. He flew aerobatics back then and still does now in a Sukhoi. I think he had a Pitts back then.

Btw, there are additional photos and some video of the tour stop at HKS at http://www.wlbt.com/Global/story.asp?s=9208725
 
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The Aluminum Overcast is a great plane.
Back in about 1998 my wife bought me a ride when she stopped in Holland Mi. I was fortunate enough at that time to be able to handle the controls in the left seat. The real pilot was in the right seat.
As we flew we all got to change positions and got a feel on what it was like back in her Hay Day. The "Kids" that flew them were indeed brave as you were kind of a sitting duck out there. I can only imagine the bullets and shrapnel flying through that thin aluminum skin. Then when you look at what a small payload they were able to carry and the 10 or so guy's it took to deliver to the target,kind of mind blowing. And then there's the noise inside,WOW.
You are lucky to fly in her, I know it's a flight I'll always remember.
I heard they are no longer letting people handle the controls, Is this true?
 
el con said:
The Aluminum Overcast is a great plane.
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I heard they are no longer letting people handle the controls, Is this true?
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Officially, yes, it is true, they (FAA) no longer allow paying passengers to handle the flight controls. I don't know all the specifiics, but at one time some of the operators were charging an additional fee above the standard "ride only" rate for this. Apparently this activity was construed as an instructional flight which did not permit paying passengers onboard at the same time so the practice was stopped. At least that's what I understand happened, I could be wrong on the details.

Non-revenue flights are a different matter.

While assisting with the "walk-through" tours I heard some pretty poignant stories from veterans that flew or were crewmembers on B-17s. Several family members brought photos their Dads and Grandads had taken while in service. One gentleman who flew them was 93 years old and was in better shape than men half his age. He had a picture of himself kneeling next to his plane that had been bombed on the ground in Algiers. Half the tail was torn off. He said the plane was repaired by some French aircraft factory workers and he flew it another 300 hrs. Another told of losing his copilot on their first mission in a mid-air collision. Yet another started to tell me about flying 35 missions in the belly turret at age 18 but his voice began to crack and he apologized for not being able to finish...
 
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Steve said:
Officially, yes, it is true, they (FAA) no longer allow paying passengers to handle the flight controls. I don't know all the specifiics, but at one time some of the operators were charging an additional fee above the standard "ride only" rate for this. Apparently this activity was construed as an instructional flight which did not permit paying passengers onboard at the same time so the practice was stopped. At least that's what I understand happened, I could be wrong on the details.

Non-revenue flights are a different matter.

While assisting with the "walk-through" tours I heard some pretty poignant stories from veterans that flew or were crewmembers on B-17s. Several family members brought photos their Dads and Grandads had taken while in service. One gentleman who flew them was 93 years old and was in better shape than men half his age. He had a picture of himself kneeling next to his plane that had been bombed on the ground in Algiers. Half the tail was torn off. He said the plane was repaired by some French aircraft factory workers and he flew it another 300 hrs. Another told of losing his copilot on their first mission in a mid-air collision. Yet another started to tell me about flying 35 missions in the belly turret at age 18 but his voice began to crack and he apologized for not being able to finish...
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What an amazing experience, Steve. Not only to get stick time, but to get the unpolished and real stories from the folks that really lived them out.

Oh, and by the way... You suck. :devil:
 
At a coffee shop in Lake Oswego, OR. I met a retired airforce gunner. His name was Warren but they called him tar heel. He was from NC. originally and he had served in B17s. I read where a B17 and a B24 were going to be out to the Aurora, OR. airport on a certain day. I talked Warren into going out and showing me some things. He was the hit of the show and everyone wanted a picture with him. It made his day.
 

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