Smithsonian article

[cco23i]

Well the "long awaited" article came out!

Scott

http://www.airspacemag.com/military-aviation/Two-Days-in-the-Life-of-a-B-24-Crew.html

 

[Phantomfixer]

very very cool!

 

[jbmilart]

Man that's GREAT! I didn't know that was going on...I don't live very far from Stockton eather(Sacramento). I've seen and been in the B-24 "Wichcraft" but never flew in it...wow great story.

 

[Phantomfixer]

The kicker is that you have a great idea!Who has not wanted (at least in this forum) wanted to turn back time and experiance life as it was in 1940 something? Seems like you do not throw down some cash and go flying, very easily done. No, you throw down some cash go through classsroom training, told what is expected of you etc. All very interesting. Then it is hands on with a piece of history. Truelly hands on!! firing a .50 caliber Browning M-2 machine gun...comeon is there a better way to spend a day, only if it is at 5000 ft, oh yeah it is!!! That takes real guts on the owners part. Imagine all those hands working controls like it was 1943. On a routine basis too. The maintenace aspect must be intense.
My hat to all involved in such an undertaking. This answers the question, should warbirds be flown or tucked away in a museum. True living history folks. Kudos

 

[cco23i]

Thanks boss, it DOES get intense for us as we are instructors AND maintenance. After loading the second load of bombs that day my little butt sat down next to the jeep and crashed.

Scott

 

[Phantomfixer]

understood we aren't seventeen anymore. But being around mission aircraft keeps you young. It be awesome to have several aircraft flying weekly, so as to hear the rumbling of radials all day long. Heck I would pay to go up in a C-47/DC-3. Bet .50s could be mounted in them too, wonder if they were? Flying across the hump. Anyone know if any C-47s were modified for defense? I have read of a crew chief firing his .45 at Japanese fighter
Anyway again good work out there and hope the idea expands to the East coast.

 

[cco23i]

Oh jsut wait PF until we get the WW2 airbase up! Yup, all sorts of WW2 aircraft running. Man am I fired up!!

Scott

 

[MPicciotto]

Bet .50s could be mounted in them too, wonder if they were? Flying across the hump. Anyone know if any C-47s were modified for defense? I have read of a crew chief firing his .45 at Japanese fighter

The veteran who spoke at our last Cap Wing dinner said told me the Russians would take the top turrets off wrecked a/c and put them on C-47's. Something to investigate further.

Matt

 

[cco23i]

NOOOO! I have enough stuff to research!!!

Scott

 

[dhermann1]

Sooooo cool. Thanks for sharing. I had the pleasure of flying from Hawaii to California in a C-130 back about 1968. I was invited to sit up in the greenhouse for a while as we flew over the Pacific. That's about as close to this experience as I'll ever get, and was a treat I'll never forget. Hope somebody gets some vidoes from one of these missions. That would be REALLY cool.

 

[cco23i]

Here's the first "test" mission with no students.

http://youtu.be/3ueUJPqWWbY

Scott

 

[B-24J]

Great article Scott! That's really keeping the memory of all our boys in WWII alive!

John

 

[Phantomfixer]

Scott, I was afriad for thata old truck then I thought heck the safest spot would be in the cab!!! very cool footage. How hard was it to get FAA approval for all of this? the bomb drop too?? The FAA must have thought you guys were nuts. You want to WHAT???? drop a what where? LOL
cool

 

[Phantomfixer]

forgot the sound of the stall horn. Piper chase /photo plane?

 

[cco23i]

Stall horn is in the WW2 C-45 Twinbeech. I love cranking up the volume just as the bombs come in!! I wasn't involved in the FAA talking so I have no idea what was said.

Scott