Printable Version of Topic

Posted by: DonTraver Mar 20 2013, 09:57 AM

One of the B-17's that was in the movie Memphis Belle is in San Diego at
Gillipie Field in El Cajon.

They will be giving rides this Sat/Sun for $450.00

Phone number to book 918-340-0243.

I missed a chance at this around 10 years ago, been kicking myself about that ever since.

I'm booked on the Sunday 10:30 flight, woo hoo.

One more check mark on the Bucket List.

Posted by: DonTraver Mar 20 2013, 10:33 AM

This is so cool. Just called them to confirm my flight.

They said they have put me in the cockpit. How cool is that.

I am so jazzed right now.

Posted by: John Jentz Mar 20 2013, 11:18 AM

I flew in it last Spring in Atlanta. Cool ride.

Posted by: Dr Evil Mar 20 2013, 11:34 AM

Take lots of pics, Don

Posted by: Tom Mar 20 2013, 02:13 PM

Don,
That is gonna be a great ride! I recently met the owner of the Military Aviation Museum in Seattle for lunch and he invited me to come visit and take a ride in any of the planes there that can carry a passenger. I said wow, even Chuckie? He said yep, no problem. Can't wait.
Link for Military Aviation Museum in Va. Beach, VA. http://search.yahoo.com/r/ _ylt=A0oGdXs2GUpRuT8AFpZXNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTB2czZqN3RlBHNlYwNzYwRjb2xvA3NrMQR2dGlkA
1NNRTA0MV8xNTU-/SIG=11qunnbmr/EXP=1363839414/**http%3a//www.militaryaviationmuseum.org/
You east coast guys get a chance, drop in to see the planes!
Tom

Posted by: Elliot Cannon Mar 20 2013, 02:37 PM

My Dad was shot down in a B-24 during WW II and I got to ride in one about three years ago. Fantastic!!!

Posted by: 76-914 Mar 20 2013, 08:09 PM

Join the EAA and hitch a ride in their B-17 aka Aluminum Overcast. IIRC, it's about 275. Don, take some ear plugs. Those 4 P&W's are loud.

Posted by: Dave_Darling Mar 20 2013, 10:32 PM

I helped restore the B17G (I think it was a G?) "Shoo Shoo Baby".

Just barely helped--my grandfather was doing the work, I was mostly holding pieces for him.

--DD

Posted by: Griffinroydonald Mar 21 2013, 03:27 AM

This is money well spent. We enjoyed the ride beyond belief and showed up in WW2 flight gear for the ride. Best money I ever spent. One of the older gentleman with us was a WW2 Pilot and he had a smile on his face the entire time and a tear in his eye.

Posted by: Eric_Shea Mar 21 2013, 07:07 AM

Damn it... It's not like all of us don't already have "I wanna be like Don" written on our bathroom mirror already and you go and pull this shit?

Get pictures hero!

Posted by: struckn Mar 21 2013, 06:45 PM

QUOTE(Eric_Shea @ Mar 21 2013, 05:07 AM)

Posted by: '73-914kid Mar 22 2013, 09:37 AM

Don, any idea if they're still accepting reservations for flights? I owe my little brother a birthday present, and he's obsessed with b-17's..

Posted by: Eric_Shea Mar 23 2013, 07:30 AM

Sunday can't come fast enough. Can't wait to see some pics. This thing flies over the valley about once a year or possibly every other year. I guess I'm just going to have to bite the bullet next time.

The last time I was in one it was Oshkosh and it was on the ground. I can only imagine what it would be like to hear and "feel" those engines humming along at 6,000 feet, from the cockpit no less...

Posted by: effutuo101 Mar 23 2013, 07:41 AM

Very cool! I think I will go check it out. I have only seen them on the ground.
Looking forward to meeting you at some point Don! As well as the rest of the S.D. Crowd

Posted by: DonTraver Mar 23 2013, 07:58 PM

73-91 Try this

Phone number to book 918-340-0243.

Not sure if there are any seats left, but worth a call.

Posted by: DonTraver Mar 25 2013, 08:53 AM

I go there about 2 hours early and got to go inside the Memphis Belle before it was full of people to get some good pictures. I also got a video from the cockpit of the engines starting and take off. Pics and Videos here.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/2010-2011_european_tour/sets/72157633085306776/

They carry 9 passengers and there were open seats on each flight that got filled by Walk Ins.

The flight was great. We taxied to the Main Runway and they stopped and Sync'ed the engines. The inner engines to each other and the outer engines to each other. Then we were off, LOUD and so cool.

One thing I didn't know was the they run the outer engines around 500 rpm faster than the inner engines, not sure why but I was watching the Tachs during the flight and noticed that.

We flew towards the coast over Qualcomm Stadium where the San Diego Porsche Club had a Performance Driving School this weekend. I instructed yesterday and will go back to instruct after this flight.

When I got there I found out they had just about stopped the school as we flew overhead. lol.

It was really worth it.

Posted by: gandalf_025 Mar 25 2013, 09:17 AM

A number of years ago, one of the B17's and an escort of 4 Mustangs stopped at Logan Airport in Boston on their way to an Air Show in N.H.
They came in over the City low and 2 of the Mustangs landed first and the 2 others circled the airport while the B17 landed. Was quite a scene... Pretty much stopped all Commercial Flights for a while.
I'm sure it was planned to do exactly that..
Front page of all the Boston Newspapers showed the Formation flying over the city..
Pretty impressive. I don't think the publicity hurt the air show any either..

Posted by: 1970 Neun vierzehn Mar 25 2013, 07:00 PM

Don,
Nice pics and video

Thanks for sharing your memorable experience. Warbirds are a piece of living history paying tribute to the heroism and sacrifice our fathers and grandfathers had made so unselfishly so many years ago.

Paul

Posted by: snakemain Mar 25 2013, 07:56 PM

Had a good friend of mine get a ride on it a couple weeks ago in Mississippi.

Posted by: Maltese Falcon Mar 25 2013, 08:07 PM

Saw the B17 over the Hollywood Hills this past weekend.
You hear the roar and thirty seconds later you see it.
Another cool plane was the B25 Billy Mitchell bomber.
Aircraft Carrier launched for the raid over Tokyo.

Posted by: Maltese Falcon Mar 25 2013, 08:10 PM

Nose art on the B25
U.S.Naval Archives
Nice pictures + video Don.
The belly gunner would not be the place to be if the landing gear failed.

Posted by: struckn Mar 25 2013, 08:55 PM

Bombs away Don....Thanks. I flew on a C-47 with two engines out of sync and I can't imagine being on a four engine B17. They tend to shake alot don't they? I have the picture of the Bell with the crew after they landed in England at the end of their 25th mission, signed by the Pilot then Captain Colonel Robert Morgan who advanced to Colonel. In the picture the crew looked exhausted but very happy.......to be alive. You flew in living history.

Posted by: Valy Mar 25 2013, 09:09 PM

Not the same one but this passed over my house few times.


Attached thumbnail(s)

Posted by: Dr Evil Mar 26 2013, 09:01 AM

Bad ass! Are you allowed in the belly gun? Do they fly with the wheels down the whole time?

This is double sweet for me as you were flying over my home town

Posted by: DonTraver Mar 26 2013, 04:59 PM

The belly turret and tail gunners station aren't open for passengers and the wheels come up as soon as they are airborne.

Great Ride.

Posted by: ThePaintedMan Apr 8 2013, 05:22 PM

I know this is a bit old, but I found something touching on Youtube a few minutes ago that I thought was pertinent.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKBNw4kfwNM



My grandfather worked on B-17s in Europe and told my dad some of the horrifying stories of the "parts" they cleaned out of the planes when they came back.

A ride in one is definitely on my list of things to do.

Posted by: Eric_Shea Apr 8 2013, 09:55 PM

Don, did you get any pictures?