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Omaha Steve

(99,632 posts) Sun Jul 19, 2015, 01:18 PM Jul 2015

45

First photo of my ride in a B-17 this morning UPDATE link to 146 photos now online

Last edited Sun Jul 19, 2015, 05:48 PM - Edit history (3)

For those that missed yesterday's post: http://www.democraticunderground.com/10026985422

Be sure to click for page two at the bottom o page 1. All my untouched camera photos are here: http://tinyurl.com/o7z7otk

I have a few on my phone I haven't moved over yet.

It is a busy day. It may be tomorrow before I have my write up done.

The foundation that brings the planes to the public: http://www.collingsfoundation.org/

I'll have a write up and many photos in a couple hours.

Below is the "Nine O Nine" plane I rode in taking off with the Omaha skyline in the background. This was the first flight of the day. I rode in the second flight.

OS

18 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

First photo of my ride in a B-17 this morning UPDATE link to 146 photos now online (Original Post) Omaha Steve Jul 2015 OP

Very cool Duckhunter935 Jul 2015 #1

Cool! Triana Jul 2015 #2

Here it is Omaha Steve Jul 2015 #18

Ooooooo..... SoapBox Jul 2015 #3

My father was a B-17 pilot at the end of the war. MineralMan Jul 2015 #4

what a great experience you must have had Liberal_in_LA Jul 2015 #5

I wonder what it would cost to fly to Wisconsin and drop some steel near Scott Walker? n/t jtuck004 Jul 2015 #6

Looks good OS abakan Jul 2015 #7

I've been in one... gregcrawford Jul 2015 #8

I too was able to go inside Snobblevitch Jul 2015 #17

Woohoo! cwydro Jul 2015 #9

That's so cool, lucky you! NealK Jul 2015 #10

Now that brings back a lot of memeories... ISW Jul 2015 #11

She's a beauty fadedrose Jul 2015 #12

Stephan Ambrose - The Wild Blue - about B-24's and their crews over Germany burfman Jul 2015 #13

Cool Photos Sherman A1 Jul 2015 #14

Ooooooooohhhhh, how exciting. calikid Jul 2015 #15

you were very lucky onethatcares Jul 2015 #16

Duckhunter935

(16,974 posts)

1. Very cool

Reply to Omaha Steve (Original post)

Sun Jul 19, 2015, 01:29 PM

Jul 2015

I do hope you had a great time!!

Triana

(22,666 posts)

2. Cool!

Reply to Omaha Steve (Original post)

Sun Jul 19, 2015, 01:40 PM

Jul 2015

I'll be waiting for the write-up!

Omaha Steve

(99,632 posts)

18. Here it is

Reply to Triana (Reply #2)

Mon Jul 20, 2015, 07:59 PM

Jul 2015

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10026991786

SoapBox

(18,791 posts)

3. Ooooooo.....

Reply to Omaha Steve (Original post)

Sun Jul 19, 2015, 03:20 PM

Jul 2015

Goosebumps!

MineralMan

(146,308 posts)

4. My father was a B-17 pilot at the end of the war.

Reply to Omaha Steve (Original post)

Sun Jul 19, 2015, 03:25 PM

Jul 2015

All of us kids bought him a flight a number of years ago. They let him sit in the right seat and take the controls for a few minutes during the flight. It was a great gift for him.

At 91, he's probably too old to do it again now, but he got to fly once more for a short time.

I hope you enjoyed your flight.

Liberal_in_LA

(44,397 posts)

5. what a great experience you must have had

Reply to Omaha Steve (Original post)

Sun Jul 19, 2015, 03:28 PM

Jul 2015

jtuck004

(15,882 posts)

6. I wonder what it would cost to fly to Wisconsin and drop some steel near Scott Walker? n/t

Reply to Omaha Steve (Original post)

Sun Jul 19, 2015, 03:35 PM

Jul 2015

abakan

(1,819 posts)

7. Looks good OS

Reply to Omaha Steve (Original post)

Sun Jul 19, 2015, 03:37 PM

Jul 2015

I hope it was just what you wished for.

gregcrawford

(2,382 posts)

8. I've been in one...

Reply to Omaha Steve (Original post)

Sun Jul 19, 2015, 03:46 PM

Jul 2015

... but never for a flight. Them babies was cramped! Especially for the ball turret and tail gunners. They had to be jockey-sized. Can't wait to see your pix!

Snobblevitch

(1,958 posts)

17. I too was able to go inside

Reply to gregcrawford (Reply #8)

Sun Jul 19, 2015, 06:01 PM

Jul 2015

a B-17 on the tarmac. At 6'3" and 240 lbs. I was amazed at how little room there was for ten crew on the plane.

Our next door neighbor when I was a kid was a navigator and was shot down over France. Fortunately for him, he was not captured and he and another crew member were actually found by French resistance and were smuggled back to the Allied area. The neighbor on the other side landed at Omaha Beach +1. I was not aware of that until I read his obit.

cwydro

(51,308 posts)

9. Woohoo!

Reply to Omaha Steve (Original post)

Sun Jul 19, 2015, 03:50 PM

Jul 2015

Jealous!

NealK

(1,867 posts)

10. That's so cool, lucky you!

Reply to Omaha Steve (Original post)

Sun Jul 19, 2015, 03:55 PM

Jul 2015

ISW

(81 posts)

11. Now that brings back a lot of memeories...

Reply to Omaha Steve (Original post)

Sun Jul 19, 2015, 03:56 PM

Jul 2015

I worked at Eppley from 1971 until 1984.

fadedrose

(10,044 posts)

12. She's a beauty

Reply to Omaha Steve (Original post)

Sun Jul 19, 2015, 04:02 PM

Jul 2015

Hope your ride as as nice as this plane looks...

Caring....

burfman

(264 posts)

13. Stephan Ambrose - The Wild Blue - about B-24's and their crews over Germany

Reply to Omaha Steve (Original post)

Sun Jul 19, 2015, 04:16 PM

Jul 2015

You should take a look at this book about flying bombers in WWII, which also has a few adventures by a young George McGovern - former Senator and the democratic nominee of 1972. A great read - you won;t be disappointed.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Wild-Blue-Germany-1944-45/dp/0743223098

Burfman

P.S. - thanks for posting the pictures!

Sherman A1

(38,958 posts)

14. Cool Photos

Reply to Omaha Steve (Original post)

Sun Jul 19, 2015, 04:32 PM

Jul 2015

I flew in a Ford Tri Motor a few years ago out of Spirit of St. Louis Airport and it was a blast. Walked through the B-17's and B-24 that have visited over the years but never really could part with the price of the flight on one.

We do have FiFi the B-29 coming in September and I will certainly do the walk through and take a ton of photos.

calikid

(584 posts)

15. Ooooooooohhhhh, how exciting.

Reply to Omaha Steve (Original post)

Sun Jul 19, 2015, 04:39 PM

Jul 2015

I've walked through one, but have never taken a ride. World War II aircraft are my fav's, especially the Corsair.

onethatcares

(16,168 posts)

16. you were very lucky

Reply to Omaha Steve (Original post)

Sun Jul 19, 2015, 04:58 PM

Jul 2015

to have been on a flight like that.

When i looked at the pix i thought, "imagine being in that belly gunners position with anti aircraft shells exploding all around".

those men were heroes

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