I’ve had the pleasure of being low level buzzed by both these great birds today. The B-17 is amazing and I’ve heard them fly before. It makes a very cool deep sound as it lumbers around. The B-25 however, now that one I’ve never heard fly and that bird is loud and super aggressive sounding. I absolutely love watching these BMF birds grace the skies. I just wish I had the scratch to take one of the flights in each one. That would be beyond cool.
BK
Cool way to get the windows rattled isn’t it…
You’re a lucky guy.
Brandon - No noise complaint from you, I’ll bet. I saw a bomber at the Tucson Pima Air Museum, about 25 or 30 years ago, named Sentimental Journey. Can’t recall for sure if it was a B-17 or B-29, but I think it was the latter.
Was it common to have different airplanes with the same name?
And long ago I lived in the country, in Western Washington. One day I heard the drone of big radial engines coming from the North at low altitude, flew almost directly over my house. It was a B-29 and a B-24, I believe they were “FIFI” and the -24 was in a desert sand color. Maybe that was the Confederate Air Force.
Anyway, that was THE highlight of that day, for me.
Patrick
This is definately the two birds that have been flying around. I did some searching and they have been in town for about two weeks giving rides and tours. Their last day here is today. The B-25 buzzed over me as I was running errands at about 100 feet during a take off with what seemed like full power, very impressive. Made my day.
BK
Sentimental Journey, Diamond Lil (early B-24), and Fifi are all Commemerative AF planes. Fifi and Lil are operated by the same part of the CAF and often travel together.
Twenty odd years ago when I worked at the National Warplane Museum in Geneseo, SJ came in for the annual Airshow and blew a tire on landing. Fortunately, she was able to taxi over by the hanger before the tire went completely flat. We had a set of wing jacks for Fuddy Duddy (our 17), so were able to change out the tire over the next couple weeks. Tire came up from Florida I believe on a flatbed. Very interesting to see how the brakes worked - basically pneumatics pumping air into a bladder that compressed the shoes against the drum.
We had a privately owned B-25 that was a frequent visitor from New England. He had the exhaust short-stacked and would intentionally desynchronize both engines went he went out over the college dorms - talk about rattling the windows!
I was just a volunteer grunt, but our A&P was a grizzeled old AF retiree who worked on just about everything the AF had. What a delight it was to work with him. Those were the days…
Brandon, that’ll bring a smile to your face.
Interesting story, Willy.
The 25 is loud inside it, too!! We got a ride in the Lonestar Flight Museum’s B-25. Loud and hot, even on a March day where the ambient temps were about 80. Ear protection was a requirement, but still didn’t make much difference.
A friend is the crew chief on that bird, so after the ride, we got an inside tour of their B17 they were just days away from getting their flight certification for. We want to go up in the 17, too, but no way will we do it in the summertime in Houston!!