A WWII B-17 Flew Over Our Place Today - Vanity

[PUGACHEV]

Four years ago I was in Tucson, and decided to visit the huge air museum. I was standing under a B17 when an older man walked up an asked if I had any questions. No, I said, to which he replied, “Oh, poor me. Here I am with all the answers and you have no questions.” Feeling then obligated to ask about something at least, I asked him what was that hatch on top of the plane? “Oh, that’s where the top gunner was, but I wouldn’t let mine use his because he couldn’t hit anything.”, he replied. This floored me: I was talking to a real WW2 veteran, and suddenly I had a boatload of questions.

[joma89]

Not sure who the ‘we’ is you refer to. Leftist and racist democrats have let them down.

[HardyCanuck]

Every November 11th,I watch “The Best Years of Our Lives” I get choked up every time I see Dana Andrews relive his B-17 experience while walking through a B-17 wrecking field.

[TalBlack]

I was once in a building in Farmingdale Long Island when I heard a deep powerful drone unlike any Id ever heard from Republic Airport (which was literally across the street) The heavy concrete floor vibrated with the sound. Wondering what the hell could do that I rushed to a window. Coming directly at me, on final, at under 200 feet was the unmistakable 4 engine silhouette of a B-17. Might have been the 505.

[GranTorino]

Churchill and probably Roosevelt were aware Pearl was going to be attacked.
Check out the book OP JB (operation James Bond) to learn about it and how they kayaked into Berlin and captured Hitler’s Secretary.

[GreenLanternCorps]

The oil embargos and the move of the Pacific Fleet to Pearl Harbor were in direct response to the Japanese occupation of French Indo-China. In addition to Japan’s ongoing invasion of China.

That act surrounded the Commonwealth of the Philippines (American territory) on three sides with Japanese controlled territory.

America would have been at war with Japan with the first bomb landing in the Philippines, Guam, or Wake. Pearl Harbor was not needed, and almost didn’t happen, since it was a supporting act to the invasion of Malaya, the Dutch East Indies, and the Philippines.

FDR provoked nothing, he responded appropriately to defend our nation.

You can criticize his domestic policies all you want, but he was right on the money in dealing with Germany and Japan.

[left that other site]

I wish I still lived in FL, especially now the way things are going politically.

[Tudorfly]

Dad joined the Army Air Corps just before the end of WWII. Became a weatherman in a B-29, stationed on Guam. Flew big spirals in typhoons and through nuclear bomb tests. Buck sergeant. Honorably discharged at Chanute in 1949. Grandfather fought in France in the Army in WWI. Both became Border Patrol Inspectors for their after service careers. Neither had any patience for fools or miscreants. Nor do I.

[rlmorel]

I was scheduled to go up in Fifi in June 2020 (right behind the pilot seat) and it got cancelled a week before due to COVID.

Sigh. That was a “bucket list” item for sure.

[Vaquero]

Yup. I’m one of those who believe FDR let Pearl happen. He ordered the carriers to sea to keep those safe for the protracted war to come

[rlmorel]

Yes...I know the feeling.

I live in the flight path of Hanscom AFB, and there is a good amount of air traffic of all kinds right over my house, which I love, being an aviation nut and former jet mechanic.

A couple of years ago, like you, I was in my back yard and heard that distinctive sound, and when I saw it, it was about 500 feet and flew directly over my house! What a great sight!

A little while back, my wife and I were visiting a friend on Cape Cod, and I heard that sound of radial engines again, and saw this fly over:

So, when we left and were driving back, we passed a big empty field and I saw a DC-3 parked on the grass! (It just looked like a big empty farm field, not an airfield.)

I had to stop, and when I went over, saw this:

Nobody around, the boarding ladder was down...but I resisted getting too close and taking a better peek!

I sure do love those planes-classic! If I am not mistaken, the Boston-Provincetown Airline had flown them up until relatively recently, on real paying routes. I am not sure if they had converted any to turboprop, which I thought was a completely kick ass idea, even though I find the reciprocating engines far more interesting and enjoyable.

[rlmorel]

Here is one of those turboprop conversions-I do like the radials because I am a traditionalist, but this is pretty cool!

[Blood of Tyrants]

There are still flights available. https://www.airpowersquadron.org/book

[Blood of Tyrants]

https://www.b29doc.com/rides/

https://b17texasraiders.org/index.php/fly

https://www.azcaf.org/fly-with-us/

[lgjhn23]

“..By my count, there are at present only seven airworthy B-17s in the US. A little research might identify which one it was....”

Yep...only a small handful still flying.
That’s why I was so amazed to see one flying right over my shop.
Once I stopped staring in awe as it continued eastward, I checked to see if it might be on the FlightAware app.
It was N7227C: The Texas Raiders out of the Conroe, TX area....probably on it’s way to an air show somewhere.
Made my day, for sure. :)

[Roccus]

Parked in a lot in Jamaica Bay, NY one Sunday in the ‘95 saw a Flying Fortress land on an unused runway at the old Floyd Bennett field in B’klyn. It sat for a bit, then took off and proceeded to do two fly-bys of the JFK tower before heading toward Manhattan. There were a lot of 50th anniversary Victory celebrations going on then.

As to the sounds of multiple radial engines, I grew up in a flight path for LaGuardia airport. Single, twin and four engine aircraft were an all day, every day occourance. At another nearby airport was a skytyping company (Speed’s?). The sound of their five planes flying in line was unmistakable, especially the “beat” of slightly differing rpms.

[GingisK]

You seem to be under the impression that the Germans and Japanese were doing friendly things to those nations they conquered.

[lgjhn23]

Hard to imagine that many of those birds all overhead at once, all armed to the teeth and all coming for a piece of your azz....just the sound alone must have been insane.
BTW, those are some impressive pics and stories in those links you provided. Thank you for providing them.
I had no idea that there was STILL that much unexploded ordinance in the ground over there.

[rlmorel]

Thanks for those links, much appreciated.

Thing is, I was able to make that decision to go for a ride when things were economically different, and now it is a different thing.

We’ll see...I’m not six feet under yet, so there’s time!

[TalonDJ]

“FDR provoked nothing, he responded appropriately to defend our nation.”

And it worked. If they fleet had not been there Japan could’ve simply invaded Hawaii and held it. And then their fleets would be hanging out off the west coast and the panama canal and the US would’ve been Effed.

It was the right move, and I doubt it was FDR’s idea anyway.