The B17 is still saving lives. A great aircraft.
...feel the sadness for all involved. The dedication and skill the people have to restore and maintain aircraft history for us all to enjoy.
Sad to lose a classic old bird like that.
Glad everyone got out safely.
Glad the crew escaped. What a tragic loss of a piece American history. After 25 combat missions over Europe in WWII she has to meet her fate in an Illinois cornfield. Very depressing.
“, but the airplane was a total loss.”
Every salvagable part will be saved and be useful for the remaining airworthy B-17s, looks like the engines are intact for the most part.
Good news, bad news...
One less flying B17. This wasn’t the Confederate Air Forces one is it?
This is kind of like that B29 that was stuck in an ice field since WWII. They brought all the parts and a film crew to document its restoration and their plans to fly it. During taxiing runs, apparently the fuel tank near the APU wasn’t bolted down or something and the plane burned to the ground. I don’t know if they were able to rescue the 4 engines they brought with them. A downer ending of the documentary.
Kee Bird
http://b-29s-over-korea.com/shortstories/b29-frozen.htm
I saw that one flying in Albuquerque a few years ago, but the tickets were all sold-out by the time I found out about it; I was hoping to get a ride in it some day.
I rode on the Liberty Belle about 6 months ago - an incredible experience - will treasure the photos and video I took on the ride. As one of nine passengers, we were allowed to roam the entire AC after it was airborne. Video I took from the nose of the AC is awesome. Breaks my heart to see her in total ruin. So tragic, but so thankful all crew members were safe.
Thankfully the crew got out safely.
Sad indeed - A piece of history gone forever.
On the bright side, the B-17 and the men who flew them have not really vanished. We still enjoy the fruits of those sacrifices made decades ago.
They had a web site; it appears to have been disabled.
The Google cached version is at:
Ping?
We had two B-17 pilots at the local legion..Austell 216. One recently passed. Col Weekly. He flew the Aluminum Overcast. Flew a restored Aluminum Overcast in a show with Jack Rousch.
The other is Stewart Reed. He’s still kickin.
This looks like a place to locate warbirds:
http://www.warbirdregistry.org/
I know Geneseo, NY has some.
I used to go to the Sussex Air Show in Sussex, NJ. Great local show air - Warbirds, Leo Loudenslager, the French Connection, “The Farmer who won a free ride in a Piper Cub” Roger Lehnert.
You can still catch the Sussex County Farm and Horse Show nearby if you want to find out about why they call it the “Garden State”, but the airshow is no more, sad story.
One of those beauts flew over my house a few weeks ago.