I just saw the B-17!!!

[freeflir29 0]

I was standing outside work here in Atlanta a little while ago and heard the loudest rumbling aircraft ever. Had to wait for it to get past the trees and low and behold all that noise was being made by 4 huge radial engines. It couldn't have been higher than 800 feet or so. I guess he was headed into PDK airport which is only about 3-4 miles away. Pretty cool sight to behold.
"It's all about the BOOBIES!"

[AggieDave 6]

As you grabbed your rig from the corner of your cube and ran to your car... That's cool man.
Aerials
So up high
When you free your lives (the) eternal prize

[SkydiveMonkey 0]

I remember a few years ago I was at the RAF Staff College in Bracknell (England) and the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight were doing repeated fly-pasts of us for a "display". Awesome sight having the Lancaster fly overhead at about 200 feet with the Spitfire and hurricane !!
When I grow up, I want to be a post whore

[flyhi 24]

Was at an air show once (Possibly Tuscaloosa, AL, can't remember. Massive beer front moved through.) where they asked us to shut down our turbine engines because the old timers came to hear the radial engines.
flyhi

[freeflir29 0]

Quote

As you grabbed your rig from the corner of your cube and ran to your car

I do have my gear with me and yes....it crossed my mind!!! "It's all about the BOOBIES!"

[ChromeBoy 0]

Wassup Clay? Whenever I used to work at the Galleria I would go and park at the end of the runway at Dobbins and watch the F-18's, 16's, 14's and the C-130's take off and land. I took my tape recorder one day when there was about 10 of them doing touch and gos. Pretty good tape. Ever been there? You live close to there?

[freeflir29 0]

I live about 10 miles NE of Dobbins and drive within about 1 mile or so of it twice a day. I'm suprised I haven't had a wreck yet while gawking at the F-22. I have seen all the other planes millions of times but I have to gawk at the unusual ones.
"It's all about the BOOBIES!"

[ChromeBoy 0]

I managed a hotel at the Galleria and the people with Lockheed and Boeing stayed with me for over a year. I have a bunch of F-22 T shirts, hats, posters stored somewhere. I saw it fly a couple of times and it was pretty cool. They would not me in to see the production line though, said I could not get clearance.

[Billy 0]

Went out last week to the approach area of the runway at Faichild AFB,, got some nice video of the B-2's landing,, they were in the area doin missions up to Alaska,, awesome aircraft

[weid14 0]

which one is it? the name? They constantly are working on one behind where I work, just wondering if it's the same one?

[freeflir29 0]

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Went out last week to the approach area of the runway at Faichild AFB

Lived there for 3 years too. I have some great video of the B-52 that crashed while I was there. I was standing outside the big maintenance hangar when that one happened. Couldn't see it directly because of the other hangars along the ramp but sure as hell saw the huge cloud of black smoke. I had been in on and around that plane for a couple years. Tail number 1026. It was sure an awesome and sad sight to see it crumple into the ground like that.
"It's all about the BOOBIES!"

[Dutchboy 0]

I have flown in that B-17 before. It was really cool. I don't think the EAA will let you jump from it though.
The Dutchboy
Phil's Flying Enterprises, Inc.

[freeflir29 0]

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I don't think the EAA will let you jump from it though

BASTARDS!!!!!!!!!
"It's all about the BOOBIES!"

[SkydiveMonkey 0]

What if you were looking out of the door, and "fell" out ?
When I grow up, I want to be a post whore

[kingbunky 3]

yeah, what's up with that? it's taxpayer dollars that pay for them, they do training runs all the time. instead of wasting smart bombs, they could lob out skydivers. the spotting would be about the same. i know, they can't lob out skydivers at mach 2, but hey, they could slow it down a bit!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
bunky
get crazy, before it gets you.

[LawnDart21 0]

The B-17 is maintained by the Collings Foundation located in Stowe, MA. It is the only B-17 left that can still fly. (I saw an awesome video recently (my girlfriend did some volunteer work with the foundation this summer and was given the videos) and the amount of time and effort to restore the plane is amazing. It has a current operating cost of $3000 an hour, so to raise money for the maitenence, they send the plane around the country on a tour of local airports, they sell t-shirts, stickers, etc, but the main thing is they offer rides in the plane for $600 per person. That helps to offset the costs of maintaining the plane. It's the same plane (seeing as there is only one left) that is at Quincy each year. They cut us a break and only charge $350 per person to jump out of it, becuase the ride is shorter. I jumped it last year and it is a kick ass plane. It's ashame there aren't more left. If anyone ever ends up in Massachusetts, I highly recommend visiting the Collings Foundation, they have alot of different antique planes and cars, etc, but the B-17 and B-24 are the prize possessions. The tour at the foundation is really hands on. None of the tour stops allow skydiving from the bomb bay though, you have to go to Quincy (now Rantoul) if you want to become an official "Meat Bomb" as they call it. Probably the coolest jump I have ever made..........
'I live to EFS"
Tom
www.collingsfoundation.org

[Billy 0]

""I have some great video of the B-52 that crashed while I was there. ""
Glad I wasn't workin that day,, was a bad strech for Fairchild... while in Tucson over Easter went to the Pima County Air Museum with my Dad,, we talked for over an hour with a B-17 pilot while standing under one that's been rebuilt,, it was cool,, we talked about how it won't be much longer before all those pilots are gone and things will change... he was a volunteer at the museum and so were many others like him,, had some inspiring stories ta tell,, by the way he thought skydiving was great,, told him about my 100th from 21K AGL,, Cheers ta those boys!!

[Dutchboy 0]

It is not the only B-17 that is still flying. The B-17 that Clay saw is owned by the EAA. It has been in tour in this area recently.
The Dutchboy
Phil's Flying Enterprises, Inc.

[Ducky 0]

Funny, I was North of Atlanta, (Dacula) working this past Monday the 6th and had the same experience as Clay. We heard the damn thing 2 minutes before we saw it. From where I was it looked to be on approach into Gwinnett Regional Apt. In the same area it is very common to see a group of 4 or even 6 C-130s flying a tight formation at low altitudes.
kwak
Stupidity is a crime.

[LawnDart21 0]

My bad, yer right, there are a handful of B-17s still in the air. I watched the video again, and the Collings foundation has the last B-24 that is still airworthy, not B-17. Blue Skies!
"I live to EFS"
Tom

[n2skdvn 0]

probbly on it way back from new orleans . i heard four radial engines about a week and a half ago expecting to see the b-17. nope it was the b-29 super fortress did their fly bye's around my apt.(i live 1/4 th a mile from the d-day museum)
the b-24,b-17and the b-29 were in town on show at the lake front airport didnt have the money to go see them though
oh well was fun watching though!
if ya can't dodge it RAM IT !!!!!!
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