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BorgBiker

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No, this is not a NSFW story. Yesterday I fulfilled a dream I've had since I was 10 - took a ride on the (until recently) only flying B29 SuperFortress left - FIFI. She makes the rounds around the US to help raise money to keep her running so future generations can experience some of the history firsthand.

Here's a link for details on the Commemorative Air Force branch that FIF belongs to:
http://www.cafb29b24.org/

I rode in the 'belly of the beast' and got to check out the back half of the plane. In the future (when finances allow) I'll take another ride from the bombardier's seat in the nose of the plane.

There's something very cool about the sound of 4 18 cylinder radial engines (that's 72 3.2 liter cylinders) thundering around you. It was loud, but it wasn't nearly inside as loud as my Kerker with the comp baffle sounds inside my helmet!

Flying in a warbird isn't cheap - they burn literally tons of fuel and oil. The pilot told us it's about a million a year to keep fluids in this single aircraft. Maintenance, fuel and supplies do not come cheap, and when something breaks there is no place to buy a replacement. Custom fabrication is the ONLY way to keep these running. The crews are usually volunteers who love flying, but they always have a paid mechanic with them – who keeps the plane flying. These guys can repair any part of the plane, and are employees of the CAF.

I know not everyone can afford a seat, or lives near enough to be able to take a ride in one of these beauties. But if you are a lover of aircraft, especially WWII aircraft, please consider donating any little bit you can afford. If you live near one of the many CAF 'Wings' please consider lending your time to help. My hope is that when my grandkids (who aren’t around yet) are grown, they can show THEIR kids what impressive machinery was possible before computers, 3D printing and Virtual Reality.

Video:
Short B29 Flight Over Ventura County Ca
Takeoff From Inside The Belly Of The Beast
 

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I've never sprung for a ride, but I've gone to the airport to see these types of old planes from WW II, & the Korean War, and it's a good time. Thinking about the young men who piloted these in wartime is a sobering thought. So-many didn't return.

Did you shoot any video? Thanks for the post, I like to read about aviation history.
 
I've never sprung for a ride, but I've gone to the airport to see these types of old planes from WW II, & the Korean War, and it's a good time. Thinking about the young men who piloted these in wartime is a sobering thought. So-many didn't return.

Did you shoot any video? Thanks for the post, I like to read about aviation history.


Yes, I put links to the video above the thumbnails. I only took 3, still one more to load later. I think my sister-in-law has a video of us landing from a short distance away.
 
What a way cool experience!!.................Maybe someday I will get to do something like that!...............I'm a ground equipt tech in the airline industry, one of my stations I cover is the Kalamazoo/Battle creek airport in Portage Mi, every once in a while in the summer I will get the pleasure of watching one of the WW2 fighter planes from the Air Zoo taxi out and take flight, they will circle the area and drop back in, the sound of the radial engine is Awesome!!........:punk:.......Tom.
 
I remember when Battle Creek still had passenger service, I could fly into there cheaper than Kalamazoo.

Can you imagine being in the bombardier's seat, and the flak is exploding all around you? I was just reading an account of the Messerschmitt ME 262 jets flying through the Allied bomber flight paths, easily 100 mph faster than the bombers, and sometimes the fighter escorts couldn't accompany the bombers all the way to the target. Carnage ensued. What brave men, knowing that the odds weren't in their favor, but fighting for freedom from despotism.

I also watched your WestHills to Malibu video.
 
I remember when Battle Creek still had passenger service, I could fly into there cheaper than Kalamazoo.

Can you imagine being in the bombardier's seat, and the flak is exploding all around you? I was just reading an account of the Messerschmitt ME 262 jets flying through the Allied bomber flight paths, easily 100 mph faster than the bombers, and sometimes the fighter escorts couldn't accompany the bombers all the way to the target. Carnage ensued. What brave men, knowing that the odds weren't in their favor, but fighting for freedom from despotism.

I also watched your WestHills to Malibu video.

Yeah, that flak was nasty. But I've seen pictures of planes mangled by flak that still got the crew home.

The ME262's biggest problem was range. They had little combat time before having to return home to refuel. If that had been addressed, there'd have been a lot more ME262 victories.

That ride video is my usual quick ride, sometimes I go left towards the gas station, sometimes right to to Latigo Canyon Road. It's a seriously twisted piece of pavement that is guaranteed to make me scrape hard parts, even when trying hard not to.
 

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