What's Out Your Back Window?

[Ron in BC]

Not out my trailer window either but one with much more of a view.

Panoramic view out the bubble. Forest fire smoke cut down on the long range visibility but wasn't a problem. Flew over a lot of the San Juan Islands.

Always loved the sound of large radial engines and sound you get, mega loud, love it.

Ron

[Vermilye]

The house back window, not the Escape -

[MyronL]

Hey, Ron, I thought that was you, winging it. Eh?

[Ron in BC]

Myron, I've being winging it all my life.

Quite a difference between the drab war time paint job and the polished Maid in the Shade. Beautiful to look at but in my teenage years I spent hours polishing a Beech 18 and grew to hate doing it. One reason why my aluminum bodied car has a matt finish.

I'd previously talked to Kim, a CAF B25 pilot and in real life an Airbus captain, and said how happy I was to finally get to fly in a flying fortress. She convinced me that I really should also check out the B25 because it's a hot rod compared to the B17.

I managed to get the last seat available, a mid-gunner seat. Really different situation from the B17 which has a catwalk over the bomb bay doors. In the B25 you're in a compartment that's sealed off from the forward section. During wartime the rear gunner undoubtedly sat in his position but that's not allowed now. You have to crawl through a tunnel after you're airborne.

Now that was fun, being on your hands and knees crawling along and being levitated by turbulence and some of the hot rod performance maneuvers. Then at the end of the tunnel the gunners seat blocks you from fully entering the compartment so there's some major squirming involved to get up into the seat. Felt weird to be flying facing rearwards. Spent most of my time swiveled around looking forward.

Heading south above I-5 a little faster than my usual speed.

Ron

[Bill and Earline]

Having grown up in Memphis, I drove past a B-17 mounted on a concrete pedestal at the National Guard Armory, hundreds of times.

I never knew exactly why it was being displayed, but of course it was the Memphis Belle. The first B-17 to make it back after 25 missions, and then the crew was sent back on a war bonds tour.

Some say that getting assigned to that duty was basically a death sentence.

The Belle is now gloriously restored and displayed at the Museum of the Air Force at Wright Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton, Ohio. That place is a must-see for anyone evenly slightly interested in aircraft or history. Also, it's free with ample parking, even for Escape combo's.

[Iowa Dave]

Everyone my age has first generation after the war oral histories given to them by family, neighbors and teachers when we grew up. While my dad was in Europe, my mom worked in a factory. She was an inspector with a security clearance. She used a micrometer to inspect gears used to open the bomb doors on the b-29s. On each gear where it was flat in the center she would stamp her initials MGS. They were tiny letters and she used a 2 ounce ball pien hammer that I still have to stamp them in failure to open could be traced back to any part made at Century engineering in Cedar Rapids Iowa. I e been to Wright Patterson, the naval museum at Pensacola, Sac air museum in Nebraska, museum at Ellsworth AFB in So Dak and a few others. Stayed overnight on the Battleship Alabama at Mobile and had oversight for a couple static display planes and tanks when I was Parks Supt in Cedar Rapids.
Never Forget
Iowa Dave

[MyronL]

Wait a minute, is this a B-24 or a B-25? Not too savy on Bomber ID.

[Donna D.]

Didn't the B-24 have four engines? My Dad was a B-24 Liberator pilot during WWII, and his did.

[Rockhead]

B24 4 engines. B25 2 engines

[MyronL]

Donna, awesome!

[h2owmn]

My two youngest grands having a game of James Bond in the morning in my 17a in the eastern Sierra near Mammoth.

[Rossue]

Very cool....Famiglia!

[Ooshkaboo]

Wyoming

[rbryan4]

Originally Posted by Bill and Earline

The Belle is now gloriously restored and displayed at the Museum of the Air Force at Wright Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton, Ohio. That place is a must-see for anyone evenly slightly interested in aircraft or history. Also, it's free with ample parking, even for Escape combo's.

Totally agree about the AF Museum. It's amazing. They have so many historic and iconic aircraft and exhibits. There's also a presidential hanger that's worth the visit as well. They have the 707 that was Air Force One for JFK - the one that brought him back from Dallas after the assassination. You can see where they took seats out to make room for the casket. They even have FDR's old plane with the elevator that comes out of the belly so they could get him in and out of the plane while in his wheelchair - away from prying eyes of course. Can't have the public knowing our President is crippled. How times have changed.

[MrLynn]

Ditto on the AF Museum in Dayton. We spent half a day there on the way to Union, KY to pick up our 21C. Couldn't take it all in; you need two whole days (and tougher feet than mine).

[emers382]

Will explain on next post…

[emers382]

At Cavendish National Park on Prince Edward Island. Unfortunately Hurricane Dorian in 2019 killed or took down 70% on the trees here in the campground, then Fiona added to the damage last year. This is what our site looked like in 2013...

Well I tried, it was a street view shot which I thought was in my photos now but can't see it.

Anyway it was a beautiful sunny warm day today, great for walking along the beach.

[emers382]

Did it a different way, our site used to look quite different

[outwiththedogs]

This state park is on Washington's Olympic Peninsula just north of the Hoh rain forest. Gorgeous place and near wonderful trails. Campsites are great but Hwy 101 is packed with logging trucks so pretty noisy. The trees don't seem to care too much.
happy camping all,
Catherine

[MrLynn]

Originally Posted by outwiththedogs

This state park is on Washington's Olympic Peninsula just north of the Hoh rain forest. Gorgeous place and near wonderful trails. Campsites are great but Hwy 101 is packed with logging trucks so pretty noisy. The trees don't seem to care too much.
happy camping all,
Catherine

Very nice photo!