Photos | World War II bombers in Seattle

Seattle P I ^

[skeptoid]

Inspect the interior of a B 17 and the only flying B 24 for $12!!

Book a flight ($425).

June 25, 2010  Sang Cho/seattlepi.com
Mac McCauley gives a thumbs up while piloting the B-17 over Puget Sound.

[skeptoid]

Photo gallery

Boeing Field schedule.

Wings of Freedom Tour Schedule

Actually fly a P-51 ($2,200 - $3,200)

Book a flight (note page 2)

I attended a show years ago.

I didn't fly, but being inside a B 17 and a B 24 was a singular experience.

[unkus]

Thanks, skeptiod.

[Lockbar]

Cool set of pics. I did a walk-tru of B-24 “Witchcraft” a couple of years ago. Very impressive. At the beginning of August there will be a airshow outside Detroit that will feature not only “witchcraft” but also EIGHT flying B-17’s, and about a dozen P-51 Mustangs. Be there, or be a liberal.

[Lockbar]

Cool set of pics. I did a walk-tru of B-24 “Witchcraft” a couple of years ago. Very impressive. At the beginning of August there will be a airshow outside Detroit that will feature not only “witchcraft” but also EIGHT flying B-17’s, and about a dozen P-51 Mustangs. Be there, or be a liberal.

[Parley Baer]

I used to work at the Palm Springs airport in the early ‘60s as a A&P mechanic and got to work on a B-17. Those were the days.

[SolitaryMan]

I think the $425 to ride a B-17 is a steal...

[unkus]

Neat!

[Filo]

Great stuff! I got some nice pictures when these guys were in Mountain View, CA.

[CodeToad]

I live under the approach to Centennial airport. The B-17 flies right over the house nice and low. I get goose bumps every time it flies over.

[rockinqsranch]

Thanks for the post. My father, recently deceased had been a tailgunner on board a Liberator in the Pacific during WWII. He had some stories to tell. He went down on three different occasions, but was injured only the last one.

It was interesting, and fun to go through the photo gallery at the link, but rather frustrating for one that seeks to see the aircraft opposed to pictures of individuals gawking at the aircraft.

I worked at the Long Beach airport in the sixties, and had the opportunity to see many WWII aircraft, but not any B-17’s, or B-24’s.

[Mariner]

I’d love to tour one of those old birds.

[skeptoid]

. . . rather frustrating for one that seeks to see the aircraft opposed to pictures of individuals gawking at the aircraft.. . .

I know what you mean, but seeing the veteran tailgunner and kindred . . .

WWII tail gunner George Kuchenbecker (center) gets his picture taken under his name on the B-24 with his granddaughter Jacinda Kuchenbecker and son Mark Kuchenbecker.

. . and then the little guy on the B 24 bomb bay catwalk . . .

.

. . . for some reason makes me count my blessings and blurs my vision.

[conservativeimage]

It’s an honor to even be flown over by one of these.

[glasseye]

My father, brother & nephew were on that B-17 flying in the Bay Area a couple of weeks ago. Jealous I am.

Father was a radio man in the Pacific on the 17 and a few others at the end of WW2.

They have some very cool pics.

[jim-x]

Thanks for the article. Great photos. Would love to ride or just visit those planes. The Mustang must be an early model. Most photos & displays have bubble-canopy.

If anyone is ever in/near Kissimmee, Florida, there are two places at the airport we stumbled across last month.
Warbirds offers a small museum and flights in T-6 Texans. Thirty minutes for about $400. There were some volunteers there building a new (I was specifically told they were not rebuilding) FW-190. They had some parts from 2-3 crashed planes that had been discovered in Norway & Russia. An engine, tail that still had bullet holes in it. Crumpled & destroyed wing. Landing gear. Lots of smaller parts. While I was there two guys were working on fabricating a brand new wing from the german blueprints. Very impressive. Said the project was about 10 years old and would probably take another 10 to finish.
Anyway, while I was talking to one of them, a Mustang appeared on a taxiway about 1/4 mile across the field. He said there were 4 of them over there. So we jumped in the car and went down the road a little. Stallions 51 has 3 two-seat Mustangs (and one 1-seater they hanger for someone). Was able to walk through the hanger and look at all the planes. Thirty minutes in a Mustang will cost you $2350. Tempting for a once-in-a-lifetime ride, but I am not yet independently wealthy and still have a mortgage. But...it would be sooooooo sweet!!

BTW, for anyone visiting Tucson, Pima Air Museum is well worth a visit.
The Smithsonian Air & Space Museum Annex is just south of Dulles airport in case you have a few hours to kill waiting for a flight.
The Naval Aviation Museum at Pensacola Air Station & the Air Force Museum at Wright-Patterson AFB in Dayton, OH are also great places for aviation enthusiasts.

[NavyCanDo]

I am in the flight path of these babies flying in and out of Seattle. Every time I hear the drone of the engines I'm grabbing my binocs. I've been on this B-17 a few times. I watched them refurbish it when it was in Renton.

[Global2010]

I was wondering if this was the same one.

I saw some pics/story of it over at Buchanan Airport in the Claycord.com.

[Windflier]

WWII warbirds ping

[Screaming_Gerbil]

At the beginning of August there will be a airshow outside Detroit that will feature not only “witchcraft” but also EIGHT flying B-17’s, and about a dozen P-51 Mustangs. Be there, or be a liberal.

http://yankeeairmuseum.org/airshow/

I'll be there.

[steelyourfaith]

bttt