A Devastating Loss for America

[Special K]

As you may have already heard, there was a tragic mid-air collision yesterday November 12, 2022 involving a Boeing B-17 and a Bell P-63. While the loss of life is paramount, the loss of these two aircraft are nearly as devastating.
The P-63 was the last airworthy one of its kind and the B-17 was the last of a few. This incident hits me especially hard as I’ve flown in that plane, rode in the Bombardier seat, and learned about many of it’s specific details while on board.
The crew was extremely passionate and dedicated to keeping “Texas Raiders” airworthy and regaled us with stories of how they would scour parts wherever they could find them. We shared some special moments when I showed them some behind the scene photos of the “Swamp Ghost” B-17 which was shot down in the pacific, spent 60+ years in a Papua New Guinea swamp, and more recently hidden in a Ford Field hangar at Pearl Harbor. The knowledge lost from this is immeasurable and the task of keeping these old birds aloft grows more difficult.
We’re all gear heads on here, and the passion from cars, racing, and their history naturally extends to the skies. Please take the time to read up on them and if your interested, help support their efforts.

The Story of the B-17 -Swamp Ghost-

Papua New Guinea has seen its share of plane crashes, as well as its share of war buffs hunting for -warbird- wrecks.

aviationoiloutlet.com

B-17 Texas Raiders

B-17G Flying Fortress *Texas Raiders* is one of the most recognized and popular warbirds currently flying. The United States built 12,731 B-17s and today only five are actively flying. *Texas Raiders* was the first Flying Fortress acquired solely for the purpose of restoration and use as a...

commemorativeairforce.org

 

[extrap]

Well, damn

 

[davidn]

......

 

[Tomcat]

So sorry for this loss of people and planes!

 

[jr66]

sad

 

[jaxgt]

Tragic loss. Sorry to hear

 

[TO AWSUM]

Yes, very sad indeed. It makes no sense what the P-63 did. The B-17 was in straight and level flight and the P-63 was making a descending turn towards the rear of it. The P-63 had to have seen the B-17 and could have rolled out of his turn and descent easily to avoid a collision. Makes no sense at all. What a sad, avoidable accident.

 

[TEXAS GT]

This was very sad and a huge loss in a number of different ways. Your picture flying over New Orleans makes it a little more personal to me. Just under the tip of the propeller is a 12 story red brick building where we own a condo. If you don’t mind I’ll copy that picture and have a canvas wall print made of it to always remember the crew and passengers.

 

[davidn]

....

 

[Special K]

This was very sad and a huge loss in a number of different ways. Your picture flying over New Orleans makes it a little more personal to me. Just under the tip of the propeller is a 12 story red brick building where we own a condo. If you don’t mind I’ll copy that picture and have a canvas wall print made of it to always remember the crew and passengers.

DM me and I’ll text you all the ones I have, they’ll probably be a better quality than these uploaded.

 

[mmlcobra]

This is terrible!
My wife and I were passengers on the Collings Foundation B-17 Nine-O-Nine three times.
She crashed on landing probably a couple years ago, with loss of life.
Tragic!!!!

 

[Special K]

This is terrible!
My wife and I were passengers on the Collings Foundation B-17 Nine-O-Nine three times.
She crashed on landing probably a couple years ago, with loss of life.
Tragic!!!!

I remember seeing that and thinking the “Texas Raiders” was one of the last flying in our area.

 

[TEXAS GT]

DM me and I’ll text you all the ones I have, they’ll probably be a better quality than these uploaded.

Thanks but I’ve already gotten the canvas made. I’m going to hang it in New Orleans condo next week.

 

[Fast Freddy]

I went for ride in the collins foundation B-17 about 7 years before it crashed. I stuck half my body out into the airstream through the hatch located in the top of the fuselage as we were flying. I also went for a ride in the B-29 superfortress called Fifi. I sat in the bombadier seat up in the nose. The pilot asked me where i wanted to go and i told him to fly over my house. It was Epic.