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At the Jardin Ranch near Encinal, Texas, today Anita Perry was riding in a WW II-era B-25 bomber when the landing gear collapsed and an engine caught fire.

No one was hurt.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/met ... 92807.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

So how was your day, honey?

- Jim

I am glad she is OK, and I hope the B-25 is repairable. Not so many of those left. I love to have a ride in one of those sometime. When really dreaming, I would be filthy rich enough to have one of my own.

BTW, the article has a couple glaring errors in it.

"...Anita Perry and two executive protection bureau agents were award a B-25..."

"... the front landing collapsed, causing ..." The front landing what?

As one who flew with the Confederate (excuse me - now "Commemorative") Air Force for many years, until the rest of my body outlived my eyesight and hearing, I am so pleased that the B-25 apparently survived. There aren't that many left. Even if a
WWII aircraft is badly damaged, those crazy guys and gals in the CAF, who are so devoted to keepin' 'em flyin', can always be counted on to put them back together, at a personal cost of many dollars and hours of voluntary labor.

Jim

Retired from the USCG, but promoted to Colonel by the CAF. (As is every member of the CAF).

It's good to see you around again, Jim.

I don't know who owns that B-25. It might be this one:
http://www.warbirddepot.com/aircraft_bo ... -lewis.asp" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

- Jim

IIRC, rides in a B-25 were available at the Tillamook Air Museum when we toured it in August of '09.

When up in that neighborhood, a tour of the Tillamook Creamery is also recommended; especially, if you've never tasted Huckleberry flavored ice cream? YUMMO!

seamusTX wrote:It's good to see you around again, Jim.

I don't know who owns that B-25. It might be this one:
http://www.warbirddepot.com/aircraft_bo ... -lewis.asp" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

- Jim

Same here, Jim. They used to have, and may still have, a B-25 at the Lone Star Aviation Museum down there in your neck of the woods in Galveston. When I was down there I was tempted to fly for them years ago when they had so many more WWII aircraft than they had qualified pilots. But I have learned to accept old age and failing skills with dignity. But I still love to shoot, even though the wobble zone gets bigger daily.

BTW, the latest highlight here was my recent attendance at one of Charles Cotton's CHL courses at the PSC in Friendswood. Since 10 years between courses for us old timers is just too long, given that there are 5 sessions of the legislature to change what we thought we knew, as suggested by another commentator here I frequently audit courses just to keep up-to-date. If you really want to know Texas gun law, its origins, its legislative history, and what it really means, you owe it to yourself to climb out of your computer room and take one of Chas's courses. I am so hopeful I can make it to one of his courses devoted to the use of deadly force. His touch on it at the standard CHL renewal course I audited at PSC has just intensified my desire to learn more from Chas.

See you again, Jim. Best regards to my favorite member. I am here, but not very active now. At my age I learn a heck of a lot more by listening than by talking.

Jim

Lone Star does indeed have a B-25: http://www.lsfm.org/b25doolittlemitchellbomber.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I don't know if it is based there or flies in on occasion. I have never seen it in the air. (I see the B-17 often.)

I second Charles's use of deadly force course. After you take it, you'll be going Why did I wait so long? Even if you have to drive from Austin or wherever, it's worth it.

- Jim

seamusTX wrote:Lone Star does indeed have a B-25: http://www.lsfm.org/b25doolittlemitchellbomber.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I don't know if it is based there or flies in on occasion. I have never seen it in the air. (I see the B-17 often.)....

- Jim

Just to further bore our readers, Jim. I have many hours in possibly the last B-17 used in active service by our government, which, in the Coast Guard, as in the Navy, was captioned the "PB-1G." This was out of the Naval Air Station, Argentia, Newfoundland, in 1958. It was later shot down, under radio control, as a target for one of those new missile thingies when they came along.

Here is a real nostalgia piece for yours truly: http://www.uscg.mil/history/webaircraft/Boeing_PB1.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Those who have a love for the history of our military aviation circa WWII owe a lot to outfits like Lone Star and the CAF. Without devoted people like these our young'uns would never see these magnificent aircraft, much less have a chance to fly in them.

Speaking of the Navy -- we Coasties recognize our service as the hard, proud core around which the Navy builds itself in time of war.

This comment, Jim, may stimulate other justly proud ex-Navy members to point out why I say I listen more than I talk nowadays. It has led to more than one barroom brawl. On the other hand, so has hearing, "Shallow water sailors" as we walked in.

Of course our cohorts, the U. S. Marines, proudly say the same as to the Army.

Jim

There is also a B25 at Georgetown Airport. I used to fly from the flying school that keeps it hangared. It's quite a beast when you hear it running. I love those old WWII aircraft. When I lived in the UK the RAF's Battle of Britain Squadron was based nearby and would fly over our house regularly during air show season. The six RR Merlin engines of the Lancaster, Spitfire and Hurricane create amazing music to my ears.

ELB wrote:I am glad she is OK, and I hope the B-25 is repairable. Not so many of those left. I love to have a ride in one of those sometime. When really dreaming, I would be filthy rich enough to have one of my own.

BTW, the article has a couple glaring errors in it.

"...Anita Perry and two executive protection bureau agents were award a B-25..."

"... the front landing collapsed, causing ..." The front landing what?

Reminds me of the dictation program I used at the law office constantly it typed ....Name and DATA (date of) birth?
(Award instead of aboard)

Those will teach enunciation

That's an AP story. It could well be a machine transcription of a TV broadcast. All this stuff is more automated than you might imagine.

Newspapers have not employed proofreaders for years, and editors typically don't read every word of every article. The days of "The Front Page" or even "All the President's Men" are long gone.

- Jim

neilp wrote:There is also a B25 at Georgetown Airport. I used to fly from the flying school that keeps it hangared. It's quite a beast when you hear it running. I love those old WWII aircraft. When I lived in the UK the RAF's Battle of Britain Squadron was based nearby and would fly over our house regularly during air show season. The six RR Merlin engines of the Lancaster, Spitfire and Hurricane create amazing music to my ears.

The noise those Merlins make on a low flyover are enough to make a grown man cry. Amazing what they did for our P-51 Mustang when the Brits let us have some. I have never flown one, but I have flown with many at CAF airshows. One of the few lifetime ambitions I have not attained.

Jim

Lone Star Flight Museum does offer "warbird rides " on their B-25, along with the B-17, Texan trainer, and Stearman. Last year for my birthday my wife bought me a ride on the B-17and it was awesome. But expensive. I think it was $525 and it was just around the Galveston Boliver area and lasted about 40 minutes. The best part was I got to work my way in to the nose for the landing right over the bomb sight. There is a guy in Hawaii that gives Stearman rides to Pearl Harbor and I did that 3 yrs ago. That's something I hope to get the chance to do again. Open cockpit is completely different.

glbedd53 wrote:Lone Star Flight Museum does offer "warbird rides " on their B-25, along with the B-17, Texan trainer, and Stearman. Last year for my birthday my wife bought me a ride on the B-17and it was awesome. But expensive. I think it was $525 and it was just around the Galveston Boliver area and lasted about 40 minutes. The best part was I got to work my way in to the nose for the landing right over the bomb sight. There is a guy in Hawaii that gives Stearman rides to Pearl Harbor and I did that 3 yrs ago. That's something I hope to get the chance to do again. Open cockpit is completely different.

As a wild, but slightly knowledgeable guess, way out of date at that, it might cost, just in fuel alone, perhaps $1000 per hour to fly that B-17. Just an estimate, and you will hear different numbers which are probably more up-to-date than mine.

Of course maintenance, including the routine inspections by licensed inspectors, often including the rebuilding of 4 big engines, can easily exceed the cost of the fuel, even when you have volunteer pilots, crew and routine maintenance, as in the CAF. You don't pick up the parts for these warbirds down at the local auto parts house. Many must be machined from scratch. With my vintage aircraft I had to budget, pretty accurately, one hour of maintenance for each engine for each hour of flight, and more often than not I under-budgeted. If the operators of that B-17 had to pay 4 licensed aviation mechanics an hour's fee, for each hour of flight, plus the cost of parts and materials, including those which have to be made up from scratch for these old warbirds, they soon see it is hard to make a profit giving rides. Even at that, I have not counted maintenance of the airframe itself, which takes many fairly unique skills.

These are expensive toys for big boys and girls, and all the vintage warbird owners and operators I knew, and still know, were without exception just devoting themselves, their labor, their unique skills, often their family life, and their financial resources to a cause. Long may they wave!

Jim