B-29 bomber, exciting day

[DECK SWABBER 58]

The little town of Carbondale, IL. got a big thrill this week. The only airworthy B-29 bomber and a Mustang P-51 returning to Texas from a 4 week tour stopped at our little airport. The pilot is a graduate of The Southern Illinois Univ. aviation program and when he realized his flight plan took him right over us he decided to make his overnight fuel stop here.

It was a very emotional experience to see that old gal come in for a landing as my Dad was a WWII Army Vet.
Notice the two WW II vets in wheelchairs in pic #1. Everyone was photographing them with the plane in the background. It was the thrill of a lifetime.

 

[royal0014]

Re: B-29 bomber, exciting day

That is awesome!! Post more pics!


<<)))(((>>

 

[JRJ]

Re: B-29 bomber, exciting day

My Dad was a Seabee building and maintaining airfields on Saipan and Tinian during WWII. He had a lot of pictures of B-29's. I wish I still had them. Glad you got to see one.

 

[southkogs]

Re: B-29 bomber, exciting day

FIFI!! I haven't seen her in YEARS!! (and last time I did she was part of the Confederate Air Force ) They look so big from the outside, but packing an air crew into one makes them surprisingly small. Then you realize what kind of crazy missions they flew in them in the war. It's amazing watching one of those 29's get off the ground. Neat airplane.

Ironically, we had the Memphis Belle (a B-17) flying in my area all weekend. She did 3 low passes over my house taking some Vets for rides. It is very emotional to see the old guys getting to connect back up with the airplanes and memories of the war. Working the air show here last year I got to push a fella' in his wheel chair out to an F4U Corsair we had on the ramp. This guy had flown over 400 sorties in one in Korea and hadn't seen a working machine in 40 years. Three Marines, myself and a couple of Air Force guys were pretty misty during that one.

Thanks for posting. Cool shots!

 

[tpenfield]

Re: B-29 bomber, exciting day

Nice pictures . . . it must have be great seeing these birds up close and in person.

 

[ehenry]

Re: B-29 bomber, exciting day

Took my dad to a small air show in Jackson, MS several years back. FiFi was there as well as a B24, which is what Pop flew. Pop was the only guy there that actually flew the 24's and the flight crew recognized him and offered him a free ride but he refused.

We got up in the cockpit, he climed in to the left seat, I got in the right and waited for a story to be told but all he did was look around, put his left hand on the yoke and right hand on the throttles, patted them and said he'd seen enough. I can only imagine the memories that were coming back to him. At 93 years of age, he's still is and will always be my hero.

The link below is to an interview one of the local news stations did with Pop and a number of other WWII veterans.

http://www.wlbt.com/story/12223628/veterans-history-project-edwards-henry?redirected=true

 

[hostage]

Re: B-29 bomber, exciting day

This past october, my grandfather took a ride in the B-29 Fifi. His brother, my great uncle, served as a radio opperator in the B-29 and the B-24 (flying the hump). They had 5 crash landings, gas was an issue for those planes, as they flew long range with heavy loads.

My grandfather attempted to enlist a couple of times, though ended up being denied, due to a axe sharpening accident. When my grandfather was a boy his brother almost severed his foot when an axe fell off the sharpening wheel. While it healed, the military was worried about his foot. I guess since he never got to serve and felt like he should have been there he has always had a facination with WW2. He ended up working in factories and on oil rigs. On the other hand his brother the B29/24 radio operator never flew on a plane again. The funny thing is that if the axe accident never happen, I would have never existed. My mom was born in the summer of 1944.

 

[tomdinwv]

Re: B-29 bomber, exciting day

The old aircraft from WWII are amazing and beautiful. I can't begin to imagine what it was like for the men who flew them into combat in that era.

 

[DECK SWABBER 58]

Re: B-29 bomber, exciting day

I have more pics but I think this video/story link might be the best.
http://thesouthern.com/news/local/w...cle_93a5412a-b9c3-11e1-824b-0019bb2963f4.html

 

[DECK SWABBER 58]

Re: B-29 bomber, exciting day

That is awesome!! Post more pics!


<<)))(((>>

I have more pics but I think this might be the best.
http://thesouthern.com/news/local/w...cle_93a5412a-b9c3-11e1-824b-0019bb2963f4.html

 

[Boomyal]

Re: B-29 bomber, exciting day

It is hard to imagine that the skies once ran black with the wondrous creations of this great engine of democracy.

 

[SteveMcD]

Re: B-29 bomber, exciting day

I took a $400 ride in a B-17 once. I was belted to the floor in the Flight engineer's section when the engines started up one by one. I tried to imagine what they were thinking when that happened back in the day. They were about to go into the most hostile environments possible, 60 degrees below zero, no oxygen, 10 hours in the air, and the Germans shooting everything they had at them. I find it hard to believe any of them came back without a few extra holes. I could only come up with one thought. WHAT THE F AM I DOING HERE!!! The courage required to do that can never be overstated. It wouldn't surprise me if those guys clinked when they walked.

 

[DECK SWABBER 58]

Re: B-29 bomber, exciting day

Took my dad to a small air show in Jackson, MS several years back. FiFi was there as well as a B24, which is what Pop flew. Pop was the only guy there that actually flew the 24's and the flight crew recognized him and offered him a free ride but he refused.

We got up in the cockpit, he climed in to the left seat, I got in the right and waited for a story to be told but all he did was look around, put his left hand on the yoke and right hand on the throttles, patted them and said he'd seen enough. I can only imagine the memories that were coming back to him. At 93 years of age, he's still is and will always be my hero.

The link below is to an interview one of the local news stations did with Pop and a number of other WWII veterans.

http://www.wlbt.com/story/12223628/veterans-history-project-edwards-henry?redirected=true

That was and still is one of the best WW II stories. God Bless him.

This past october, my grandfather took a ride in the B-29 Fifi. His brother, my great uncle, served as a radio opperator in the B-29 and the B-24 (flying the hump). They had 5 crash landings, gas was an issue for those planes, as they flew long range with heavy loads.

My grandfather attempted to enlist a couple of times, though ended up being denied, due to a axe sharpening accident. When my grandfather was a boy his brother almost severed his foot when an axe fell off the sharpening wheel. While it healed, the military was worried about his foot. I guess since he never got to serve and felt like he should have been there he has always had a facination with WW2. He ended up working in factories and on oil rigs. On the other hand his brother the B29/24 radio operator never flew on a plane again. The funny thing is that if the axe accident never happen, I would have never existed. My mom was born in the summer of 1944.

The old aircraft from WWII are amazing and beautiful. I can't begin to imagine what it was like for the men who flew them into combat in that era.

I took a $400 ride in a B-17 once. I was belted to the floor in the Flight engineer's section when the engines started up one by one. I tried to imagine what they were thinking when that happened back in the day. They were about to go into the most hostile environments possible, 60 degrees below zero, no oxygen, 10 hours in the air, and the Germans shooting everything they had at them. I find it hard to believe any of them came back without a few extra holes. I could only come up with one thought. WHAT THE F AM I DOING HERE!!! The courage required to do that can never be overstated. It wouldn't surprise me if those guys clinked when they walked.View attachment 154081View attachment 154082

A few years ago we went to a air show and climbed up in a B-17. I was stunned. I could not believe my eye's when I saw the conditions those teenagers endured in those plane's. I start to choke up just thinking about it. WHEW.

I have gone to two of these events, watched the living legend's that come out, felt the presence of the ghost's that live in those old plane's, watched the flag being folded off my Dad's casket, and I just get so emotional.........
God Bless them.

 

[ezbtr]

Re: B-29 bomber, exciting day

every year around May, we have B17's etal fly out of the local small airport here in Concord (CA.) such an awesome thing to watch!

 

[DECK SWABBER 58]

Re: B-29 bomber, exciting day

These planes tour the country during the summer months. They might be coming to a airport near you.

http://www.cafb29b24.org/

 

[Boomyal]

Re: B-29 bomber, exciting day

Since when does the CAF call itself the 'Commemorative" Air Force?

I would so truly love a ride in any one of the big WW2 bombers.

 

[boaterinsd]

Re: B-29 bomber, exciting day

Well its been a few years now, its all about being politically correct. i dont agree , but oh well.

 

[southkogs]

Re: B-29 bomber, exciting day

Since when does the CAF call itself the 'Commemorative" Air Force?

They made the change in '02.