Warbird Information Exchange

Those numbers signify the "3 o'clock" and "9 o'clock" positions relative to the nose of the aircraft as a reminder to the gunners when calling out positions of attacking fighter aircraft... so they don't forget and use the numbers relative to THEIR position (which no one would know!).

Thanks for the question! Glad you liked the article!

Ryan Keough
Collings Foundation

We still write the clock positions on our windows with a grease pencil prior to going into a combat area. Fighters aren't a problem, but there is always rockets and AAA.

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Brad

Thank you Ryan.

Now that you've pointed it out to me, it seems really obvious.

I last saw the Lib back in '92 (as the All American) at Manassas, Virginia and took the tour inside it. You guys put on a great show, bringing both the B-24 and B-17 down for some low-level passes. What a great pair of birds!

I last saw Nine-O-Nine airborne in 2003 during a stop at the Montgomery County Airpark in Gaithersburg, Maryland. I had worked late the previous evening. As I lay in bed, I heard a noise that caused me to think instinctively "Radial Engines". As I jumped out of bed, yanked up my shade and looked skywards, there was Nine-O-Nine flying right over my backyard. Now that's a way to wake up in the morning!

I guess there must have been a few other rides that day as I saw Nine-O-Nine tooling around the area later in the morning. I don't care how many times you see a B-17 (or B-24) in flight, it's always a thrill.