SAC museum B 17 Crawl through day

[GrumpE]

Hi folks,

Finally got around to uploading these. The crawl through was April 9th. The second Saturday of May is the B 36!!!! Only the forward fuse will be open as the rear has not been cleaned out yet.

http://community.webshots.com/user/negrumpe

Also check out their website.

http://strategicairandspace.com

Enjoy!

Eric

[mrhenniger]

Thanks for sharing Eric!

Mike

[wendovertom]

Great shots!

Too bad more museums don't this type of event.

Tom P.

[mrhenniger]

Too bad more museums don't this type of event.

When the National Warplane Museum was at Geneseo NY, apparently they allowed access to their aircraft quite often. In 1995 I had Thanksgiving Monday all to myself. Of course this was TG Monday in Canada, which was a regular weekday in the US. I took a trip to Geneseo to visit the museum for the first time. I was the only person there since it was a regular week day. I was told when paying my admission that if the door was open and a ladder was in place I was welcome to enter the aircraft and walk around. Wooo hoooo!!! I had a great time crawling all through Fuddy Duddy. I sat in each position from the bombarier's position, to the pilot's position to the tail gunner. Being able to take the time and absorb the surroundings of such a significant aircraft type is something I will never forget.

The Canada Aviation Museum allows similar experiences from time-to-time, but are rare. Ryan Keogh (of Collings Foundation fame) has a great time looking around the bomb bay and into the cockpit of the CAvM's B-24L last summer. This B-24 was a sister ship to Whichcraft when they were in service with the Indian Air Force. You had to be there to hear it, but everyone had a good chuckle listening to Ryan marval over the condition of the CAvM's B-24.

I do agree though. Access like this should be granted more often. I helps bring the casual visitor to a whole different level of appreciation (although still a long way off) of what the service people endured when these great aircraft were in service.

Regards,

Mike

[Dennis7423]

This aircraft holds a special place in my heart, because it carries the colors of my Grandfather's squadron! Only difference, he was in the 337th, not the 339th. However, those distinctive red stripes catch my eye every time I see them...

-Dennis Sauter
Greeley, CO

[GrumpE]

I believe when they restored this B 17 they painted it up in the colors of a local USAAF pilot veteran. Will dig back in my papers etc. His name is painted on the fuse.

Now if they would only open up the Vulcan after teh B 36

Actually the B 25 done up a s Doolittle raider is suposed to be really top notch as well. From the outside she is grand.

Eric