B-17G "The Pink Lady" last saturday

[Gronlandia79]

Cédric

[Pat Carry]

Nice photos, thanks Nice to see that it is inside and being well cared for.

Last edited by Pat Carry on Mon Feb 23, 2015 5:15 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[p51]

I'd read somewhere that this bird hasn't flown in a long time, what's the story there?

[JimH]

$

[Iclo]

From what I heard:

- $ (or € to be correct)
- An aging flight and maintenance crew
- The need of deep overhaul of the plane after decades and decades of flying. This plane went directly for the IGN (Institut Geographique Nationnal) where she was used for aerial mapping to the airshow circuit.

Could fly again one day, not very sure.

In Europe, the public don't have the same feeling about WWII bombers than in the US : unfortunatly these planes will be linked with lot of sad memory about civilan casualties. Things like a bomber touring the country (or the Europe) or the organision of a bombing reenactement will never occure due that.

[Taylor Stevenson]

Is it privately owned or owned by a non-profit? If the latter, can the airplane be severed (purchased) from the organization under French law?

[p51]

She did fly for filming of the movie, "Red Tails," right?

I'd heard that the French mapping B-17s had a great deal of wear on them from people who worked with them on the set of "Memphis Belle" in the late 80s, too.
Such a shame that there is no apparent audience for a B-17 on the aisrhow circuit in Europe, but I guess it makes sense given how many people live there who still remember cities being flattened by them, B-24s and Lancs, especially people who lived in non-Axis nations...

[Matt Gunsch]

The biggest reason it is not flying is politics, the EU mandates that planes be insured by weight and not usage, so it costs as much to insure a B-17 as a 737.

[p51]

The biggest reason it is not flying is politics, the EU mandates that planes be insured by weight and not usage, so it costs as much to insure a B-17 as a 737.

I had no idea of that. Makes a lot of sense, in this case...

[JohnH]

Time to sell it to a deep pockets American, get it ready to fly and bring it here.

[Human Factor]

The problem in Europe is the cost of insurance for an aircraft that size. EASA regulations mean that the insurance companies are required to insure them by weight , which puts the premium of a B-17 up there with a 737, ie. mucho £££ (or €€€ or $$$, depending where you're sitting).

"Sally B" has managed to come to an arrangement with their insurers - paying per flight I think - to remain viable (and very popular she remains, displaying throughout Europe each season) but this is presumably not the case with "Pink Lady" sadly.

http://www.sallyb.org.uk

[Iclo]

Cost is probably the main cause of the grounding of Pink Lady, but I think it's a bit more complexe that just money.

From what I heard (I'm not associated with the association/owners of the plane at all) :

The plane was operated by a dedicated association "Forteresse Toujours Volante" (literaly "Fortress always flying", sadly funny now she's grounded...) but is owned by the museum of the Ferté-Alais airfield or directly the owner of the museum theirself.

During its flying life, the airfield of La Ferté Alais has a too short runway for normal operation of the B-17 and the plane was based at the Paris airport of Orly during a long time, but they lost their hangar a few years before the grounding of the plane. So during a few years the plane had various "homebase" airports.

Considering the guys who maintained and operated the plane since a long, long time are aging (from their own words) and considering the plane deserved a major maintenance and face the financial load of operating the plane, it was decided to ground it for an unknown length period.

The best solution was to bring the plane to the museum airfield: negociation was done to increase the runway operationnal length to allow a landing "at reduced weight". The ferry of the plane was done just before the type rating of the crew expired and the plane spent a few months outside before a new exposition hangar was build. So the plane is not only stored but displayed at the museum.

This link show the "last flight" and landing at the museum. Of course, it's in French but at the end, the feeling of the flying crew and the association members is huge and moving : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6I6mSC5ewuA

Rumours are the "major overhaul" could be done in midterm futur.

So no, the plane will be never to be sold. But of course, I suppose that that a sponsor or donator would be more than welcome.

About the museum, it's an association, created by a familly in 1933 (so it's probably one of oldest warbids collection in the world)
I attempted their airshow and this association is incredible by the number and the wide range of aircraft type. The airfield itself is "the little french Duxford"