Warbird Information Exchange

DISCLAIMER: The views expressed on this site are the responsibility of the poster and do not reflect the views of the management.
It is currently Mon Jun 16, 2025 5:51 pm

All times are UTC - 5 hours


Classic Wings Magazine WWII Naval Aviation Research Pacific Luftwaffe Resource Center
When Hollywood Ruled The Skies - Volumes 1 through 4 by Bruce Oriss


Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 3 posts ] 
Author Message
PostPosted: Mon Sep 16, 2024 3:42 pm 
Offline
Long Time Member
Long Time Member
User avatar

Joined: Wed Jan 24, 2007 1:54 am
Posts: 5209
Location: Stratford, CT.
Hey guys,

Figured you'd get a kick out of a few videos I posted onto my YT page. My friend has kindly digitized some older VHS tapes I wanted to make sure were preserved before something happened to them.

This first video shows the Flying Tigers Warbird Restoration Museum down in Kissimmee, Florida and shows the Collings Foundation's B-24J "All American" being worked on. You can also see multiple other projects down at Tom's shop including a PT-22, Tigermoth, T-28, P-51, B-24, PB4Y fuselage, etc...

VIDEO STARTS AT 1:33 for some reason.


Second is a video shot at the Sikorsky Memorial Airport in Stratford, Connecticut with a local news segment featuring the Collings Foundation (then) recently restored B-24J Liberator and an original WWII tail turret gunner giving an interview.

The rest is home footage my father (Dennis Soltis) shot of me and my sister taking a tour through these two majestic bombers. Fun fact: The two bombers were on display in front of the original Curtiss 1929 Aircraft Hangar that is in the process of being restored by the local non-profit, the Connecticut Air & Space Center. http://www.ctairandspace.org

On a personal note: This is one of the earliest and most vivid memories I have. Walking through these two massive bombers as a little 3 year old. Alongside my grandfather, Peter J. Soltis who was a Top Turret Gunner and Flight Engineer on B-24 Liberators in the Pacific Theater of Operations, in the 320th Moby Dick Squadron, 90th Bomb Group known as the "Jolly Rogers", 5th Air Force.

I was fortunate enough to walk through these two historic bombers one last time in late September of 2019 when they visited nearby Waterbury-Oxford Airport. Their next stop was at the Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks, CT where the B-17G "Nine 0 Nine" met her untimely and tragic end.


_________________
Keep Em' Flying,
Christopher Soltis

Dedicated to the preservation and education of The Sikorsky Memorial Airport

CASC Blog Page: http://ctair-space.blogspot.com/
Warbird Wear: https://www.redbubble.com/people/warbirdwear/shop

Chicks Dig Warbirds.......right?


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Wed Sep 25, 2024 9:58 am 
Offline

Joined: Wed Jan 04, 2012 12:46 pm
Posts: 543
In one of Kermit's videos, he stated that he bought his B-24 in '94 and flew it 6 times in 1994-95 before sucessfully landing at FoF and subsequently parking it. He said that year he did some formation flying with the Collings B-24 at one of the shows. Are there any photos of this happening anywhere? Speaking of the CF B-24, where is it parked now?


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Wed Sep 25, 2024 1:00 pm 
Offline
2000+ Post Club
2000+ Post Club
User avatar

Joined: Mon Feb 13, 2006 9:42 pm
Posts: 2707
Location: NP, NJ, USA
menards wrote:
Speaking of the CF B-24, where is it parked now?
Being stored indoors at American Aero Services in Florida last I heard.

_________________
Share your story: Rutgers Oral History Archive http://oralhistory.rutgers.edu/


Top
 Profile  
 
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 3 posts ] 

All times are UTC - 5 hours


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: phil65 and 288 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot post attachments in this forum

Search for:
Jump to:  
Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Group