Warbird Information Exchange

WIXERS ~ B-17G ~ Texas Raiders Needs YOU !

Here is the email I recieved today
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MOVING . . . MOVING . . . MOVING

MUCH HELP IS NEEDED SAT AUGUST 26TH & SUN AUGUST 27TH
and WEEKDAYS IF POSSIBLE

WING MEMBERS . . . this is it.

We MUST move everything from Ellington to Hobby!! We must be out of Ellington by the end of August!!

We need YOU, your friends, your trucks, your trailers and YOUR time! We must accomplish this . . . and no moving crew is gonna show up to do it. It is up to US!

Start time on Saturdays is 0800 hrs . . . that's 8:00 o'clock in the morning!!

Start time on Sunday is 0900 hrs . . . or as soon as you can get there!!

We had a good turn out this past Saturday . . . we need the same or more for this Saturday!! LOTS of BIG stuff got moved this past Saturday . . . work tables - cabinets . . . but it's going to take a major push to get the rest of it packed and moved.

The props were picked up Wednesday, August 23. They will be back in 6 to 8 weeks and the folks that overhauled them will mount them on TR!! That means engines will be hung during the next 6 weeks!!

For those who can't lift or move stuff . . . we need window cleaners, broom pushers, and bottles of water to ice down!!

There is something for everyone to do . . . come on out and help!!

It's your Wing and it is on the MOVE!!! SO IS TR!!

TR will be towed across Hobby to her new hangar very early Monday morning. Early!!! Hobby has given us the window from 1230 (just past midnight) to 0530

Barbara Johnston
Wing Leader
Gulf Coast Wing - CAF

TEXASRAIDERS@juno.com

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Blue Skies .....

Peter

Consolidated by US state ~ see if there's a heavy bomber tour stop coming to an airport near you ...... http://www.bomberflight.info

Warbirdapps on facebook ~ every day a new image from my personal journey thru the world of warbirds ..... https://www.facebook.com/Warbirdapps

Texas Raiders is now on her gear! Hats off......

Another shot!



I hope Barbara and other wing members will forgive me for posting these two pictures. Goto the GCW website here, http://www.gulfcoastwing.org/ then also click on the News Release over on the left hand column above the Tora Tora Tora logo. When you see this bird back in the air and you get a chance to meet the crew members, thank them! There have been many, many people, who have been on record saying this B-17 would never fly again. A salute to all involved! Alan

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Just call me Al.

It's great to see the ol' gal back on her legs!

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"Keep 'em Flying!"

That is great Alan, thanks for posting the shots.

Great job to all that are helping on this project!

Tim

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www.tailhookstudio.com

Our local news covered the move of TR this a.m. (Mon.) to her new hangar! Great to see warbirds get media coverage. Kudos to all involved.


WWII BOMBER TO MAKE MIDNIGHT MOVE

TEXAS RAIDERS, a Rare B17 Bomber, to be Moved Across Hobby Runways

Houston, Texas - August 23, 2006 - Reenacting images during WWII, a vintage B17 Bomber will make a precarious move in the dark hours of night while the city sleeps. This move will take the aircraft across the runways at Houston’s Hobby Airport between 1200 midnight and 530am Monday, August 28, 2006. Preparations begin on Sunday evening by the volunteer crew and maintenance officers of the Commemorative Air Force (C.A.F.), Gulf Coast Wing. Strategic movements across active runways at busy Hobby Airport require coordinated efforts by airport officials and the Gulf Coast Wing, and can only be conducted during non-peak-flight time.
This movement is an important element in the restoration process, which has taken four years of volunteer and contract labor efforts for TEXAS RAIDERS. A few WWII veterans will be on hand to view this delicate movement into a new hanger at Hobby Airport for the final stage of restoration. TEXAS RAIDERS was built in 1945 and is painted in the colors of the 381st Bombardment Group of the U.S. 8th Air Force. To date over $300,000 has been spent in restoration costs garnered from donations and sponsorships. The Gulf Coast Wing is a unit of the C.A.F. whose mission is to restore to flying condition U.S. military aircraft used in combat and reconnaissance dating back to WWII. More information and photos may be found on the wing web site at www.gulfcoastwing.org.


Tim Landers
CAF West Houston Sqdn.

Great job to the Texas Raiders crew! Maybe we'll have it and FIFI flying together again someday.

Gary Austin

No offense, but I don't understand the hype. They just towed it across the airport for crying out loud ! We towed 3 aircraft across HOU on a Friday afternoon to position aircraft for static display for Hobbyfest a few years ago. We didn't think it warranted a news story. Now when it flies again,..that'll be a story! I hope they get all kinds of coverage on that day.
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It's great they finally have a hangar, its long overdue. Congratulations for that and for all the hard work.

While just moving TR may not be "news" I think it provided a great opportunity to get some press on the project and get the word out to people who may not have known about it.


It makes a much better headline than "Old Airplane sits in Hanger"

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

Let me say that I think its great that they've got her back on her feet. I just thought that two quotes from the story were a little overly dramatic for what actually occurred. I also think its great that they got coverage. It's very hard to get TV coverage in Houston with anything warbird related ,...unless it involves a tragedy.





Moving across Hobby is precarious ? I don't see how, the taxiways are clearly marked and very wide.

Strategic movements ? You talk with airport ops and they are happy to talk with Hobby ground via radio and escort you to the new hangar.