Just read the terrible news that one of the handful of still flying B-17 Flying Fortress has crashed and burned in the United States. The BBC report that the crew and other passengers escaped safely but the loss of the aircraft is a disaster.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-13764898
According the the BBC
"An American B-17 Flying Fortress bomber used for exhibition flights has caught fire and crashed in a field outside Chicago.
The vintage plane took off from Aurora Municipal Airport and crashed about 20 minutes later in nearby Oswego County, Illinois. All seven people on board the plane escaped uninjured."
Very sad end.
ReplyDeleteReally awful, but I'm glad the people aboard got out safely.
ReplyDeleteAt least they walked away. Plane, sad.
ReplyDeleteI saw this as breaking news on CNN and talked about it with my wife as it was happening. I saw that very plane a couple of times before at warbirds shows here in NY state over 20 years ago now. I saw there when they had every single operational B-17 take off together and do a "bombing run" of watermelons over a field off to one side of the air show. It was pretty impressive, seeing them all take off together was the best part though. It was a really hot July day and the wind from their props made the tall grass from the field they were using as a taxi way just lay down flat, then it hit us in the crowd as the best cooling breeze. Magnificent, powerful machines. I am glad the crew made it out safe, but heartbroken that the aircraft is a total loss.
ReplyDeleteSuch a shame, at least everyone survived.
ReplyDeleteWow, that's one big chunk of WW2 history down the pan.
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