B-17 Texas Raiders - My First Time

As I start to type this I hear the "big iron" coming - nothing like hearing those big 'ole radials in the morning *there she goes* :-) ... but Fifi is not the subject to todays blog.  Since I'm in a reflecting mode, I thought I'd tell ya about another time I was "at the right place - at the right time" and got to go riding on the B-17 Texas Raiders.

One of the first things I thought I would be interested in doing at the CAF was marshalling the airplanes (parking them on the ramp) ... talk about "up close and personal" and I went through the training and then happily set of to my first airshow in Dallas at Love Field *insert big iron sounds a'cause here "she" comes again* .... okay, I had to go look at her shiny underbelly one more time - I promise I'll focus now! :-)  (Insider Tip: they are selling rides, but it is also an "infamous" marketing device -- "whip" up the folks in town ... as it may be ... and maybe they may come out to the show!)

Okay back to Gulf Coast Squadron's Texas Raiders B-17- so I was a newbie marshaller at this airshow and mid-afternoon'ish one of the guys in charge of marshalling (who was extremely nice) said to me: Come with me, they are giving marshallers rides on the last flight of the B-17 today.  I was stunned and not sure, but followed him in a hurry anyway, saying: But I have ramp to cover.  He said: Don't worry about it, no more planes are coming in at the moment and the others will cover anyway.

Next thing I know I'm being "tossed" onto the B-17 (after having a waiver put in front of my nose - of which I signed ... um, you people do know that the "waiver of release" really isn't worth the paper it is printed on, right?) .... and then I was hustled back into a seat and buckled up.  Once we were in the air they came and got me (and one other they'd tossed on the plane) and walked us past the bomb doors and to the waist gunner position -- I was standing looking out the right one AND ... ummmm ... "Is that window supposed to be popped out?"  (It was perfectly safe there was a guy belted in there and actually no way I was going close enough to an open window, not strapped in!)

At that point they told us that they were filming (and taking stills for advertisement) with two of their "Little Friends" (P-51 Mustangs) -- who joined up and flew what seemed to me then .... very close, right outside the waist gunner window!  Talk about World War II history hitting you in the face, yes - I did shed tears!  It was an incredible first ride in an "old girl" and to this day I thank Mike (my guy in charge) for saying that the two "new" marshallers were going to have the chance to ride in the B-17.

This website has some great photos of several of the "girls" from Airsho 2008 here and the 7th photo down shows a B-17 with her "Little Friends" .. although the B-17 is Sentimental Journey, based in Arizona and not the Texas Raiders B-17 that I rode in *there "she" goes again for like the 5th pass since I last mentioned her - enjoy your ride people!*

An almost 10 minute video of the Texas Raiders B-17 which shows the waist gunner positions ... with the windows out :-) ... once again not flying over Midland .. take time to look and listen and think of our "boys" that gave the ultimate price for an ultimate freedom -- and still are.  We could be living in a rather different world today ... but for them!   ... and yes, here "she" comes again!

(Oh, my days with marshalling were numbered, at the next airshow I went to found me meeting up with some real ... well I won't say that here ... let's just say *bossy donkeys* and I knew that even though I loved marshalling itself, that I would not be long for liking alot of the people (they were not all Mike) :-) so I told them not to expect me to continue on with marshalling, opened my hand and let it go (although not without much dismay ... and purchasing of t-shirts - did I say I buy stuff when I'm upset?!)

Happy Day Buddies!