Just Got Back Home After My Flight In A WW-II, B-25 Mitchell

-
hemi71x

hemi71x

FABO Gold Member
FABO Gold Member
Joined
Dec 22, 2009
Messages
7,668
Reaction score
4,891
Location
Rancho Cordova, CA
I had quite a surprise during my morning, today.
My good friend called me up and asked if i was doing anything, this afternoon.
Asked, if i wanted to for a flight in a B-25.
Of course, i wouldn't be doing anything else.
Who in their right mind would refuse something like that.
My friends dad paid for 6 of us, at $450.00 a pop, to go up in the aircraft.
They are flying out of the old Mather Air Force base this weekend, in the Sacramento, area.
B-17, B-24, B-25, P-40, P-51, aircraft are here.
I flew in the B-17 a few years ago, so the B-25, is now off my "bucket list"
Boy, quite a cramped aircraft in the inside.
And those WW-II aircrew did it on a regular basis, and at freezing high altitudes too.
My hats off to those guys, of that generation.
A VERY noisy aircraft, and you definitely needed to wear ear muffs during the flight.
I will remember from what Folsom Dam, Folsom Lake, looks like from altitude.
Really enjoyed my day.

B-17 017 (Small).jpg
 
Last edited:
hemi71x said:
I had quite a surprise during my morning, today.
My good friend called me up and asked if i was doing anything, this afternoon.
Asked, if i wanted to for a flight in a B-25.
Of course, i wouldn't be doing anything else.
Who in their right mind would refuse something like that.
My friends dad paid for 6 of us, at $450.00 a pop, to go up in the aircraft.
They are flying out of the old Mather Air Force base this weekend, in the Sacramento, area.
B-17, B-24, B-25, P-40, P-51, aircraft are here.
I flew in the B-17 a few years ago, so the B-25, is now off my "bucket list"
Boy, quite a cramped aircraft in the inside.
And those WW-II aircrew did it on a regular basis, and at freeing high altitudes too.
My hats off to those guys, of that generation.
A VERY noisy aircraft, and you definitely needed to wear ear muffs during the flight.
I will remember from what Folsom Dam, Folsom Lake, looks like from altitude.
Really enjoyed my day.

View attachment 1715343879
Click to expand...


Yeah, quite cramped. Gotta remember the guys back in the day were a little skinnier and shorter. Of course Jimmy Stuart who flew combat in B17s was the exception. Not a good candidate to be a ball turret gunner. Bet it was a cool experience. Did you ride in the nose?
 
dart4forte said:
Yeah, quite cramped. Gotta remember the guys back in the day were a little skinnier and shorter. Of course Jimmy Stuart who flew combat in B17s was the exception. Not a good candidate to be a ball turret gunner. Bet it was a cool experience. Did you ride in the nose?
Click to expand...
No,i was in back.
My friend, his girl friend, and his sister were in the front.
 
hemi71x said:
I had quite a surprise during my morning, today.
My good friend called me up and asked if i was doing anything, this afternoon.
Asked, if i wanted to for a flight in a B-25.
Of course, i wouldn't be doing anything else.
Who in their right mind would refuse something like that.
My friends dad paid for 6 of us, at $450.00 a pop, to go up in the aircraft.
They are flying out of the old Mather Air Force base this weekend, in the Sacramento, area.
B-17, B-24, B-25, P-40, P-51, aircraft are here.
I flew in the B-17 a few years ago, so the B-25, is now off my "bucket list"
Boy, quite a cramped aircraft in the inside.
And those WW-II aircrew did it on a regular basis, and at freezing high altitudes too.
My hats off to those guys, of that generation.
A VERY noisy aircraft, and you definitely needed to wear ear muffs during the flight.
I will remember from what Folsom Dam, Folsom Lake, looks like from altitude.
Really enjoyed my day.

View attachment 1715343879
Click to expand...
Awesome. Those guys were definitely badasses. Ever get a look inside a belly turret of a B17? Talk about balls.
 
Jim that's badass. Your friend's dad? Heck you ain't no spring chicken. How old is your friend's dad? More pictures?
 
I got to go also a few years ago. Amazing how loud they are. All the control cables are right there (they said don’t touch lol !!).
 
My Father was a B-25 pilot during WWII mainly in the Pacific during late stages of the war. I wore his boots and flight jacket hunting for many years because they were made for that cold temp. He was a small guy about 5'6" and I don't believe ever weighed much over 140. I haven't flown in one but I did have the opportunity to crawl through one with him quite a few years ago.
 
I'm five shades of jealous!
My grandfather was a crew chief on one of those during WWII.
Said he could do everything a pilot could and change a fuel pump mid-flight.
I've always wanted to go up in one.
 
Imagine what the B-29 crews thought of the new pressurized and heated SuperForts....I'd put the ball turret gunners right up there with Vietnam tunnel rats: Balls bigger than their work zones.
 
That is very cool, something I would like to do someday. The closest I got was to crawl around in one for $5 lol

First pic is my feet crawling out of the nose, second my head is visible in the cockpit .
20190309_152727(0).jpg

20190309_152745.jpg
 
We have the Arizona chapter of CAF here in Mesa at Falcon field. Falcon was used for training British pilots during the Battle of Briton. They have numerous warbirds there. The main attraction is the B17 and B25. They fly over my house on the weekends giving people rides.

This time of the year the B17 and B25 make the tours across the country. What’s really cool is there’s an owner of a P51 that flys about once a month. He makes staffing runs along the runway at low level. Really wakes you up when sitting at the light at Recker and Higly which is lined up on the east end of the runway and he flys over. Nothing like a Merlin screaming overhead.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
-

Back
Top