B17 Texas Raider flight

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Niner
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B17 Texas Raider flight

Post by Niner » Tue Oct 12, 2021 6:36 pm

Saw a video on facebook about this plane. People can take a flight if they don't mind spending a little money. I don't know if I'm a candidate. I'm not sure a 80 year old WWII plane is something I'd feel safe flying in.

https://b17texasraiders.org/index.php
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Niner Delta
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Re: B17 Texas Raider flight

Post by Niner Delta » Wed Oct 13, 2021 9:46 pm

If you are and airplane enthusiast, it's worth the risk. Although the B-17 that I flew on did crash a few years later
and several onboard were killed. But you can die anytime in a car crash, so whatever.
This is part of the Commemorative Air Force, it was the Confederate Air Force until the Political Correctness Police got
all up in arms because they didn't like the name..... :roll: .... As if the Confederates had any airplanes.... :lol:
They had a branch in Mesa, AZ when I lived there and I would watch them work on their B-17, "Sentimental Journey", it
was a beautiful shiny silver and I have lots of photos and movies of it's rebuild and of it taking off and landing at Falcon Field.
The prices listed for this ride aren't too bad, I paid $400 for a ride in a B-24 Liberator and $450 for the B-17, and that was many
years ago. The planes I flew in belonged to the Collings Foundation. Back when I lived in Mesa, you couldn't buy a ride on CAF
planes, you had to join and put in hours helping work on the planes, guess they need more money now.
It really is a once (or twice) in a lifetime thrill to go for a ride. If I wanted to spend the money, I would ride in one of their 2-seat
fighter planes. They have a P-51 Mustang and P-40 Warhawk, both with dual controls and you get to actually fly it a little.
But it's $2400 for 30 minutes in the P-51 and $2200 for the P-40. Maybe when I win the lottery..... :cool:


.
:USA:

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Re: B17 Texas Raider flight

Post by Niner » Wed Oct 13, 2021 11:06 pm

Well... flying in an old WWII plane isn't all that expensive when you consider the people who took the Bezos rocket 10 minute blast 60 miles straight up, and then come down under a capsule parachute. I think they paid, except the 90 year old Captain of the Enterprise, I think he got a free ride, was about a quarter of a million dollars each. Must be nice to have that kind of money to burn for a ten minute thrill.
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