Video: World War II bombers (B17 and B25) over Arizona

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Fireengines

Fireengines

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The video starts with a B17 taking off from Falcon Field in Mesa, Arizona and then flies over the Superstition Mountains, Apache Junction, Roosevelt and Canyon lakes, Saguaro Lake, and Hoover Dam.


H5 Productions with the Commemorative Air Force filmed the aircraft on November 13, 2010, the production company says. The B17 Bomber was flown by pilot Russ Gilmore and the B25 Bomber was flown by pilot Spike McLane. The base for these bombers is Falcon Field located in Mesa, Arizona.


Be sure to watch the video in full-screen and turn the music up!

H5 - WWII Bombers over Arizona Landscape on Vimeo
 
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I used to live about 2 miles from Falcon field..

It brought back memories.

Beautiful plane over a beautiful place.
 
thank you ,my father flew as a ball turret gunner, his diary wrote of training flights over those lakes
 
the B 17 flew over house several times last weekend, out of Hillsboro Airport. They were giving rides at $375 for a 20 min ride. A thing to see.
Russ
 
Fireengines said:
There were 12,731 B-17's built and only 13 fly today.
There were 9,984 B-25's built and only 20 fly today.
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Since they first flew in 1938 and 1940 respectively it is a bit surprising to me that there are any still flying. B17's were arriving in Hawaii on December 7th 1941 and B-25's were used in the famous Doolittle raid in April 1942....They were mainstays during and for some time after wwii.
 
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There was a number of WWII planes that flew into the Athens, TN airport a couple of years back, don't know what they were now, just that they were WWII and being flown by some really nice guys.... they were available for tours (for a price - which I didn't have) but we took lots of pictures.
 

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Beautiful video. I wish they would have reduced the music at times let the engines purr..

I'm lucky - I live less than an hour from EAA and get to see the Flying Fortress pretty much every year if I want, and the Mitchell now and then too - and even a b-29 some years.

Funny - every time someone posts a video like this, I can get lost on youtube tracking down cool videos too. One of the coolest if you are a Mitchell fan is in 2010 at WP AFB in ohio, practically EVERY single b-25 in flight status were together and flying in a formation.

My favorite of them all from that era is the Lightning. Unfortunately there is only 9 p-38s left in airworthy status in the US so I don't get to see one too often.
 
TellicoTurning said:
There was a number of WWII planes that flew into the Athens, TN airport a couple of years back, don't know what they were now, just that they were WWII and being flown by some really nice guys.... they were available for tours (for a price - which I didn't have) but we took lots of pictures.
Click to expand...

Looking from left to right, in these, I think you have:
1) P-51 mustang
2) T-6 Texan
3) a couple pictures of a B-24 Liberator

Nice pics!
 
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Alzey said:
alphageek said:
Looking from left to right, in these, I think you have:
1) P-51 mustang
2) T-6 Texan
3) a couple pictures of a B-24 Liberator

Nice pics!
Click to expand...

Actually #1 is a Cutis P-40. It is very similar to the 51 but the canopy is the give away.
Click to expand...
I thought that too but the wing-tip make it a P-51 the P-40 had a rounded wing tip. Or perhaps it is a hybrid....
 
alphageek said:
TellicoTurning said:
There was a number of WWII planes that flew into the Athens, TN airport a couple of years back, don't know what they were now, just that they were WWII and being flown by some really nice guys.... they were available for tours (for a price - which I didn't have) but we took lots of pictures.
Click to expand...

Looking from left to right, in these, I think you have:
1) P-51 mustang
2) T-6 Texan
3) a couple pictures of a B-24 Liberator

Nice pics!
Click to expand...

Only one pic,(#4), of B-24,others are B-17's
 
Longfellow said:
alphageek said:
TellicoTurning said:
There was a number of WWII planes that flew into the Athens, TN airport a couple of years back, don't know what they were now, just that they were WWII and being flown by some really nice guys.... they were available for tours (for a price - which I didn't have) but we took lots of pictures.
Click to expand...

Looking from left to right, in these, I think you have:
1) P-51 mustang
2) T-6 Texan
3) a couple pictures of a B-24 Liberator

Nice pics!
Click to expand...

Only one pic,(#4), of B-24,others are B-17's
Click to expand...
I agree...the nose and the single front landing gear show the B-24 and the lack of landing gear and the round nose show the B-17s. Aside from that Nine-0-Nine is a known surviving B17 (I think 2 pictures are of that airplane) and Witchcraft is a known surviving B-24.
 
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Ok... I looked way too quick at the last 3... I thought it was 1 plane, not 2 :)
So yes - 3&5 are a b-17
4 is a b-24

picture one really has me confused now. I agree the cockpit is all wrong for a p-51 (duh)! But I don't think its a P-40 either. The wingtips and vertical stabilizer are both very rounded on the warhawk, and its hard to see in this picture - but the intake (where they often painted "teeth/mouth" on a p-40 isn't there.

So the canopy looks p-40, the rest of it looks more p-51.... VERY interesting.
 
alphageek said:
Ok... I looked way too quick at the last 3... I thought it was 1 plane, not 2 :)
So yes - 3&5 are a b-17
4 is a b-24

picture one really has me confused now. I agree the cockpit is all wrong for a p-51 (duh)! But I don't think its a P-40 either. The wingtips and vertical stabilizer are both very rounded on the warhawk, and its hard to see in this picture - but the intake (where they often painted "teeth/mouth" on a p-40 isn't there.

So the canopy looks p-40, the rest of it looks more p-51.... VERY interesting.
Click to expand...
I think it is a TP-51C dual Control named Betty Jane. I found another picture that seems to be the exact plane in your picture and that is what they say it is. They also say that it appears at air shows around the United States and is owned by Collings Foundation in Stow, Massachusetts. TP-51C Field modification to create dual-control variant; at least five known built during World War II for training and VIP transport
 
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Smitty37 said:
I think it is a TP-51C dual Control named Betty Jane. I found another picture that seems to be the exact plane in your picture and that is what they say it is. They also say that it appears at air shows around the United States and is owned by Collings Foundation in Stow, Massachusetts. TP-51C Field modification to create dual-control variant; at least five known built during World War II for training and VIP transport
Click to expand...

Yep - thats what it looks like. Good research Smitty. Looks like its the only one of its kind left too.

So it is a p-51 variant. That makes sense!
 
Smitty37 said:
Alzey said:
alphageek said:
Looking from left to right, in these, I think you have:
1) P-51 mustang
2) T-6 Texan
3) a couple pictures of a B-24 Liberator

Nice pics!
Click to expand...

Actually #1 is a Cutis P-40. It is very similar to the 51 but the canopy is the give away.
Click to expand...
I thought that too but the wing-tip make it a P-51 the P-40 had a rounded wing tip. Or perhaps it is a hybrid....
Click to expand...

yes, and the "squared off" tail feathers top, makes it a B.

I stand corrected. I agree it is a 'C' variant.
 
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I would love to make a pen using the nose art off some of these aircraft. I can get the graphic off the Internet and have stickers made up through www.zazzle.com. However, I can nail down the blank to use.
 
What a great video.
I had to send the link to a friend of mine that is a former Navy pilot and retired airline pilot. I'm sure he will enjoy it.
 
The first pic "Betty Jane" a dual control P51C (Texas Built) owned by the Colling Foundation. These (and the California built P51B) were the first Rolls Royce powered mustangs, and they lack the bubble canopy that the P51D received. The P51A (and A36) where Allison powered and had a small airscoop on the top of the cowl. The B17 and the B25 are both prewar designs but the ones in the video are later versions that incorporated many "lessons learned" (the .50 cals on the side of the B25 fuselage, and the chin turret on the B17 mark it as a G or later model).
 
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