Date: Fri, 5 Nov 2010 14:46:59 -0700
Reply-To: Al Knoll <anasasi@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Al Knoll <anasasi@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: no vanagon content - nice aeroplane spotted
In-Reply-To: <D0D9E784-7F63-4754-BB03-2BB9443705E6@shaw.ca>
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Long ago when I was young and fast, I rode a double century in
Lassen/Plumas counties in Northern California. I travelled up on
Friday evening to Chester California, home of Firebase/Helitack
Chester a gathering of fire suppression aircraft during fire season,
today but a much lesser facility then. As I drove by the Airport, I
was surprised to see a B-17 parked. Being the curious sort, I pulled
over and walked toward the little command "shack". I noticed a fellow
napping on a cot under the vintage wing. I wandered over and he
noticed the slim, muscular, cyclist and said "hi". I asked if this
was "his airplane" and he said it was. He and his partners had
rescued the venerable bomber from the scrap heap, requalified it for
air service and were leasing it to the US Forest Service for fire
suppression. He asked if I'd like a tour. Fully functional including
syncronized supercharged radial engines, but with out armament, it
carried three independently operable slurry (fire retardant) tanks.
I got an E-ticket tour and a history lesson all in one. I mentioned
that I'd sure like to hear it take off someday. He said that if I was
around on the next fire alarm, I'd be welcome.
Cobby and crude by todays standards it was a beautiful beast. He had
mentioned that it was the only aircraft in the FS that could lift that
amount of weight and still take off in 'short order'.
200miles of tarmac and thirsty red roads later, I was leaving with
patch in pocket that next morning. On the way out, I thought I'd
stop and chat again. I pulled over and wandered in, the
proprietors/crew were all there this time and I shook hands all
around. Once again I mentioned that I'd surely like to hear the
warbird scream. Almost on cue, the squawker went off for an incident
near Redding. The pilot handed me a pair of ski goggles and told me
to stay at the command shack. They trotted over, levered up into the
grand old lady, and the groundsman manned a huge fire extinguisher,
about a minute later the number 1 engine cranked over and caught, then
two and four and three. Oooo the thunder from the past. They
throttled up and slowly taxied out to the grass at the end of the
runway. Then on to full throttle and the scream of 'the real stuff'
as the lady trundled down the runway at a fast amble... It almost
seemed that the ground speed was no where near enough to lift that
load over the trees. Not so, she raised her tail and gracefully
skimmed over the pines then turned and passed back over the airstrip
with a slight waggle of wing.
Like many of the ladies in my life I never saw her again, but that one
mornings fling was worth it all.
If the B-17 "Sentimental Journey" ever comes by your patch, make sure
to see her. Touch the history and think of Capt. Schimandle and 35
missions over Europe in a sister ship. Home without a single casualty
on his side. His California Plate was I-FLY-B17. He had a summer
place at Chester, and I worked with his nephew John at HP.
Pix here http://447bg.com/Combat%20Crew%20Gallery%209.htm Look for Ray
Crew, Rattlesden
Pensioner.
On Fri, Nov 5, 2010 at 9:27 AM, Alistair Bell <albell@shaw.ca> wrote:
> this is the first I have seen here for a while.
>
> It might be down for some specialised maintenance, for sure I have
> not seen another Buffalo Airways plane here before, mind you, I am
> not looking all the time :).
>
> I was amazed at what Buffalo are still flying up north.
>
>
> alistair
>
>
> On 5-Nov-10, at 9:16 AM, Loren Busch wrote:
>
> RE: PBYs in Victoria BC
> Interesting Friday link, thanks
> Some 30+ years ago I recall being a little surprised, flying into
> Victoria for a pistol match, at see at least three, maybe four PBYs
> sitting there. I was told at the time that they were indeed being
> used for forest fire work. Glad to know that at least one is still
> flying.
>
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