Bill Hillman's Monthly Military Tribute
AS YOU WERE . . .
WAR YEARS ECLECTICA
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2023.01 Edition

TWO VERY DIFFERENT STORIES OF
THE B-17 FLYING FORTRESS BOMBER

1. Hillman Flight Aboard the Commemorative Air Force B-17
2. 2022 Remembrance/Memorial Day Aircraft Disaster in Dallas

1. SENTIMENTAL JOURNEY FLIGHT: WINNIPEG TO BRANDON
The "Sentimental" Photos may be clicked to larger sizes

The Commemorative Air Force B-17 Sentimental Journey ready for boarding on the tarmac



Bill Hillman gives Betty Grable a get-on-board lift
A fine example of WWII Bomber Nose Art


Start the engines


Strapped in for take-off in the aircraft mid-section



Bill Hillman monitoring communications at the Radio Operator's desk
and taking photos from the his port-side window.
* Above the compartment is the operator's .50 caliber machine gun.
* Under the floor of the radio room compartment is a large camera used to take photos of the bomb run.


1. Bomb bay and catwalk to the cockpit.
2. Emergency Exits


On our way -- Westward bound
1. A prairie town in the sights
2. View of the Assiniboine River and oxbow lakes through the gun port


Hillman sets down his camera to take aim with the starboard machine gun
and view of the Brandon outskirts


1. A Brandonite took this photo of the B-17 passing overhead
2. View of the B-17 landing from Brandon's BCATP Memorial Statue



2. DALLAS AIRSHOW DISASTER

* This B-17 was part of The Commemorative Air Force, previously called the Confederate Air Force until members changed its name in 2001 to avoid any association with the US Civil War.
* "Wings Over Dallas" bills itself as "America’s Premier World War II Airshow," and was scheduled for the 2022 Veterans Day weekend.
* Guests were to see more than 40 World War II-era aircraft.
* Its Saturday afternoon schedule of flying demonstrations included the “bomber parade” and “fighter escorts” that featured the B-17 and P-63.
* The B-17, a cornerstone of US air power during World War II, is an immense four-engine bomber used in daylight raids against Germany.
* The Kingcobra, a US fighter plane, was used mostly by Soviet forces during the war.
* Most B-17s were scrapped at the end of World War II and only a handful remain today, largely featured at museums and air shows.


B-17 FLYING FORTRESS BOMBER and P-63 KING COBRA FIGHTER
Prepare for Take-Off



 


MID-AIR COLLISION


THE AIRCREWS


VIDEOS OF THE DISASTER
Wings over Dallas 2022 B17 Texas Raiders Full Demo & Crash Tribute HD
https://youtu.be/zIi2b2Ztem0
https://youtu.be/hdek9VV0_Zo
https://twitter.com/i/status/1591522623376211968


TWO PROMO SPLASH BARS
Click for full sizes

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