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Fifi

O

opentrackerSteve

Guest
Yesterday I had the blessing of being able to stop by the Camarillo Airport and see Fifi, the last flight worthy B-29 on the planet.

Attached are a couple of pictures.

If you're interested in seeing this flying piece of history, Presently, it's scheduled to be at the Burbank Airport Mar 21-24 (this weekend). Check the schedule here:

Fif's Schedule
 
Cool.....
Years ago driving home from St.Louis to Chicago one summer's day I spotted am odd plane flying very low across the Illinois countryside. A B-29.....Fifi heading south after being at Oshkosh. Why it was flying so low I don't know but seeing a B-29 in flight. :thu
 
it was at EAA in oshkosh in 2011, but I didn't get over to see it.
Here's a video of it flying into oshkosh.

http://bcove.me/vnithgyo

I just checked and it is coming to Oshkosh forthe EAA Airshow again this year. That is right across the street from my store. Maybe I can get to see it after all. :yah
 
Have seen it at Wings over Houston air show. Incredible. Even better to be within a 100 yards of it when they fire her off.
 
saw it back on april 12 1981 at our local airshow in fl. reason I remember the date is we went over to the cape early that morning & watched the first space shuttle mission take off.
 
Very Cool!! :thu

I have never seen a B-29 in flight, But I've seen a fully loaded AH-64 While driving near TN.

They are an amazing piece of machinery! Almost went in the ditch.
 
Well I got to see Fifi fly over my store today. It was pretty cool. The EAA airshow is this week and its here all week. I haven't gotten over to see it up close, but watching it fly over was awesome.

Here's the only picture I could get with my phone.
zy8y7uva.jpg


Cropped it a bit.
y6e9yzav.jpg
 
looks like 3 b-25's & a pair of Grumman wildcat/hellcats flying escort. cant get enough detail on the fighters to tell exactly what series they are.
 
Never got to see Fifi in flight, but I saw her many times on the flight line. Back in the early 80's when the CAF (then known as the Confederate Air Force...thanks PC!), was based out of Harlingen, Tx I flew into the airport several times a month for the four years I was stationed at Coast Guard Air Station Corpus Christi. We'd routinely have to fly down into the area for training and support flights. The CAF hangar was alongside the runway and Fifi was parked off to one side on their ramp space.

As a side note, a good friend and coworker I was stationed with had a life time membership to the CAF, as did his father. They both supported the Martin B-26, which was also out of Harlingen. That plsne I DID get to see fly on one of it's first flights after restoration. They flew into it Corpus for the annual airshow at the Naval Air Station. Tragically that aircraft crashed in the 90's, destroying the plane and killing the four people on board (fortunately neither my friend or his father were on the plane). The CAF also lost a PBY Catalina which crashed in 1984, the weekend I reported in for duty, also killing seven on board and seriously injuring three.
 
I just sat with a crew chief that was on a b29 in ww2 on Wednesday while he had his oil changed in his car and talked with him for over a hour (he talked and I listened). He was sharp as a tack and had some great stories--I loved it!
 
"SELLERSRODSHOP" said:
looks like 3 b-25's & a pair of Grumman wildcat/hellcats flying escort. cant get enough detail on the fighters to tell exactly what series they are.
Click to expand...

Not Hellcats/Wildcats...too big in relation to the bombers. I'd guess Avengers.
 
"KBMWRS" said:
"SELLERSRODSHOP" said:
looks like 3 b-25's & a pair of Grumman wildcat/hellcats flying escort. cant get enough detail on the fighters to tell exactly what series they are.
Click to expand...

Not Hellcats/Wildcats...too big in relation to the bombers. I'd guess Avengers.
Click to expand...

On second look I'd have to agree with you Mike. The thing that initially puzzled me was the light color scheme of the one at the bottom of the photo. After doing a little checking I found out that there was an Avenger at the show in the Atlantic fleet paint scheme (gray and white). Question answered!
 
WOW, who would have thought Mike could solve a problem?? Up is down and hope is change.
 
I live a few miles from Van Nuys airport here in CA and many of those old birds are stored there. I see a Flying Fortress fly around probably every couple of months. Formations of Mustangs, Zeros and mixed aircraft are always flying around my place. i love it. Nothing like hearing that sound of the engines....nothing like it. You instantly know it isn't a modern plane...
 
Well I sure couldn't tell you what kind of planes they all were. We just wrapped my busiest week of the year. The airshow draws a lot of people from all over the world to little old Oskosh. They say that for one week of the year it is the busiest airport in the world.

Even though I never have the time to really go to the actual airshow. It's is pretty cool watching all the vintage aircraft fly over my store all week. It's nonstop warbirds. Very cool sounds indeed.
 
You should go....its on all week.
I flew in there once...WOW what an experience landing three aircraft at the same time on the same runway.
 
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