CAF B-29 / B24 tour info thread.

[combatmech]

The B-29 "FiFi" is on it's spring tour of the west coast. We are currently in San Diego at Brown Field Municipal Airport and will be here until 13 March.
For more information as to where we are going next please follow the links below.

http://www.airpowersquadron.org/
http://www.cafb29b24.org/

Enjoy and hope that those in the area can stop by. I'll get some in-flight pictures posted later this week.

The B-24 should be up and flying for the summer tour. For now, it'll just be B-29 stuff.

 

[USAFSS-ColdWarrior]

subscribed.



And wishing y'all a safe, successful tour.

 

[combatmech]

We have extended our stay at Brown Field an extra day. Two ride flights tomorrow 0900 and 1030.

 

[m1010plowboy]

We have extended our stay at Brown Field an extra day. Two ride flights tomorrow 0900 and 1030.

PM sent, Thanks for getting the schedules up. Might be some locals interested. Really appreciate all the photos, any of those close up shots while you're working are the best.

Great title on the thread too, we can follow this for a couple hundred years.

 

[combatmech]

Thanks Dave. Never did see your buddy. It was a pretty busy day.
We're off to Palm Springs tomorrow morning. We should be in the air about 2 hours for pilot and flight engineer training en-route. More pics to follow.

 

[combatmech]

Good morning all. We'll be here in Palm Springs until Monday. Ride flights saturday and sunday. I'll get pics up from the flight yesterday at some point later today.
Got your message Dave. Expect a return call today as time permits.

 

[combatmech]

Heading up to Cammarillo later today. More training and a photo shoot along the way.
Should be able to post pics tonight.

 

[combatmech]

We arrived in Camarillo yesterday afternoon. We are being hosted by the Socal wing of the CAF and will be here until Thursday morning.
Here are a few pics from yesterday. We did two photo shoots for the "Bombshell" calendar folks with several other aircraft. Enjoy...More to come.
The navigators table was signed by "Dutch" Van Kirk, the navigator from the Enola Gay.

 

[combatmech]

We've been in Burbank, Ca for the past few days. Really busy, which is good. We'll be here a couple of extra days due to runway construction. We should be in Las Vegas on Wednesday. The aircraft will be at the Henderson executive airport.

 

[combatmech]

HEEELLLLOOOOOOO Las Vegas!!!! Good deal transit flight from Burbank to Henderson today. Sure wasnt sad about leaving the LA area.
Aircraft is in good shape and ready to fly!!

 

[steelypip]

There are a lot of cool things about this site. Definitely the coolest for me, though is the folks you meet and the stories they tell. Talk about FiFi and other warbirds is always fun. But having FiFi's crew chief posting a travelogue = just outstanding.

The last time I saw FiFi (and Diamond 'Lil) was at Allegheny County Airport in Pittsburgh about seven years ago now. It was the first time I'd ever heard (and seen) a B-29 preflight, start, taxi and take off. I grew up with B-52s (saw my first MITO from the end of the runway at about age 6) so it's not like I was unfamiliar with big airplanes or strategic airpower. That said, the memory of the sound of four R-3350s doing their thing getting that (relatively light, on a cool day) shiny aluminum overcast into the evening sky is still vivid today.

There's an essential difference between seeing a machine, and seeing it do what it was made to do. Thanks for all you (personally, and CAF as a group) do to keep these airplanes flying, instead of just being silent exhibits and photos in history books.

 

[combatmech]

I'm very humbled by and thankful this experience. I'm a warbird guy ( TBM, Wildcat, Tracker, Spitfire etc) but this is pretty amazing. It's a small circle of folks, very happy to be here.
I am so glad to be able to share this experience with everyone that is interested.

 

[Gottlos]

FIFI WAS IN BURBANK AND I MISSED IT!?!?!?! I hope I don't have to wait too long for it to return. How does Monday or Tuesday sound?

 

[combatmech]

Almost done here is Vegas. It's been a fun visit. We will be departing tomorrow morning heading to KABQ.
Our PR folks are working on getting better information out ahead of time. I will do my best to get info out as well. Your best bet is the websites listed in the first post.
We should get back to Dallas next Thursday.

 

[combatmech]

We returned from our spring tour this past Thursday. Now we'll be grooming the 29 for the summer tour. More info to follow as soon as it comes out. The B-24 should be "up" for the summer tour as well.
We paid a visit to the National Museum of Nuclear Science and History in Albuquerque, NM on our last stop of the tour. They have a static B-29A. It was interesting to see another 29 up close. She's not in horrible shape, still had the original engines with PRT's (power recovery turbines) still installed. ( we don't have the the turbo's on FiFi ) First pic is over Monument Valley. Enjoy!!

 

[combatmech]

Update....The dates for the first part of our summer tour are out. We have been giving the B-29 the post-tour inspection. She's a great shape for the next tour.
Much like our trucks...constant attention!!

http://www.airpowersquadron.org/

I'll go out to Reading, Pa and stay out until 26-27 June.
Stay tuned!!

 

[steelypip]

I Put the Manassas dates in my calendar.

 

[combatmech]

I'll catch up with FiFi next Thursday in Manassas. Looking forward to getting back out on the road. Those of us still here in Addison have been working on the B-24. She should be flying again mid June.
Stay tuned.....

 

[jasonjc]

Hey THANK YOU so much for keeping FIFI in the air. I seen her when I was 10 or 12 with my dad in Millwalkee. She had flow over my house on the way there. Dad got pic's of me sitting in the pilots seat. Back then they did not do rides. My uncle was a B17 tailgunner in WWII. But I've always love the B29. I hope to see you in Fayetteville Ar this year.

 

[combatmech]

I'm in Manassas, Va with the 29 until Monday. Those in the area come by and check us out. PM for details.