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Collings Foundation Wings of Freedom Tour, Beverly. September 16th - 18th

thousm

thousm

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Not firearms related but I know many of us are history buffs. For me this is just pure fun.

Beverly, MA

September 16 @ 2:00 pm - September 18 @ 4:30 pm

| $6 - $12

Event Navigation

Walk Through Tour Times (no reservations needed):
9/16/2016 – 2:00 PM till 4:30 PM
9/17/2016 – 10:00 AM till 4:30 PM
9/18/2016 – 10:00 AM till 4:30 PM
$12 Adults / $6 Children 12 and under.
Flights take place before and after tours.
30-minute flight on the B-17 or B-24 is $450 per person
30-minute flight on the B-25 is $400 per person
30-minute flight training on the P-51 is $2200
60-minute flight training on the P-51 is $3200
Call 978-562-9182 for flight reservations.


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https://www.facebook.com/events/842329062569450/
 
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I've gotten to fly in their B-17 and B-24, and flew the P-51 for an hour when they were at Norwood a few years ago. Got some good pictures.
 
I think they may have been in Hyannis yesterday. Heard a rumble looked up and saw what I think was a B-25 climbing out from Hyannis airport. They came out to Nantucket a few years back. One Friday I was cutting the lawn and over the noise of the lawn mower I could hear this deep engine noise, looked up and their B-24 and the B-17 were circling. Awesome. Can't even imagine what a large group of either would sound like.
 
My wife and I went down to the Beverly airport when they were there a few years ago. It's very impressive, even if you don't ride on the planes. I believe the big plane they had with then was a B-25, which always interested me. My dad worked on them during WWII. Some folks brought an elderly gentleman out who took a ride in the P-51. I gathered that he was involved with them during the war. It's impressive stuff.
 
Some of my pictures I was able to take through the top of the B-17 using an Olympic Tough. This is one I was able to find easy, as I've been using it as my desktop background on a couple of my computers. I'll have to try to look around for the original pictures. They're on some computers, someplace. We were doing a bombing run over my MIL house (ok, really we were flying over my house, but it sounds funnier if it's my MIL). Timing was good, to me, as I like the sun just setting right behind us.


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swatgig said:
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I think we'll be there on Sunday.
When the guy does the B-17 rides out of Lawrence they come low and slow over my house all day.
Run outside like a little kid every time . [smile]
 
I was looking skyward thurs and today usually I see something fly over head when they are in Plymouth ..... I have seen the bombers for the past few years going in for a landing and they go right over my house at least once. Must be wind direction that dictates route.
Yesterday I just caught the Mustang doing a slow banked turn and could just make out the red stripes and STAR.
Last year they flew the bomber so low over the house We could see up into the bomb bay!

Today all I could do was hear what sounded like one of the bombers off to the SE from 106 in kingston.

I'm not sure how it works but looking at the satalite images they are using runway 13 to land when they go over my house in kingston.
 
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Was at work today, less than 1 mile from Beverly Airport, and heard the fabulous sound of at least 2 of these beauties flying in. I read about the event earlier in the week and when I heard the engines I knew it had to be them. Stopped by the airport on my way home to admire them. Too busy to head over this weekend, so tonight was my only chance to catch a glimpse. History in person.
 
Wow amazing day. Needed to head to the store around noon and look what I saw flying over my house, but a B25. Quickly realized they where at the Beverly Airport, so the wife and I headed over to the airfield. Outstanding weather, had a great time. The highlight of the day was a man named Sal!

Roughly 70 years ago this gentleman was a tail gunner in a B24j Liberty. I was privilaged to be able to hear him tell some stories about his experiences today. This will be his first time setting foot in once since serving his country so many years ago. It was a honor to me this man.
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We went this afternoon as well.
Pretty awe inspiring.
The respect you have for the guys that flew in those thing increases x10 after you've been in one.
I never realized how tight it is inside one.
 
Agreed, it was some really tight space, specially moving through bomb storage compartments.

Dadstoys said:
We went this afternoon as well.
Pretty awe inspiring.
The respect you have for the guys that flew in those thing increases x10 after you've been in one.
I never realized how tight it is inside one.
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I also went today. Loved seeing all the aircraft but especially the P-51. The line for the B-17 was long but I got to see the P-51 fire up and taxi off while waiting so that was cool.

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The Collins Foundation opens up their facility/toy rooms in Stow, MA once or twice a year, highly recommended. Last I was there they were working on a runway out back. The tanks they have in there are amazing. You wouldn't believe all the old military machines they have, it's truly awesome!
 
You want to take off and land into the wind as much as possible. Landing or taking off with a tailwind can get embarrassing quickly. So whatever the winds were, dictated the runway in use. There can be reasons not to use the best runway (wind wise), for example closed, or too short for a specific airplane, but usually the most into the wind is the one used. It is almost never directly down the runway, so there is always a crosswind component which tends to make me crabby and I end up slipping. As a side note, runways are numbered by the magnetic compass to the nearest 10. So, Runway 13 is magnetic 130 more or less.

mac1911 said:
I'm not sure how it works but looking at the satalite images they are using runway 13 to land when they go over my house in kingston.
Click to expand...
 

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