The B-17 Incident (Written for print)

[Derf]

Here is a repost from another website where I reported on an incident at KFRG that was almost DESASTEROUS!!!! :borat: :wink:

Being that this was for the newspaper, I had to adhere to their guidlines in
the type of creative writing!

I was down at the local airport watching this takeoff and land
http://fromtheflightdeck.com/temp/NYCA/b-17/1.jpg

http://fromtheflightdeck.com/temp/NYCA/b-17/2.jpg


as I watched him pull in
http://fromtheflightdeck.com/temp/NYCA/b-17/3.jpg

There were lot of people that were praying that there was not going to be an
incident because the plane was old, and everyone knows that old planes are
not safe....only new ones are! I saw a pilot who clamed to be a 747 pilot
and he told me the only reason he was still alive at 22 year old was because
he only fly's planes younger than his 3rd son. So here is this really old
unsafe aircraft coming right at me and I was really scared because I knew
that old planes leak oil, unlike new ones...new ones do not leak oil because
they are safe. Ok, so that sets the stage

Now there were lots of old people on the tarmac and this was even more
worrying to me because old people can not usually drive and old people are
dangerous, Well...not all but 99.9934% of them are but they are not usually
dangerous enough to kill themselves...just others, and this big old dangerous
aircraft that leaks oil is coming right at me with old people giving it hand
motions like “Come this way” “turn around” and “****off”. They pull the
aircraft forward and I am watching in disbelief that they are actually letting
the engines run, those blades were old and spinning really really fast, and
anyone knows that old blades are not as good as new ones, I always heard
my dad bitching about old blades in the bathroom and think most know this
fact.

So this big old oil leaking, beast with these 12 old spinning blades of pure
death are turning around feet from my mommas little boy when it happens,
yep....The screwed up and nosed him in and now they have to turn the plane
all the way around in stead of backing it up in the first place.... I dunno,
maybe the reverse in the aircraft was broken, cause it was very old.... or
maybe the people on the ground were to old to think that it was.....well,
whatever! you get the idea.

So the plane continues it turn as I watch the wing feet over my head with
those 12 spinning blades of death just feet from my mommas little baby boy.
http://fromtheflightdeck.com/temp/NYCA/b-17/4.jpg

and I look up and see the wing is about to hit the bricks of the hangar and I
scream in agony with every one on the ramp as the rampgrandfatherrats give
him a big X with their hands (I later found out that this means "YOUR
****ED") and the aircraft stops just millimeters in front of the brick....

The aircraft shimmied back a foot and forward 1/2 a foot then back 1/4 foot
and there was a huge sound of relief because all standing nearby knew we
just almost died from this huge dangerous oil leaking aircraft.
http://fromtheflightdeck.com/temp/NYCA/b-17/5.jpg



****THEN THE PLANE JUMPED FOWARD!!!**** and Boom!

http://fromtheflightdeck.com/temp/NYCA/b-17/6.jpg
http://fromtheflightdeck.com/temp/NYCA/b-17/7.jpg

All of a sudden, the wing like was cut off the aircraft and the smoldering
smoking glass that was on fire fell and everyone started to scream and
cry...The pilots tried to choke back the tears but we all just melted down
right there knowing that this was the beging of the end and we would soon
all die. I saw people calling loved ones on there cell phones, parents were
cuddling with children and it was all really emotional....The pilot got out of
the plane and said "****** ****** ******** ***** ******", he was
not a native New Yorker but fit in really well and even thought about his poor
feeling until I remembered that I was about to die. He looked over at me and
said "Don't cry little girl, The aircraft can be fixed", and that pissed me off
because I am a 32 year old married man. It was at that point that I realized
how close I really came to death. Here is a picture of the aftermath of the
incident.
http://fromtheflightdeck.com/temp/NYCA/b-17/8.jpg

About 15 minutes later, 3 guys in black suits wearing sunglasses came on a
weird black helicopter (I had 2 pictures of it but for some weird reason it
dissapeared off my camera!) and within about 10 minutes, the light was
suddenly fixed!

http://fromtheflightdeck.com/temp/NYCA/b-17/9.jpg

For the rest of the day I walked around with a very large smile just glad to
be alive!

[nikon50bigma]

When I was at AAM over the summer one of the guys told me about something similar this.
Fred is this about the time earlier this year? Or did this happen again?
That would suck to have the same incident happen to another B-17

[moose135]

When I was at AAM over the summer one of the guys told me about something similar this.
Fred is this about the time earlier this year? Or did this happen again?
That would suck to have the same incident happen to another B-17

Due to the current writers strike, NYCA has been forced to air posts from the archives :wink:
This actually happened a couple of years ago - 2005, I think.

[T-Bird76]

Not sure if the paper will like the F bomb Fred but otherwise certainly a good read and just as exciting as when you told it to me.

[Derf]

woops, I the first line that said that this was old, somehow got deleted.... Bigma, I told you about the incident at FRG and told you that I would dig it up the post for you. I realized that I never posted it here and reposted for you ;)

[nikon50bigma]

Ahh yes, now I remember.
Thanks for posting :borat:

[cancidas]

those AAM rampgrandfatherrats are always up for a good laugh. get a few of them together and they still think they're as cool as when they were still on active duty.

[nikon50bigma]

those AAM rampgrandfatherrats are always up for a good laugh. get a few of them together and they still think they're as cool as when they were still on active duty.

I respect them, they're a group of great people. Full of civilian or war aviation stories.

[cancidas]

those AAM rampgrandfatherrats are always up for a good laugh. get a few of them together and they still think they're as cool as when they were still on active duty.

I respect them, they're a group of great people. Full of civilian or war aviation stories.

perhaps if they presented themselves in a respectful manner i would to. there is a way to speak to people that relays respect and there is a way to speak to people that will get you punched in the mouth. unfortunately, i have seen them exhibiting the latter.

having said that let me say this; i did have a great experience the night i went to shoot the "AAM under the stars." the people i met there werre very respectful and very open just to let us photogs go out there on the ramp and have it to ourselves for the night. my thanks go out to those who were there and helped to organize that night, but i will never forget the way i had been treated in the past by those same folks.

[Derf]

While I agree that in the past there were issues and I know
without hearing your story what had happened, Things are allot
different...ALLOT! I do not know of one person in there NOW that has
a negative tone at any time with any person in the place and I
think sometimes I am there more than Larry (the main guy). If
you search enough you will hear others like Mario and even I left
one day really upset. That was a long time ago and things have
changed. I have an incredible amount of respect for all the work
they do and almost all are doing it without any kind of
compensation... Freezing weather and they are prepping planes
for no pay, Non stop working during the cold months in a drafty
WWII hangar. I pass by people who work there and are amazed
at EVERY persons story, And I have had 1000's told. It really is
kind of funny when you find out the history of the guy that is
always pushing a broom..... Yep, everyone earned my respect
there now, but we all do know that I am also just a little Bias!