[ARC5] B-17 Crash Near Hartford CT

[Jim Haynes]

Changing subject slightly...the CAF earlier had a German bomber,
HE-111 if I remember correctly.  There was an air show in my home town
where it made an appearance.  On landing one of the tires went flat.
The CAF guys were making phone calls all over the world looking for
a replacement tire.  The local airport didn't have really the right
jacks and things for working on it, but improvised and a local truck
tire company was able to repair the tire.  I was among those helping
to put the wheel back on, so I can add "tire changing on HE-111" to
my list of experiences.

On arrival the pilot, who was an American Airlines pilot in his day
job, needed a ride to the nearest airport where AA flew, and I was
pleased to give him a ride and visit with him on the way.  I know
that later (2003) the plane crashed and both pilots on board were
killed.  I don't know if the pilot I assisted was one of them.

That may have been the year we also had the B-29 FIFI at the show.
I had planned a display of aviation radio gear and notified some ham
radio contacts about it.  I was contacted by a man who asked if FIFI
was really going to be there, and I told him as best as we could be
sure for an airplane that old she would be.  In fact she was a day late
due to some maintenance issues.  Well the ham came for the show and
I learned he had been a radio operator on a B-29 in WW-II.  He climbed
up through the hatch for the first time in 50 years and sat in the radio
operator's seat and I learned the meaning of "tickled pink".  He said
his last flight in a B-29 the crew had to bail out shortly after takeoff
because one of the engines caught on fire.  A known problem with B-29s.

At that time FIFI lacked authentic radio equipment, but since then a
group of Rockwell-Collins employees have fitted her out properly.

 	---

 	"Ya can argue all ya wanna, but it's dif'rent than it was."
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 		Meredith Willson, The Music Man