blair.kooistra:
Firing up the B-17's four 9-cylinder Wright Cyclones. There's always a fire extinquisher at the ready.
blair.kooistra:
BEK_Photo_150710_059.jpg
blair.kooistra:
Thumbs up to fire up #4.
blair.kooistra:
My oldest son watches the B-17 come to life.
blair.kooistra:
Wheels up departing Meacham field.
blair.kooistra:
Off for a 30 minute flight around downtown Fort Worth.
blair.kooistra:
Gear down--returning to Meacham.
blair.kooistra:
Gear down--returning to Meacham.
blair.kooistra:
Gear down--returning to Meacham.
blair.kooistra:
"Blair WHO wants to come into the cockpit?"
blair.kooistra:
Reminding me of flight crews in England awaiting the next call to the air, the Texas Raiders crew waits in the shadow of the aircraft for more visitors to tour the bird.
blair.kooistra:
Father passes down to his son the wonder of the B-17 ball turret.
blair.kooistra:
"Bristling with .50mm browning machine guns"
blair.kooistra:
Bombardier/nose gunner bubble.
blair.kooistra:
C-47 "Southern Cross" and C-17 "Texas Raiders"--interchangable engines!
blair.kooistra:
Business end of Texas Raiders.
blair.kooistra:
B-17 "Texas Raiders" and C-47 "Southern Cross" share the hardstand at Meacham Field.
blair.kooistra:
9 cylinder Wright "Cyclone" engine.
blair.kooistra:
Thank God for dedicated aviation buffs.
blair.kooistra:
Under-wing rivets and aluminum. . .the aviation engineer's art.
blair.kooistra:
Oldest son checks out "Texas Raiders".
blair.kooistra:
Wearing 8th Air Force tail colors.
blair.kooistra:
Youngest son in the waist gunner position. About the right height to handle such a weapon in flight!
blair.kooistra:
The feed for the Browning .50mm waist gun.
blair.kooistra:
Looking back-ships of the B-17's waist gunner position.
blair.kooistra:
One of a couple radio positions on the B-17.
blair.kooistra:
Radio and oxygen equipment.
blair.kooistra:
Intolerably hot inside the B-17, thankfully a nice open hatch mid-ship allowing this view back on the tail of our plane and the C-47 "Southern Cross" in the background.
blair.kooistra:
Radio/engineer's position behind cockpit/ahead of bomb bay.
blair.kooistra:
Pilot's view to starboard side of B-17.
