The B-25's have arrived...

[Wittpilot]

Or at least some of them... Spent the evening after work there. What a splendid sight.. Weather was perfect, there was the sound of throaty radials everywhere.... Just great. What's that? You want pictures??? Okay.... I aim to please...

-witt

[Snuffy]

Very cool!

Thanks Witt ... keep us updated!

[X_eidos2]

Thanks for the update.

I'm planning to be at the USAF museum early Saturday morning to watch them come in. Should be more than fun, it'll be history.

[Wittpilot]

http://img718.imageshack.us/img718/2504/img9700k.jpg (http://img718.imageshack.us/i/img9700k.jpg/)



http://img52.imageshack.us/img52/4511/img9738z.jpg (http://img52.imageshack.us/i/img9738z.jpg/)

http://img710.imageshack.us/img710/921/sta9751.jpg (http://img710.imageshack.us/i/sta9751.jpg/)
http://img641.imageshack.us/img641/104/img9724g.jpg (http://img641.imageshack.us/i/img9724g.jpg/)
http://img107.imageshack.us/img107/2585/img9711.jpg (http://img107.imageshack.us/i/img9711.jpg/)
http://img217.imageshack.us/img217/1293/img9708h.jpg (http://img217.imageshack.us/i/img9708h.jpg/)

[Wittpilot]

Thanks for the update.

I'm planning to be at the USAF museum early Saturday morning to watch them come in. Should be more than fun, it'll be history.


I would plan on being in and around Dayton early... I think there will be a very large turn out... I would like to see them in formation on Sunday but I have a soccer match that day... Hopefully some will return back to Grimes before leaving back home at the start of the week...

[PRB]

Is "Briefing Time" going to be there?

[Wittpilot]

Is "Briefing Time" going to be there?


She's due to come in tomorrow.

[GT182]

Is "Briefing Time" going to be there?

You beat me to it Paul. :icon_lol:

I haven't been up to the museum so I don't know if they were going or not. But Witt says yes..... good fer them. I missed a great ride and show. :frown:

[MCDesigns]

WOW, just WOW!

thanks for the pics!

[lifejogger]

Great pictures Witt, I hope you take some more and show us.

[Bomber_12th]

Thank you for these early pics, Witt, I was hoping you would have something to provide! It must be awesome to have all of this happening, practically in your own backyard!

I 'awoke' to "Miss Mitchell" flying over early this morning, which was great, on her way to joining up with the two other Minnesota-based B-25's, also participating, "Lady Luck" and "Betty's Dream". On WIX, the report is that 16 B-25's are now at Grimes tonight, the last two having come in the evening. There are still 3 more B-25's expected, including Briefing Time - the 20th being the B-25 that calls Grimes Field its home of course.

I really wish I was there, Witt, and I can't wait to see what else you may bring us from this experience! Amazingly, there are only about 4 other B-25's in the U.S., that I can think of, that are operational, that won't be in attendance! When they are all lined up, it will be an amazing sight for sure - imagine all of those tail fins in a row. :)

[stansdds]

Nice pictures!!! Any chance of some video's as well?

[Wittpilot]

Just a few from Friday night... It was chilly and rainyoff and on... cleared up towards the evening.. The fellow on the wing is Ray Fowler, our chief pilot for Liberty Belle who we didn't even know was flying in... He is a hell of a guy, and a hell of a pilot....

[Bomber_12th]

I thought that was Ray - I saw him in this following video, flying left-seat:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLuaMTDMYUo

17-flying B-25s made it for this event in all:

1.Axis Nightmare
2.Barbie III
3.Betty's Dream
4.Briefing Time
5.Devil Dog
6.Lady Luck
7.Maid In The Shade
8.Miss Hap
9.Miss Mitchell
10.Pacific Princess
11.Pacific Prowler
12.Panchito
13.Show Me
14.Take Off Time
15.Wild Cargo
16.Yankee Warrior
17.Yellow Rose

BTW, I love the Hornet chalks!

[Wittpilot]

So... The largest part of the weekend that I was looking forward to was the big take off Saturday morning at 7 a.m. as the bombers head over to the Air Force Museum. I thought it would be super neat to see all those 25's lined up, popping, and roaring to life.... However, even the best laid plans right???

I guess I'll be able to live with my "change in plans"....

;)

http://img54.imageshack.us/img54/899/87165228.jpg (http://img54.imageshack.us/i/87165228.jpg/)

http://img685.imageshack.us/img685/1999/11134086.jpg (http://img685.imageshack.us/i/11134086.jpg/)

[Bomber_12th]

You lucky sod (as my English friends would say)! :d
I can't wait to see more - what a nice Mitchell to go up in as well!

[Wittpilot]

You lucky sod (as my English friends would say)! :d
I can't wait to see more - what a nice Mitchell to go up in as well!


The Mystery Mitchell I flew over in, was indeed the best one there... spectacular.... I can see now why my grandfather swears 25's made him lose his hearing when he flew them stateside...

[Ken Stallings]

Magnificent photos!

Get a good pair of ANR headsets and enjoy the flight and protect your hearing!

And for the record, I am very happy you got to fly on one! That's awesome!

Wish I were there!

Ken

[tigisfat]

more pics from the air please!!:wiggle:

[TomSteber]

:applause::applause::applause::applause:

PLEASE!!!!!!!! Pretty Please, more pictures!

BTW: You officially may be the luckiest guy I know, next to me of course.

[Wittpilot]

Sorry for the glare, it was into the early morning sun...

[tigisfat]

Sorry for the glare, it was into the early morning sun...

no, the glare adds to the experience. That was a fine shot. I enjoyed seeing them all lined up. Sometimes the shots that aren't 'by the book' in terms of photography rules are the ones with the most 'you are there' feel. IRL, the sun can't always be behind you.

[X_eidos2]

I thought I had given myself plenty of time to get to the USAF museum in time to witness the arrival. The planes were suppose to go on display at 10am so I got there at 8:30am - I arrived to see them all parked and shut-down- someone told me they had arrived at 7:30 am. Major disappointment, but I can only blame myself for not getting better information on their arrival time.

I'll take the images and put them on a YouTube video.

Till then, this is what things looked like Saturday morning around 10:40 am

4920


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wsn4zqWJkcI

[Wittpilot]

That photo just proves I don't do close-ups well... I was probably trying not to shiver... I think I shivered for 6 straight hours! It was freezing! Plus, the nose of a B-25, doesn't allow the room for those wide angle shots!!!!

[MajorMagee]

Here are a couple of shots of the Lady Luck

http://i549.photobucket.com/albums/ii362/MajorMagee/PICT0426BW.jpg

http://i549.photobucket.com/albums/ii362/MajorMagee/PICT0424BW.jpg

[Bomber_12th]

Some great photos coming in, wow! On this page over at WIX, there is a photo showing all of the B-25's parked side-by-side - can't wait to see better quality photos showing this same, amazing, line-up:

http://warbirdinformationexchange.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=35145&start=240

[Ken Stallings]

That photo just proves I don't do close-ups well... I was probably trying not to shiver... I think I shivered for 6 straight hours! It was freezing! Plus, the nose of a B-25, doesn't allow the room for those wide angle shots!!!!

Yeah, and it doesn't help that all you have between you and the brutal cold is a very thin piece of plexiglass!

It's amazing how narrow the whole fuselage really is. The bomber sets real high off the ground, but in reality it isn't any wider than a typical general aviation aircraft.

Those props blades are so dang long that it had to sit that high! But I've always thought it was among the most beautiful of bombers ever designed. I would love to be able to pilot one!

Ken

[Bomber_12th]

Some excellent photo/video coverage on these Flickr pages:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/watsonhe2001/sets/72157623874851590/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/aragh_wolf/sets/72157623870775602/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/25426430@N05/sets/72157623866897332/

[Ken Stallings]

Some great photos coming in, wow! On this page over at WIX, there is a photo showing all of the B-25's parked side-by-side - can't wait to see better quality photos showing this same, amazing, line-up:

http://warbirdinformationexchange.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=35145&start=240

Just to see those smiles on the faces of those old warriors was worth all the effort to pull this effort off!

That is the scene I most miss not being in person to see -- those old warriors arriving to see the fleet of B-25 aircraft on the ramp!

Ken

[MajorMagee]

I took 77 pictures in about an hour. It was hard to get one that conveyed the idea of the whole line-up. It was a pretty long way from one end to the other and the far end of the line just blurs together.

[HouseHobbit]

A Quick look at the B-25's airborne.
Enjoy all..

http://www.daytondailynews.com/news/doolittle-legacy-lives-on-658579.html

http://projects.daytondailynews.com/cache/galleries/News/Local/041410b25bomber/

[stansdds]

Wittpilot, I am glad that you have joined the Mitchell fliers club! I got to go for a ride on Panchito several years ago. Your hearing will return... well... mostly. It is a very noisy aircraft and I wouldn't go to an airshow without packing a set of earplugs after my experience.

I encourage anyone who has an opportunity to go up in a classic aircraft to take that opportunity. You never know, it might be the last time you have the chance.

[HouseHobbit]

There are b-25's flying all over Dayton today..
WOW i am watching them fly over as i Type this..
Too Cool..
I have never seen this many up at once.. Nice formation too..

[Wittpilot]

Yeah, and it doesn't help that all you have between you and the brutal cold is a very thin piece of plexiglass!

It's amazing how narrow the whole fuselage really is. The bomber sets real high off the ground, but in reality it isn't any wider than a typical general aviation aircraft.

Those props blades are so dang long that it had to sit that high! But I've always thought it was among the most beautiful of bombers ever designed. I would love to be able to pilot one!

Ken

It actually was the warmest in the plane.... it was outside with the wind in the early morning hours that was brutal... I didn't notice as much wind coming through a b-25 like a B-17, of course you don't have the bomb bay right there like in a 17. Not only does the plane sit high off the ground, but where they put the jump seats in B-25's is high too, you sit with your feet dangling!

[Wittpilot]

There are b-25's flying all over Dayton today..
WOW i am watching them fly over as i Type this..
Too Cool..
I have never seen this many up at once.. Nice formation too..


I was took a day off from B-25's.. I didn't want to brave the crowd and I had my first soccer game in an adult league I play here in town. I saw some of them flying back to Urbana. It was a beautiful day for it, still a bit chilly... but sunny.

I'd like to put a request out there, if anyone finds someone that posts photos of each crew with the remaining Raiders that were present, I'd love to see them, I'd like to see if anyone posts the one with me in it...

-witt

[HouseHobbit]

It was great to see..

http://www.daytondailynews.com/news/dayton-news/b-25-bomber-fly-over-largest-of-its-kind-since-wwii-659788.html?cxtype=rss_local-news

[Ken Stallings]

It was great to see..

http://www.daytondailynews.com/news/dayton-news/b-25-bomber-fly-over-largest-of-its-kind-since-wwii-659788.html?cxtype=rss_local-news

That picture headlining the news article is simply breathtaking!

The other poignant point is that the youngest of the Dootlittle Raiders who attended was 88!

They won't be with us much longer. When these men are all gone, it's impossible to measure the magnitude of the vacuum they leave behind.

Ken

[Bomber_12th]

Amazing what those guys went through and did 68-years ago this very day!

Here is some early video footage of one of the fly-overs today - what an amazing sight:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOR6ykgbT1g

I guess no matter where you were in Dayton today, it was very easy to see B-25s flying over a number of times.

I've read on another board, by one of the pilots that flew in Catch-22, that the number of B-25's that participated in the fly-over, tied with the amount that were flown in formation during the filming of that movie - 17.

I'm looking forward to the coming days and weeks as more and more coverage emerges of this event.

[MajorMagee]

I've been scratching around trying to find a video, or other photos on line of the formation flight. Unfortunately I was sitting in a basement bored to tears in a meeting the first half of this afternoon, and missed it. Please post a link if you find anything.

p.s. That was fast. You posted one while I was typing the request. Must be ESP.

[Ken Stallings]

Amazing what those guys went through and did 68-years ago this very day!

Here is some early video footage of one of the fly-overs today:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOR6ykgbT1g

I guess no matter where you were in Dayton today, it was very easy to see B-25s flying over a number of times.

Grand slam!

That video was IT!

Ken