If you hadn't heard yet and you live around the Fort Wayne, Indiana. area, this weekend you can go to the International Airport,(lol at the international part) see and walk through a B-17 called the Memphis Belle. Not the real Belle, but according to the local news, the same type. It will be here for Saturday and Sunday. And if you happen to have the extra 450 dollars cash around, go for a flight. I can't afford the flight but will settle for the fun of having it fly almost right over my house this afternoon. I know where I'm going this weekend.

That is an awesome opportunity. About 12 years ago, the Colling's Foundation B-17 "Nine 'O' Nine" was coming to the central FL area. It was my wife's grandfather's 75th birthday. He had been a ball turret gunner on a B-17, shot down, and a guest of the German government for 9 months in '44'45. For his birthday, the family got together and bought him a flight on it. It was a great surprise to see his face when we arrived at the aircraft. The better part was when my loving wife surprised me w/a second ticket to go up with him. The flight was mind-blowing. We went up with 5 or 6 other WWII vets who had been crewmen on 17s as well. It was one of the best experiences of my life. If you get a chance to go up in one, don't pass it up. Unfortunately, like most of our WWII vets, he is gone now. I will always remember that flight w/him though.

Sorry to hear he passed Gino. But at least you have one heck of a memory. I recall the stories my stepfather used tp tell me and my brothers at bedtime. Never really thought much about them as I grew older till I realized that they were no longer around to tell thier stories and experiances. They were some pretty great stories. I used to have black and whites of his time in the South Pacific and the planes they used. Started with B-17's, went to B-24's for a bit and then went on to the 29"s. Had a whole bunch of the nose art but my mother in one of her more unglamourus times decided that they weren't appropiate and burned them. I can still feel the loss.