Lynne and I have recently returned from 3 weeks in Canada and the United States of America. We only just managed to get away. A close run thing between volcanoes in Iceland and British Airways striking and us getting away.
As it was, we had to fly to Dallas Forth Worth, arriving in a very hot 33c and travelling on to our original destination of Calgary. From home bed to Calgary bed 23 hours, 59 minutes long mission. We awoke to snow falling. After seeing relatives in the Rockies and Vancouver Island, we travelled on to Oregon and visited my late father’s sister and husband. We had a very interesting day visiting the home of the Spruce Goose at Mcminneville Airport.
Our last but one day in the USA saw us travel to Auroa airport just south of Portland, Oregon.
The omens were not good. We parked the car up and walked over to the airport office to be greeted by a lounge full of people watching the TV: England v Algeria. The game was just ending and England was being given a hard time by the supporters.
Anyway, why were we there? Well, there is an organisation in the USA called the Collins Foundation. They own and operate classic aircraft and tour round the USA. Well, it had taken us five years to catch up with Collins Foundation on this afternoon. As their B17 Flying Fortress and B24 Liberator were immediately due to arrive at Auora Airport.
Whilst waiting on the hard standing, the crowd grew bigger and a number of WWII veterans appeared. Very interesting to speak to as they were from the 8th Air Force and Norfolk and Norwich were frequent words.
Other interesting people were the ground handler’s two young chaps that marshalled the aircraft and refuelled them. One of my questions to them was ‘How much is a gallon of fuel for a B17 and a B24?’ Reply: ‘$4.85 cents’. Not good news. One engine consumes 106 gallons an hour.
The airport is only small but was very busy with small executive jets to float planes with on wheels using the single runway. After several false alarms a slow moving shape appeared in the sky, a B17 crossed over the airport, did a circuit, landed, and taxied to the hard standing.
A short while later, something I had never seen flying before appeared overhead. I have made models, read books, collected photos, seen them in museums.
My late father flew as a Flight Engineer 66 years ago in them. A B24 Liberator was about to land. My heart was racing, especially as we were going to have a flight on the B24. She duly landed. Her name was ‘Witchcraft’. She taxied to her position on the hard standing. It was quite a moment to see, hear and smell her in action.
After cooling down, we were allowed on board for a tour. A very spine tingling experience. One that I will never forget. We then made contact with the organiser for our flight experience only to be told that, for that day, they had only four people that wanted to fly on the B24. They needed six. As you can imagine, it was a very big let down for us. Never mind, it gives us a good excuse to go to the USA and try again for a flight on the B24.
Clive L Anthony
This article is from the Autumn 2010 issue of Confound and Destroy
