Nine O Nine

B-17G Flying Fortress

The B-17 is hands down one of the best war birds ever built. These legendary heavy bombers of WWII served as the long arm of the US Army Air Corps (in WWII there was no USAF). These planes were well known for their ability to sustain heavy damage and still remain in the air. Many a WWII veteran made it home from Europe because of this aircraft. They would remain in the air with half of the engines shot out, most of the tail gone, and even missing some wing panels.

This plane is not the original Nine O Nine. The original was scrapped as junk long ago. This B-17 was made too late for WWII and never saw any action. It was used as a trainer, and even subjected to atomic weapons testing. It was sold as junk but rescued and returned to flight duty as a firefighting aircraft. After some time it was sold as scrap once again, but this time rescued by THE COLLINGS FOUNDATION and returned to its original condition. The plane now flies from town to town, offering the public walkthrough tours and flights for foundation members.

To see the pictures I took of this aircraft, click the image below.