B17 LibertyBelle coming to Australia in December 2008? ? ?

[Mark_Pilkington]

.
Folks

An interesting you-tube clip uploaded early this month claims US based B17 "Liberty Belle" is coming to Australia in December 2008? and references the official website?

although I found no reference to the flight on that website? there is specific mention of a European tour in 2008, and a reference to an overseas tour in the News Section?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0EZNQ9XoBY

http://libertyfoundation.org/index.html

anyone able to confirm/elaborate?

Regards

Mark Pilkington

[Glen]

Wow! If this dose happen it will be a HUGE under taking !

[kmiles]

There was a group about a year ago that came to us about bringing "909" to Australia and film it as a documentary about the first flight of B-17's that came to Australia. When we decided it was not something we wanted to do, we passed the names of the other owners/operators onto them to contact about the project.

When we started looking at the route, we figured the risk/cost would be too high to make the trip across the Pacific in the manner that they did during the war. They were looking at getting the additional fuel cells made to help with the range of the aircraft. There was some major support from several movie companies from Australia that were going to support the effort.

It would be a lot easier to take one down through Europe and Asia than it would be to take one across the Pacific, so maybe they are heading that direction after leaving Europe.

[F3V]

very hard no? in Europe in may and in Australia in December... Wooow!

[Chuck Giese]

Ok, disclaimer up front. I am *not* speaking for the Liberty Foundation. In fact, since Reilly is no longer director of maintenance, I've had very little contact with the day to day operation.

The Australia video looks like a promo or prospect piece used to drum up sponsors. I know we looked at the feasibility of doing it last year, and pretty much decided how to do it if the trip came off. I figure that with the high costs involved, it's probably a long shot.

The Europe trip looks more likely to happen - if the funding can be arranged. And it would be a tried and true route over and back.

Chuck

[JDK]

The Europe trip looks more likely to happen - if the funding can be arranged. And it would be a tried and true route over and back.

Thanks Chuck, that all makes a lot of sense. On the other hand...

We've had a Lockheed Ventura, Douglas A-26 and N.A.B-25 all flown out here from the USA as 'warbirds' in living memory. There's currently two active B-17s in Europe, none in Australia, of course. Finally, we have warmer water in the Pacific than that crusty old North Atlantic. Icebergs are cool, but it's not a neat way to go, while being taken by a shark's hardly fun, you are guaranteed to make the front pages of the papers worldwide. See, you know it make sense. Also four engines makes sense getting about on an island larger than the continental USA, and you can use the big rock in the middle for navigation too. The beer's cold and we put alcohol in it for a fuller effect. Down under, you know it makes sense...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rn0lwGk4u9o

(Nice Beaver - on floats, mate...)

[Warbird Kid]

Maybe, just maybe this could be the start of a domino affect.

I say, maybe the CF boys will jump on the bandwagon and fly with the Liberty group, all the way to the Uk. If they went there, I'd be impressed. If they went all the way to Australia, then I would be amazed! That would be a story, a legend, to tell over the years. When 2 B-17's and a B-24 made it to the other side of the equator and back!

Much more profit can be made together than apart.

[Mark_Pilkington]

.
back? who said anything about going 'back'

if they come downunder we are expecting them to like it so much that they stay!!

smiles

Mark Pilkington

[Flat 12x2]

All distances below approx. & a what could be.
If she came to Europe that's 5,000 miles one way , if she then continued on to Oz. from here she'd be 1,000 miles closer than going the Pacific route from the USA which is 10,000 miles.
The politics of flying the middle east/Asia or Russia/China route might be the more impossible task to overcome though !.

[kmiles]

Pacific Fortress is the same group that approached us about a year ago about bringing 909 to Australia. We have evaluated several offers over the past couple of years to bring one or both of the aircraft to various foreign countries. When you look at the cost vs. potential revenue there is a pretty big gap to fill. You have to remember that the exmption letter that allows the groups like CF and the Liberty Foundation to sell the flight experiences here in the US, does not transfer to other countries. That is a large portion of the fundraising that is needed to keep the planes in the air, and it may not be available in Europe or Australia. Just the logistics of having the support in place for something like an engine change in a foreign country is very expensive. Here in the states we can overnight or 2 day an engine out to the crew and have the aircraft back up in less than a week. If you do not have an engine in Europe a head of time, it could easily mean a delay of several weeks waiting for a replacement if it is needed. As we all saw with Glacier Gal this past summer, just getting across the North Atlantic with even 2 engines is risky. The more engines you have, the better the chance that you are going to have a problem with one of them. I think if proper safety precautions are taken, it is well worth the risk, but you have to be prepared to sit somewhere, sometimes for a while, if something breaks.

As the one that is putting together the 2008 Wings of Freedom Tour schedule, there is no chance of us "jumping on the bandwagon" and heading for Europe or Australia in 2008 or the forseeable future. I am glad that Mr. Brooks and the Liberty Foundation are able to take Liberty Belle to other parts of the globe that may not have a flyable B-17.

[Chuck Giese]

I've got nothing against heading down under, it's on my list of things to do someday. It's just the logistics of that trip with a B-17 that makes my brain hurt. With spares and all, it would probably take a C-130 to fly along with it.

Icebergs are cool, but it's not a neat way to go, while being taken by a shark's hardly fun, you are guaranteed to make the front pages of the papers worldwide. See, you know it make sense.

Having spent 25 years in the corporate world in a previous life, I'll take the sharks. No real challenge there....

Also four engines makes sense getting about on an island larger than the continental USA, and you can use the big rock in the middle for navigation too. The beer's cold and we put alcohol in it for a fuller effect. Down under, you know it makes sense...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rn0lwGk4u9o

(Nice Beaver - on floats, mate...)

I'll take that spot on the beach