Warbird Information Exchange

Regardless of what happened with Collings, dropping into a forum and throwing sharp elbows at other operators while posting under an alias isn't how you win friends and influence people.

To be fair, he did not say he read "some books," he said he has been reading every B-17 accident report from 1944-1945 looking for information.



He also seemed to be saying that he would be surprised to find that a similar situation for other operators...not the opposite. Perhaps that is not what he meant but that's what he wrote.

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Scott Thompson
Aero Vintage Books
http://www.aerovintage.com
WIX Subscriber Since July 2017

One would hope that all operators take these regulations and requirements seriously. An operator should have nothing to fear from an audit.

As with most accidents, it isn't just one thing that causes it, it is a combination of multiple factors.

Neither is jumping on newbies, y'all!

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Aerial Photographer with Red Wing Aerial Photography currently based at KRBD and tailwheel CFI.
Websites: Texas Tailwheel Flight Training, DoolittleRaid.com and Lbirds.com.

The horse is prepared against the day of battle: but safety is of the LORD. - Prov. 21:31 - Train, Practice, Trust.

Always got the impression that the Collings Foundation was well-funded, but the FAA report seems to paint a different picture.

Curious as to how their maintenance was structured? Volunteers? Paid staff? A mix of both?

That is a good question. They bought a large part of Jaques Littlefield's tank collection and another B-17. Did that affect their maintenance funds?

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Had God intended for man to fly behind inline engines, Pratt & Whitney would have made them.

CB

http://www.angelfire.com/dc/jinxx1/Desrt_Wings.html

Just wow, really tough to read some of the concerns highlighted in the FAA document.

I get we don't wont to compare operators too much, but some of these elements remind me of the 2009 Thunder City EE Lightning crash in South Africa where the investigation found serious deficiencies in the program, which most had previously thought to be a well funded, thoroughly run, safety conscious enterprise. Sobering.

Wolf said 'It WOULD surprise me".. people are reacting as if he said "wouldn't"...

Or is this like when Americans say "I could care less" when they actually mean they couldn't? Clarification needed.

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Those who possess real knowledge are rare.

Those who can set that knowledge into motion in the physical world are rarer still.

The few who possess real knowledge and can set it into motion of their own hands are the rarest of all.

They have a volunteer group on FB with over 1000 members. It's not viewable to non-members.

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Those who possess real knowledge are rare.

Those who can set that knowledge into motion in the physical world are rarer still.

The few who possess real knowledge and can set it into motion of their own hands are the rarest of all.

^ Agreed! although I usually replace "I couldn't care less" with "I couldn't give a f**K!" , but that's just me.

The guy seemed to be spot on with his post. No need to jump all over him if those of you doing the jumping didn't understand his post. Seems he has plenty of experience and knowledge. Read it again perhaps. Just a thought or just don't give a f**K! lol

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“Knowing what’s right, doesn’t mean much unless you do what’s right.”

wow someone with 30 posts, who does not know who is who on the board, let alone their qualifications, I probably have more time wrenching on 17's 24's 25's and just about any other warbird that is flying today.

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Matt Gunsch, A&P, IA, Warbird maint and restorations
Jack, You have Debauched my sloth !!!!!!
We tried voting with the Ballot box, When do we start voting from the Ammo box, and am I allowed only one vote ?
Check out the Ercoupe Discussion Group on facebook

I have been in and out of this forum for the past 20-years, as well as the ex-AAF Forum, Aerovintage forum and bunch of other forums on and off since the mid to late 1990's. I walk-in see if the people are still as nasty as before then when I feel my efforts and experience are sh*t on, I walk away.

As far as wrenching on 17's, 24's & 25's, do I have to remind you that the pilot of 44-83575 had over 6,000 hr in type, he still screwed up his emergency, still screwed-up his landing and still screwed-up the maintenance on this B-17 (and got himself and his passenger dead) -- Just because you have 40 years "" being a wrench head "" does not mean you know what you are doing is correct.

Point of clarification - It is my understanding that the Littlefield Collection was donated to the CF by the widow/family of JL. I imagine they invested funds for transportation and refurbishment, but I don't believe they 'bought' it.

I stand corrected. The collection was willed to The Collings Foundation and after his passing some of it was sold off at auction.

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Had God intended for man to fly behind inline engines, Pratt & Whitney would have made them.

CB

http://www.angelfire.com/dc/jinxx1/Desrt_Wings.html

There was a fund raiser at the time to come up $10M to transport the collection across the country & build a shed for it. There was also mention that CF would keep all the unique stuff.. some of which ended up being sold off at the auction.

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Those who possess real knowledge are rare.

Those who can set that knowledge into motion in the physical world are rarer still.

The few who possess real knowledge and can set it into motion of their own hands are the rarest of all.