TEXAS RAIDERS- First Flight in Seven Years- Oct. 14, 2009

[flyingsailor]

Yeah Don, talk to us! Is TR back in T yet? DANG, I hate that she's way over on the other side of the giganto H'ston mess-o-plex now, but sure am happy she's in a hangar at long last! Hooray! Jimmy, I wonder if I know you -- I've been messin' with Texas (Raiders) since about the same time.

Don! Speak! Good boy!

Raider is visiting my brother this week in Nashville for theI 381st Reunion. She flew down yesterday. Usually I don't pay attention,but my brother lives in Nashville, and hopefully he and the pilots will get in touch so he can get out there.

Chris
CAF B-29/B-24 SQD
PIO

[flyingfortress1000]

Texas Raiders to return to David Wayne Hooks this afternoon. I missed her so much and cant wait to see her again.

[Jimmy in Texas]

flyingfortress100,
Let us on the South side know when the Old Girl show's up
We miss her down South

Jimmy in Texas
Restoration Officer and FE till 2001

[LadyO2Pilot]

According to FlightAware, TR landed at DWH at 2:09 and according to my reading of the track did a nice pass before landing. But who knows I wasn't there Glad she's back in Texas.

[flyingfortress1000]

She landed at 1405, 2:05, this afternoon. We do have some work to do on her but will let Spanner tell those details.

[hang the expense]

Hey Spanner, Good to meet you at TOM.How did our English buddy enjoy his flight on Liberty Belle?Glad you got the issue resolved on TR.Now back to the grind.

[SPANNERmkV]

22 days on the road with a good part of it in the air!

It sure is good to be home, but I would not trade the memories and experiences I just had for ANYTHING!

Yes TR had some problems. We had some tape come off the rudder at Oshkosh and got a temprorary fix on that. It is kind of difficult to hide problems on AeroShell Plaza!

Then we had a small screw that holds the micro-switch to the left landing gear break and that allowed the switch to get "fooled" into running the motor to the point that the clutches were smoked.
After a learning curve I will NOT describe here on WIX we learned how to properly install and set landing gear motors.

Our heartflelt thanks go to Tim Burgoine of Liberty Belle and Larry Pederson of Arizona Wing- Sentimental Journey for extending their experience and expertise in getting us airworthy again.
And I do not know how I will ever repay Norm Elickson from Yankee Air Museum's YANKEE LADY for the use of their hangar and jacks. As fate would have it, right after we got TR up on their jacks they had to change a prop governor out on a hot ramp while we enjoyed the relative comfort of their hangar. TRULY EMBARRASSING from my standpoint.

I am not allowed to Thank a certain individual at another stop because I am told his Org. would not be pleased that he extended help to us but I owe him a thanks when I see him at the B17 Co-op.
I WISH it were not that way, but sadly it is!

The images of multiple B-17s in the air at the same time and some of the photo passes that were choreographed at Thunder were just amazing.
Formating at Oshkosh, circling around three other B17s preparing to make our Air Show pass was another treat.

And I now have 2.5 hrs. loggable dual instruction received in the right seat of a B17. If you had even suggested such a thing was possible eight years ago I would have said you were daft!

TR is safe back at Hooks and we have some issues to correct, but now at least we have some more funds in the bank with which to do so.

Thanks THUNDER OVER MICHIGAN and the 381st Bomb Group Association and everywhere else along the line that made this one of the best vacation EVER.

Now I need a vacation to get over my vacation!

SPANNER

[TimAPNY]

It was great to see TR again after so many years. I'm sorry I did not get a chance to stop by and meet you or the other crew members. I did get a chance to talk with on of you at McD's Saturday morning and got a quick update on the gear.

Wish I could have stopped by at Nashville but worked called.

Tim

[SPANNERmkV]

Next up for TEXAS RAIDERS is going to be:
Midland Airsho
Wings Over Houston
Rides should be available.

From that point on we are planning revenue rides in the Houston area.

We are planning on having representatives at ICAS to help plan 2011 appearances.

There are a few "winter maintenance" projects. One of them is to finish converting the exhaust systems on Engines 2 and 3 to exhaust before they hit the inoperable turbos.

The turbos were de-activated so long ago I don't even know when.

Many other tasks to "be excellent" to the bomber are planned.

SPANNER

[mustangdriver]

Spanner seeing TR at Oshkosh and then TOm was just great. Like seeing an old friend. I wish we had the chance to say hi.

[Jimmy in Texas]

Spanner
We removed the turbo's from the plane in the 1983-1986 rebuild.

Jimmy Davis
GCW since 1984

[SPANNERmkV]

Thanks Jimmy,
Those were simpler times back then...

Nobody filed much in the way of documentation back in the day.
Fortunately we are all caught up on the modification performance impact paperwork and once we get the #2 and 3 Engines finished we just need to file the 337s with Uncle Sugar and we should be Suwheeet!

Have you seen TR since we got her back in the air?
"The TROLL" did a bang up job on the bombardier's and navigator's section and was well on his way with the Flight Deck when he lost his transportation. He performed miracles on many asundry parts.

Others took up the cause from that point and the interior doesn't look half bad. It's still not finished, but are large airplanes ever?

To sleep, perchance to dream of bombers (and pin-up girls)

SPANNER

[SPANNERmkV]

Spanner seeing TR at Oshkosh and then TOm was just great. Like seeing an old friend. I wish we had the chance to say hi.

Agreed... Once things started going crazy at TOM I didn't have time to enjoy a whole lot of it!
We got the landing gear issue sorted out too late to get put back in the show on Sunday.
They have been working fine ever since, and that is its own reward!

And I hoped to meet more WIX personalities ALL along the trip than I did.
HANG THE EXPENSE, DRY MARTINI, LUCKY 13 and BOMBERFLIGHT were a hoot to compare notes with.

I will always remember the Friday Photo Flight and Seeing the the Sat. and Sun. flights from the ground.
Along the way I got fly over St. Louis. And later over Lake Michigan.

And by fly, I mean I got some actual loggable right seat dual instruction in.


It seems like dream now.

SPANNER

[SPANNERmkV]

Well the Big Assed Bird is in Hondo, Texas for revenue rides today.
We have gotten a ton of great press... The Mayor and a band greeted TEXAS RAIDERS and the City issued a proclamation!
http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local_ ... 42779.html

Somewhere on that link is a slide show with some nice pictures.
I am nervous of posting THAT link so go to the article and poke around and you should find it.

Meanwhile I sit in the basement of my J.O.B. wishing I was there.

Midland was GRAND! I was in town less than 24 hours, but I was in time to see TR do its Show performance.
And I saw FIFI fly for (my) first time ever.

We are coming up on the first anniversary of TR's return to flight.
What a difference a year makes!

SPANNER

[bomberflight]

Say Don ~ how's the winter overhaul going ?