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My Birthday Surprise

T

Trans_23

Charter Member 2015
Last Monday (Aug 2) we were sitting on the back deck of the house when I heard a low flying plane approaching. There used to be a GA airport (1C2) a cornfield away from our deck so this occurrence a few years ago might not have made me jump up out of my chair, but this airplane sounded a bit different than your single engine Cessna or Piper circling the airport. To my surprise I witnessed a B-24 at somewhere around 3000 ft flying just past my back yard. As I watched it fly east away from my subdivision I noticed it start to bank to the south. I figured that it flying that low that is was going to land somewhere close so I called the airport in Kankakee, IL and asked them if they had a B-17 that landed there (yes, I originally misidentified it as a B-17 in my excitement). The lady on the other end of the phone said that they did have a B-17, a B-24, and a P-51 at the airport for their "Wings of Freedom" celebration. Without haste, I loaded the wife and kids into the truck and headed down to Kankakee to get a look. By the time we got there it was dusk and the P-51 was inside a hanger. Come to find out from the banners that were displayed that they also had a Messerschmidt 262 that was there. Kankakee is an airport that you can walk through the doors to the flight line so we got some up close and personal looks at both aircraft. The Messerschmidt was probably in a hanger also as we did not see it either. The wife and kids went back the next day and took tours of both planes. The P-51 was a two seater and was selling rides as was the B-17. Not sure about the 24. Evidently, the Messerschmidt was experiencing mechanical problems and did not make an appearance while they were there.
 
I once saw and heard a B-24 for just a few minutes back about 7 years ago. The Liberator was here in Mansfield Ohio for the annual Freedom Festival at KMFD. It was giving rides for far more than I could afford...but I heard it while I was driving down a street. I nearly got into a head on collision because my head was out the window and rubber necking to see the plane. I have always had a soft spot for the B-24...it was Dad's favorite WW2 bomber and it's my favorite as well. While the B-17 is a mighty fine aircraft, there is just something about that rolly polly fat B-24 that makes my heart go pitter patter just a bit faster. But then again, I also prefer women who are more padded than what is normally considered beautiful.

OBIO
 
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