A friend IM’d me this morning and said he had seen a B-29 superfortress flying over Scottsdale this morning. I was about to call him a looney but did quick search and found that the CAF has the only flying B-29 in the world. No aviation events this weekend but the CAF does have a hangar here. May go visit it tomorrow and see if that’s what he saw or if it was the B-17 stationed here and he’s just a bad spotter.
Padeye –
Reminds me of a story told by the late father of a close friend. He’d learned to fly B-25’s in the desert. They’d go out late at night with no lights on, then find a train crossing the desert somewhere. They come at it head-on down the tracks, then turn on their landing light when about a mile (20 seconds) from the train.
Best regards,
Mooney252
Reminds me of another story about a B-29 returning from Japan to Tinian, when spotting an escort carrier steaming by below. They lined up for a landing and only broke it off when the flagman nearly jumped overboard to save himself.
Go visit the hangar anyway. You’ll enjoy it even if Fifi is on tour somewhere.
I believe he’s right, actually… I live in Scottsdale! I recently heard what sounded like a 747 about to fly in through my window, it was that loud. I went outside and looked around but didn’t see the plane that made the noise… It had already gone over my building. The noise lasted for several minutes though. I had thought it to be a very low flying plane off track due to fog, but it was probably what you’re friend is talking about.
Howdy anewthought and welcome to SDMB. Shoot me your email address and we’ll let you know when the Phoenix dopers are getting together. Haven’t done anything since before Christmas but we sometimes meet at the Coffee Plantation in Biltmore plaza…
I hope it didn’t sound exactly like a 747. I’d hate to think they replaced the Wright Cyclones with Pratt & Whitney turbofans 
Nothing will be an airplane nut out of the house faster than the bass drumming of radial engines flying overhead.
Mooney252
In the shadow of Paine Field, KPAE
Everett, WA
Out at Wiley Post Airport (OKC) I see older planes all the time. Mostly WWII vintage. A company out there does restorations.
And they’re selling B-25 rides at $300.00 a pop.
The first time I actually got to see and hear a P-38 Lightning zoom over head, I almost crapped my friends pants. (I would never crap my own pants) Those things were LOUD! And very scary looking, coming right at me, I could imagine those 50 calibres firing at me. Whoa!
There is currently a huge biplane out there. Chinese markings. Very similar in shape to a Ford Tri-motor but with only two engines (mounted on top of bottom wing). It’s just slightly bigger than the B-25 parked right close to it. Any ideas of ID? (I need a working dig camera, I know…)
I work in Scottsdale and Thursday 1/09/2002, 3 F16s went flying by, probably under 500 feet. Thought a train was coming through the building. Looked outside and right over head flying south turning east and climbing, there they were.
A bunch of years ago just as I was stepping out of the front door (this was in Stockholm) I heard a bunch of jet engines and as I looked up I saw 6 fighters flying in tight formation.
Cool the airforce is going somewhere I thought. But then as they got closer I thought hey those aren´t swedish. They are Mig-29s wtf are they doing here? If I had had a friend nearby I would have crapped his pants (to borrow NoClueBoy´s phrase).
I watched them fly right over me and as they disappeared I ran into the house again and called the nearby airport and asked them if they knew who they were. They told me that "Yes those are russians and they are heading for Uppsala to visit the airbase there.
No kidding. The B-17s and B-25’s come to town occasionally and it’s hilarious to watch half the people in the building running downstairs to watch them fly over. The other half are running upstairs at the same time to watch from the roof. People don’t bat an eye at the F-18s out of Miramar or El Toro but once we hear those supercharged radials, it’s showtime!
A B-17 and a B-25 flew over our house once on Mother’s Day. I dragged my Mom outside and told her I’d arranged it. She was mighty impressed.
My husband’s grandfather was a pilot in WWII and was involved in flying bombers cross-country (US)…
One time he & his buddies buzzed his wife’s house (central Indiana) in a B-17… don’t know if he ever said just how low they were - but it was definitely lower than they should have been!
Damn. Wish I’d spotted this thread at work. I have two ways to get home from work, one of which goes by Falcon Field. Went the other way tonight. Guess I’ll have to swing by tomorrow.
DD
I’m flying from Seattle to Napa, CA one day with my wife in the right seat. Here’s what Seattle Center says:
MIG-25, cleared to FL250. Do not exceed 290 knots in the climb.
Inside joke that I just couldn’t share with the SO:
- you don’t need an N number when you’re in a MIG
- don’t exceed 290 knots in the climb?
I’ve heard a lot of funny stuff over the headphones but I think that was the best.