B17 "Aluminum Overcast" photo link

Ken Cook wrote:         I was standing outside for lunch one day and Aluminum Overcast graciously set the tone up in the sky. It was giving rides and tours from the Mercer County airport and I was eating up the sounds those radial made. Very cool stuff and a real treat to see. Up until about 3 years ago almost like clockwork a DC-3 would fly over my backyard in the evenings. No mistaking the sound of a round engine. Ken

Yes!! I commented in Rusty's thread; 3rd post https://www.coxengineforum.com/t7963-an-entertaining-thrilling-and-utterly-terrifying-final-approach#100669.. about an airport that's 6N mi. from where I live, that has had Big Ol' WWII-vintage bombers land there enroute to/from Quonset airshows in the Summer. They've flown right over my house.. at probably less than 2000 ft.

Ok if that's what we are talking about then we have Apaches come over quit often from NC beaches or Fort Bragg. Sounds like an invasion Till you realize what the... what the... and then some

roddie wrote:Yes!! I commented in Rusty's thread; 3rd post https://www.coxengineforum.com/t7963-an-entertaining-thrilling-and-utterly-terrifying-final-approach#100669.. about an airport that's 6N mi. from where I live, that has had Big Ol' WWII-vintage bombers land there enroute to/from Quonset airshows in the Summer. They've flown right over my house.. at probably less than 2000 ft.

We have a private airport very near our Huntersville club. No telling what might fly over. During one of our contests, a Texan made several roaring passes, off in the distance, but close enough to still be loud and exciting. I don't recall if that was October or May. If it was October, Ken probably saw it. I've seen all kinds of old warbirds fly over including a B-17. Someone said it was the Memphis Belle, but I'm not certain if it was. Possibly, since it was in 2013 before its current overhaul began.

My house is right under a flight path between Fort Jackson, and I assume McEntyre Army and ANG base. Mostly helicopters, Apaches and Blackhawks and, in the past, Cobras. Our field at the fort is an LG so we have to be alert when we here a chopper above the constant bombs and small arms fire that constantly serenades us while we fly. I told the story in one of my old flight reports of sharing the field with a disabled Apache. I never knew it was such a huge machine. And a Chinook flying with all but the rotors below tree level scared the crap out of us the last time we were out there.
Rusty

That indeed was a remarkable sight. I could hear the engine increasing in rpm's but I couldn't see the plane. I didn't realize the flying portion of the field was a elevated hill. All of a sudden I'm looking at the gear doors of the Texan climbing straight up as it was flying up the hill side. That was just too cool. Ken

Our Micro Ranch is just west of Fort Hood a few miles. Before I retired, the office I worked in on West Ft Hood, had a second floor balcony that I could see Gray Army Airfield, a multi use facility with Killeen airport (GRK) on the other side.

Before the air-force quit use in the 60s and Fort Hood took over the airfield, it was a SAC airbase with B52s, Nuke storage, and ringed with missile and RADAR sites. Miles and miles of underground tunnels, command centers and storage. (very wide and long runway)

Up until the Gulf war(s) we frequently had B52s from Tinker AFB come down to do pilot landing and take off training. Occasionally the bird was full heavy weight (I assume dummy load but perhaps live bombs). BUFF, when fully loaded, is a very heavy airplane you could hear turning final some many miles away. Those of us inside always stopped and went to the balcony to watch. Have not seen BUFF in last 10 years as I suspect most are over on Diego Garcia.

Same thing with C5a training missions.... every week (for the last 20 years) we get 1 or 2 typical pilot high performance landing training flights on our airfield. (very short turn to final and drop steep down to touch n go) Very exciting to watch.

Additionally: When they came to load M1 Abrams and take off to Saudi, Iraq, or Afghanistan, we all were out watching as the ultra heavy plane got pushed back to the edge of the concrete by a big tug to give them max runway....Loud and long take off roll and climb out of our shallow valley

Now retired from my Army aircraft repair life, I love it when each of the rotor wing craft fly over our place heading west to their training areas. Many times the UH60s have doors open and the soldiers wave back, usually followed by a flight of 5 or 6 AH64s.

My county has too many residents and ranchers that do not have any tolerance for the 10~15 minuets of noise and complain to the Sheriffs department and Fort Hood all the time. I live across a road from a ranch with horses, cattle, goats and I have never seen them spook, run, or be panicked in any way from the overflights of Army helicopters. In fact the horses look up to see whats making all the noise and go back to grazing.

Ken Cook wrote:            ...I didn't realize the flying portion of the field was a elevated hill. ...

You know why it's a big hill..., it's a landfill Lol. That's why those big cactus looking vents are out there. Also why Danny can't fly his jets. Which is kind of dumb, and disappointing, but them's the rules. Don't chew the grass.
Rusty

Excellent pictures! Possibly my favorite plane too. Check out the schedule for a ride on one for 1/2 hour at varying locations: http://www.collingsfoundation.org/events/category/wings-of-freedom-tour/