Greatest Generation Day flyover

Today is the anniversary of VJ day, and the end of WWII.
To commemorate this, and they are calling it Greatest Generation Day - there is a flyover of historic WWII aircraft from Ypsi to Lansing to Grand Rapids and back, starting at 5:15

https://www.lansingstatejournal.com/story/news/local/2020/09/02/vintage-military-aircraft-flyover-set-75th-anniversary-v-j-day/5694026002/

and you can track the flight - zoom to Michigan
https://flightaware.com/live/aircrafttype/B25

The B-17 sounds like nothing else.  Despite only hearing them in movies, I knew the sound when I first heard one live.  Looked up and saw one flying down the M-59 corridor years ago.   Watched it for hours flying back and forth on a repeating route that appeared to be from Selfridge to Pontiac.  Discovered later it was doing passenger flights during an airshow.  The Yankee Lady, which I think is still flying out of Willow Run.  Only 13-14 B-17's still flight worthy.  One crashed a couple years ago.

Dad co-piloted B-17G's 35 missions over Germany.  The son of the TTE in his crew contacted me out of the blue a few years ago.  He's made it a mission to preserve the stories and memory of The Bloody Hundredth and is on the board of directors for the 100th Bomb Group Foundation.  Great site if you have hours to burn.

Heard them loud and clear, but couldn’t see them. Must’ve been too low on the horizon for me to see.

I really hate that they have to witness the current state of the country they fought for.

The Pantry wrote:The B-17 sounds like nothing else.  Despite only hearing them in movies, I knew the sound when I first heard one live.  Looked up and saw one flying down the M-59 corridor years ago.   Watched it for hours flying back and forth on a repeating route that appeared to be from Selfridge to Pontiac.  Discovered later it was doing passenger flights during an airshow.  The Yankee Lady, which I think is still flying out of Willow Run.  Only 13-14 B-17's still flight worthy.  One crashed a couple years ago.

Dad co-piloted B-17G's 35 missions over Germany.  The son of the TTE in his crew contacted me out of the blue a few years ago.  He's made it a mission to preserve the stories and memory of The Bloody Hundredth and is on the board of directors for the 100th Bomb Group Foundation.  Great site if you have hours to burn.

Awesome, pantry, your dad is badass. I will check out that site.

MiamiSpartan wrote:

The Pantry wrote:The B-17 sounds like nothing else.  Despite only hearing them in movies, I knew the sound when I first heard one live.  Looked up and saw one flying down the M-59 corridor years ago.   Watched it for hours flying back and forth on a repeating route that appeared to be from Selfridge to Pontiac.  Discovered later it was doing passenger flights during an airshow.  The Yankee Lady, which I think is still flying out of Willow Run.  Only 13-14 B-17's still flight worthy.  One crashed a couple years ago.

Dad co-piloted B-17G's 35 missions over Germany.  The son of the TTE in his crew contacted me out of the blue a few years ago.  He's made it a mission to preserve the stories and memory of The Bloody Hundredth and is on the board of directors for the 100th Bomb Group Foundation.  Great site if you have hours to burn.

Awesome, pantry, your dad is badass.  I will check out that site.

More of a badass than I even knew.  Passed away on a business trip working for TACOM to Twenty-Nine Palms back in '82.  I was 22 at the time.  He never talked about WWII. Went to Michigan Tech after the war and got an engineering degree.  Knew he played hockey for Tech.  Wasn't until a couple years ago I discovered he played goalie.  Though, he did once brag about his kickshot taking out the goal light at the other end of the rink.

Great stories and pics on the website that take you back to life then.  Pics of my dad I never saw before and realization that my life has been a cakewalk.  My dad was flying B-17's over Germany at the same age I was headed to a party at MSU.  Surreal.  Humbling.

Dad third from right. TTE second from left. Plane was named "Little Sweetheart".

Robert J Sakimano wrote:I really hate that they have to witness the current state of the country they fought for.

And you can't keep your very angry politics aside for even one thread.

Great stories Pantry

Usually don't see A-10's flying around here except on holiday weekends, generally two at a time. Five of them passed over the house this afternoon headed toward Selfridge. No idea where they were coming from. Not their usual low pass as they were at maybe 4-5000 feet. Spaced out, all a couple thousand feet apart.

I'm on St.Clair quite a bit and have seen a few, but they are rare. The transport planes are always flying around. F15s(?) are fairly common and always make you watch. Especially when they take off.

The flight path for the MIS flyover is right over my house. It's pretty crazy to see them go over and then on TV a few minutes later.

The Pantry wrote:

MiamiSpartan wrote:

Awesome, pantry, your dad is badass.  I will check out that site.

More of a badass than I even knew.  Passed away on a business trip working for TACOM to Twenty-Nine Palms back in '82.  I was 22 at the time.  He never talked about WWII. Went to Michigan Tech after the war and got an engineering degree.  Knew he played hockey for Tech.  Wasn't until a couple years ago I discovered he played goalie.  Though, he did once brag about his kickshot taking out the goal light at the other end of the rink.

Great stories and pics on the website that take you back to life then.  Pics of my dad I never saw before and realization that my life has been a cakewalk.  My dad was flying B-17's over Germany at the same age I was headed to a party at MSU.  Surreal.  Humbling.

Dad third from right. TTE second from left. Plane was named "Little Sweetheart".

Freaking awesome, Pantry. As I’ve mentioned before, self-awareness is a hell of a thing, sometimes a blessing, sometimes a curse. When I compare my life to that of your dad’s and all the others who fought in that and all the other wars, I know I come up way short. I’d like to believe I would go to war, but damn, I don’t know. Maybe I’d feel different living in the time those conflicts occurred. Regardless, good thoughts for your pops.

The Pantry wrote:Usually don't see A-10's flying around here except on holiday weekends, generally two at a time. Five of them passed over the house this afternoon headed toward Selfridge. No idea where they were coming from. Not their usual low pass as they were at maybe 4-5000 feet. Spaced out, all a couple thousand feet apart.

You’ve obviously not heard about the new Woodward Air Cruise.