The Paper • Page 2 • October 24, 2019
B-17 “Nine-O-Nine” Cont. from Page 1
minutes, the co-pilot radioed to the air traffic controller that they needed to return to the airport. The B-17′s right wing struck approach lights about 1,000 feet before the runway and hit the ground about 500 feet short of the runway. The aircraft veered off the runway and eventually crashed into a de-icing tank, exploding into a ball of flames. The pilot, co-pilot and five passengers were killed and seven others were injured.
The pilot Ernest McCauley, 75, had 7,300 hours of flight time on the B-17, making him the most experienced B-17 pilot in the nation. He had been flying for Wings of Freedom for 20 years. The co-pilot, Michael Foster, 71, had been a volunteer pilot for the Collings Foundation for five years. “In hindsight, would we have done anything different in this event? No, unfortunately,” CAA Executive Director Kenneth Dillon said in an interview with the Hartford, Connecticut newspaper, The
Give Us This Day Our Daily Chuckle This week, a compendium of wit, wisdom and neat stuff you can tell at parties. Enjoy! 1960s Hits Renamed
Some of the artists of the 60s are revising their hits with new lyrics to accommodate aging baby boomers who can remember doing the "Limbo" as if it were yesterday They include:
Bobby Darin --Splish, Splash, I Was Havin' A Flash Herman's Hermits --Mrs. Brown, You've Got a Lovely Walker Ringo Starr --I Get By With A Little Help From Depends The Bee Gees --How Can You Mend A Broken Hip?
Roberta Flack--The First Time Ever I Forgot Your Face
Courant: “There is no information that I had that the Collings Foundation has done anything wrong, that there was anything wrong with that aircraft.” The Collings Foundation is one of several groups across the country that sought and received a special exemption from the FAA to fly the “living history” planes in 2001.
The 75-year-old restored bomber was one of 18 B-17s left in the U.S. It was on a nationwide tour and the 10 passengers on Wednesday paid up to $450 for a 30-minute flight that ended in tragedy. There are hundreds, if not thousands of stories about the B17 “Flying Fortress.” Here is just one:
Probably the most famous World War II B-17 pilot was Col. Robert Morgan.
He gained fame as the first to complete 25 missions with the legendary “Memphis Belle” Flying Fortress, subject of several movies. Morgan also went on to fly the B-29 Superfortress Johnny Nash --I Can't See Clearly Now
Paul Simon--Fifty Ways To Lose Your Liver
The Commodores --Once, Twice, Three Times To The Bathroom Procol Harum--A Whiter Shade Of Hair
Leo Sayer --You Make Me Feel Like Napping . The Temptations --Papa's Got A Kidney Stone Abba--Denture Queen
Tony Orlando --Knock 3 Times On The Ceiling If You Hear Me Fall . Helen Reddy --I Am Woman; Hear Me Snore
Leslie Gore --It's My Procedure, and I'll Cry If I Want To Neil Diamond --Nurse Caroline
And Last, but NOT least: Willie Nelson --On the Commode Again
Every day may not be good... But there's something good in every day.
for another 26 missions, including leading the first bombing raid on Tokyo since the famed Doolittle raid.
Morgan said the biggest transition problem going between the B-17 and the B-29 was that “the B-29 was not fun to fly--the B-17 was. The 29 you had to work to fly, you had to fight the controls, and it wouldn’t take the punishment the B17 could. The whole story on the B17 was the damage it could take and still fly.” The Memphis Belle crew and plane were returned to the United States for a three-month public relations tour. Morgan said the message was “keep doing what you were doing for the war effort.”
After the tour, he was sent to train in the B-29 at Pratt and Wichita, KS, and then it was off to Saipan to fly his new bomber, the “Dauntless Dottie” named after his wife. He never married his “Memphis Belle.” He also admitted the Memphis Belle was not the first aircraft to complete the 25 missions, a mark believed to be nearly impossible in the early years of Church notice in France
This notice can now be found in French churches:
En entrant dans cette église, il est possible que vous entendiez l'appel de Dieu.
Par contre, il n’est pas susceptible de vous contacter par téléphone. Merci d'avoir éteint votre téléphone. Si vous souhaitez parler à Dieu, entrez, choisissez un endroit tranquille et parle lui. Si vous souhaitez le voir, envoyezlui un SMS en conduisant. Translation:
It is possible that on entering this church, you may hear the Call of God. On the other hand, it is not likely that he will contact you by phone. Thank you for turning off your phone. If you would like to talk to God, come in, choose a quiet place, and talk to him. If you would like to see him, send him a text while driving. You Know You're In Trouble When
Your accountant's letter of resignation is postmarked Zurich. Your suggestion box starts ticking.
You make more than you ever made, owe more than you ever
the war as our bombers were being regularly shot down.
“The B-17 ‘Hell’s Angels’ plane made 25, but the crew hadn’t. It was still considered the backup plane if we didn’t make it,” recalled Morgan. A cameraman went on the final five missions to gain enough film footage to make a documentary for the war effort. Morgan’s worst B-17 mission was his third--to the German submarine pens at St. Nazaire, France. He remembered “the generals had new ideas about trying a low level mission, so we stayed on deck and pulled up at the last minute, but the Germans ‘had our flight plan.’ They blew three B-17’s out of the air, including our CO, and we had 82 holes in the plane. They never tried that again.” The 25th and final mission in the Memphis Belle brought significant memories. Morgan said “I was not really nervous, in fact I told the crew ‘If one plane comes back today it’s going to be us.’ I tried to keep the fact it was the 25th mission out of my mind.” B-17 “Nine-O-Nine” Cont. on Page 3
owed, and have less than you've ever had.
The simple instructions enclosed aren't. People send your wife sympathy cards on your anniversary.
The plumber floats by on your kitchen table.
Your secretary tells you the FBI is on line 1, the District Attorney is on line 2, and CBS is on line 3. •••• Just once . . . I'd like to see a liar's pants catch on fire. Just once.
•••• 26% of Americans can't read. The other 92% can't do math. •••• The Washington Post's Mensa Invitational Clever word twists ...
Here are the winners: 1.Cashtration (n.): The act of buying a house, which renders the subject financially impotent for an indefinite period of time. 2. Ignoranus: A person who's both stupid and an A-hole.
3. Intaxicaton: Euphoria at getting a tax refund, which lasts until you realize it was your money to start with.
Chuckles Cont. on Page 5