B-17 bomber, The Yankee Lady

Just recently when I was driving home I saw a B-17 and after stopping on the shoulder of the highway I was able to get some pictures of it turning into the final approach and when it was in final approach into KFNT, After I got home I did some research and here is what I found

It started off life in 1945 when it was built in Burbank California but unfortunately it was built to late to see action in WW2. The aircraft was transferred to the US Coast Guard and was used for iceberg patrol and air sea rescue until 1958.
In 1959 the Yankee Lady was transferred to the civil aviation and became an Air Tanker and was used to fight forest fires and apply insecticides to crops and forests.
The aircraft was used by the film industry in 1969 to make a move called “Tora Tora Tora.”
Finally in 1986 the aircraft was purchased by Yankee Air Museum for $250,000 and restored over a 10-year period.
The only difference between this aircraft and those flown during WW II is the cockpit configuration which has been modified to comply with modern Air Traffic Control regulations.
The Yankee Lady is painted in the colors of the 381st Bombardment Group (H) 8th Air Force, based at RAF Ridgewell, England. The nose art is not authentic but is representative of the era.

Currently it is based out of Willow Run airport in Michigan and gives air tours so you can go ride around in it.

Personally I thought it was cool to see it because you don’t get to see one everyday. Sorry about photo quality I was using an iPhone and some of the shots were taken when I was moving

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Nice shots, the Iphone camera is really good!

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This airport wouldn’t happen to be a little southeast of Ann Arbor, would it?

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It is southeast of Ann Arbor

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I saw that beauty just last friday on my way up to the rolling sculpture car show. Engines running idle on what appeared to be the runway. It was just sitting there, bathing in the sun. I didnt snap any pictures of it though. I regret that…

I was trying so hard to tug my phone out of my pocket to get shots at a different location and I was to late so we pulled a u turn with a 18 wheeler coming at us and then we tried to catch up but that wasn’t going to happen so we turned around again and transferred onto I 75 and caught it just before landing after jerking to a stop on the shoulder of the highway

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Holy Moly! Be careful!

My dad was driving I can’t drive. My dad isn’t an angel because t to get pictures he was fine

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