A sad day for history buffs.....hangar fire!

Worksmart · Oct 10, 2004

As a member of the Yankee Air Force, my heart is heavy with the loss we suffered last night. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif Our hangar burned to the ground. The hangar was built in 1941 when Henry Ford built Willow Run Airport for the production of the B-24 Liberator. Unfortunately the all wood structure didn't stand a chance. Detroit News Our museum was a living museum. Many artifacts were collected over 20 years from the smallest patch or bullet to our flyable classic bombers/transport B-17 Flying Fortress, B-25 Mitchell and C-47 Gooney Bird. Thankfully no one was hurt and the heart of the museum, our three flyables, were miraculously saved to fly again. The C-47 was pushed out by hand as the fired raged. Many irreplacable artifacts were lost along with an F-105 jet fighter, T-33 jet fighter trainer, a WWII glider(as seen on the Longest Day movie), Lockheed Lodestar transport plane, a rare "Link" trainer(simulator) used to train pilots during WWII...to name just a few of the larger items.

Amazingly the B-25 was in the air flying fall color tours today!! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif I recently took a flight in the B-17 and have a whole new perspective of what was done by our "fly boys."

For those of you veterans, history buffs, and aviation fanatics...take a look at our web site Yankee Air Force for some background. Go to the bomber flight link at the bottom of the page to get to the good links. The links don't seem to be working from the home page.

I am "only" 42 and have never served but for those of you who have.......thank you for your service.

Thanks for your indulgence
Chuck

johnday · Oct 10, 2004

Chuck, Terrible. But like you said, no one was hurt.
Have you flown in to Custer for some of the air shows there? Those WW2 planes are just too much for words. Theres nothing like the sound of a big radial in the air or on the ground.
I've into planes since I can remember. I've even been lucky enough to drive on occasion.
That is quite a loss to all of us in more ways than one.
Oh, and you are welcome.

shoppintractors · Oct 10, 2004

Here's a link to the 'B-17 ride' thread from this past June by a TBN member that came from PA to ride the B-17 at the Yankee Air Force Museum.

B-17 ride

Don

JATO_RaT · Oct 10, 2004

Chuck, I watched the video on the B-24 production at Willow Run. My father flew the B-24 in 44-45 out of Italy. I got the chance to fly in one myself several years ago. I'm saddend by the loss.

frank_f15 · Oct 10, 2004

Chuck sorry to hear that, as you can tell by my name i am partial to airplanes. just last moth i was up to the small air musem in NIAGARA FALLS , those old radials were something.

bcarter · Oct 14, 2004

The magnitude of the history that has been lost makes this a tragedy. Fortunately some of the planes where saved.

I recently took a ride on the B-24 that is operated by the Collings Foundation and I too now have an even deeper repect for the folks that flew these planes during the war. My hat is off to all that work to maintain and preserve these pieces of history.

Not to hi-jack this thread, but attached is my account of our flight experience. My cousins and brothers got together for a flight in honor of my Uncle who had passed away earlier this year. It is an experience I will not soon forget.

khd · Oct 14, 2004

I live about 10 miles south of the museum......It was quite a sight to see the smoke billowing so far into the sky. When I got home I went to the neighbors who is a member and he almost cried...found out the next day that one of the planes lost was one that his father had donated to the museum.

Sad day as the YAFM was one of those locale attractions that we didn't take for granted.

Kevin