HOME | DD
gary1701 β 'Sally B' - Flying Legend.
Published: 2016-03-09 11:39:20 +0000 UTC; Views: 480; Favourites: 19; Downloads: 0
Redirect to original
Description
The UK's only airworthy B-17, 'Sally B' has become a much loved icon amongst UK aviation enthusiasts. The increasingly difficult challenge faced by the small organization that somehow keeps her flying in the UK has become legend. She's been grounded through lack of money several times, stranded in the Channel Isles with engine failure and most recently faced a massive hike in insurance charges due to European law (oh, the irony!), which has also grounded the single remaining French B-17. She still wears 'Memphis Belle' codes (and the name on the righthand side) in honour of her starring role as that B-17 in the 1989 film of the same name. Photographed at Rougham in 2006.Related content
Comments: 3
Hi Daniel. I can't remember to be honest. I wrote that caption for my flickr account years ago and just pasted it across. Now that I think about it, I can recall hearing several stories at the time. One was financial, one as you say was a dwindling number of engineers and aircrew current on the type in France, and also something about the main spar being at the end of it's life. Which of these it really was, or maybe a combination I don't know. I maybe able to find out locally, as several of the local guys have contacts at Duxford, one volunteers there so I'll see if they know.
Gary
π: 0 β©: 0
It was my understanding that the grounding of Pink Lady had very little to do with cost, insurance or other financial problems. The grounding was more to do with dwindling availability of expertise to keep her flying, and the idea of having at least one potentially airworthy example available for the B-17s centenary of flight. After all, nobody can say that in 25-30 years Β the examples flying today will still be gracing the skies.Β
If I'm wrong then I stand corrected, but this is at least what I have read from various sources at the time of grounding.
π: 0 β©: 0