We’re 1500 feet over the Gulf Islands, westbound with Biloxi off my right wing. Until yesterday, I had no idea where Biloxi was. And until this morning, I had no idea where Lafayette was, other than “somewhere in Louisiana.” But that’s where we’re headed. Did I mention, by the way, that I’m flying a B-17? Mac is in the left seat, but once we were set up and clear of Pensacola’s airspace, he handed the controls off to me in his usual offhand style:
“Okay, Pablo – you take it. Keep us on 262 at this altitude.”
“I’ve got the controls.” <- me doing the positive exchange of control confirmation
“Yup, you’ve got ’em.”
Gratuitous selfie
And so I got to hand fly us for two and a half hours, just me, Mac and Zane. Lumbering across Alabama, Mississippi and half of Louisiana, lumbering along over bayou and bay, lumbering past iconic names that were far away in my mind and unstuck from any map I had ever imagined: Mobile, Gulfport, Pontchartrain.
Regular readers will have guessed that I’m back on tour with the Collings gang. It’s a surreal little world where I get to go barnstorming around the country with a bunch of other volunteers, flying WW2 fighters and bombers from town to town, giving rides and trying to bring history alive. We’ll be in Lafayette for a couple of days, soaking in Cajun hospitality, then on to Alexandria before I have to head home and rejoin what passes for “normal” for me. I’ll keep you posted.
David Pablo Cohn 
Very envious, enjoy.
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Way cool David! Might you know Robert Pinkston? I believe he just got typed in the B25. He and I have a mutual acquaintance via Facebook.
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Heck yeah! Pinkie says “Hi!” Great guy, good stick, and probably the youngest B-25 pilot in the last 50 years (hard to believe that one of my teenagers is older than him…).
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That’s awesome David! Please tell Pinkie I said Hi back! I fly a GIV around the world, and while it is fun it simply cannot compete in the “Cool” department when it comes to flying around all day at 1500 feet being pushed along by two or four big round engines! My engines may say Rolls Royce, but all they do is whine, and I don’t get to see 1500 feet except for takeoff and landing.
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Hah! The “Rolls Royce” thing got a big laugh here – thanks! And yeah, we all feel unreasonably lucky to be able to do this kind of flying.
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How interesting! Enjoyed your post.
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I am envious! I got a chance to fly right seat in a B-17, but couldn’t get up at 3am to do it after arriving in town at midnight.
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Very Cool, my regular mount these days is a Shorts 330, probably just as heavy on the controls as the Fort. . I’m flying a SF-28a motorglider now to try to finish my gold badge then the P-40 ride in celebration!
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Gold badge and a P-40 ride? You, sir, know how to celebrate. I’ll keep my fingers crossed for lift…
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