Grumpy Returns

September 3rd

admin — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 19:24:50 +0000

Thursday in Seattle

Flying fish

The natives are friendly

Goose Bay, not

Planning the next expedition in a map shop

Kenmore Air Harbor (couldn't go a day without aircraft)

Friend Rob Richey shares experience from his favorite pulpit

Crew ponders float sizing for a B-25

Nice one, Nick

Celebrity row

Fellow member of the Aviator's Guild

Farewell to our English mates, and bravo!

Farewell to photographer Nick Baratta, and bravo!

September 2nd

admin — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 21:35:18 +0000

Pushback at Edmonton City Center Airport

Casting a big shadow

Until next time

Alberta farms

Farms as geometry, art

A wee bend in the road

Harvest is here

Near Calgary

Water colors

Patchwork

Transition

Heading, British Columbia

Young mountains

Lake Louise

Peeking through

Turning north

Watercourse

River art

Shades

Canadian glacier

Clearing ahead

Leaving the mountains

John Romain says "until next time"

Lee Proudfoot admires a friend

Why the Great Spirit gave us hats

Bill Kelly delivered a sound aircraft

One more hug

Wrapping up

Beautiful daughter and baggage helper

September 1st

admin — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 05:13:23 +0000

Young thoughts

DC-3

B-25 restoration

Looking good under cover

Two happy blokes

A man and his charts

Two new friends

A B-25 veteran, still looking sharp

August 31st

admin — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 04:34:11 +0000

Ice is not nice

A long way to go

Remarkable variety

Transition sky

Clouding up

Goose Bay departure

Oh, Canada!

Duxford Duo (I stole their plane)

Monday reflections

The shadow

Heading west

Out of the clouds and into the light

From Billy's office

From the bubble

Friend or foe?

August 30th

admin — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 07:36:22 +0000

Hawkeye Kelly

Lee at work

Cockpit above, tunnel to nose below

Greenland

Our friend, the sea

Near Greenland

Greenland

Vantage point

Greenland (is a big place)

Greenland

Berg bits

Calm seas

A room with a view

Looking over the top of the ferry tank

Last shot in immersion suits

Why not?

Goose Bay cuisine

5 stars (all from the crew of Grumpy)

Memory from our departure

Cameraman Nick at work

Executive behavior

August 29th

admin — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 23:30:11 +0000

Good looks, and brains too!

Coast of Iceland

Enormity

Pilot gives signal for more altitude

Feeling small

Winter wing in August

Adios

Teamwork

Landing in Iceland

admin — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 04:00:48 +0000

The list of credits for the B-25 Mitchell bomber includes many “firsts”: It was the first army plane to see action on every fighting front of WW II, the first to sink a submarine, and the first medium bomber to fly from a carrier deck. Yet it was designed in just 40 days, without wind-tunnel tests or prototypes. The plane’s initial flight occurred in August, 1940. Designed to carry a 3,500 pound bomb load and a crew of 5, it easily carries a heavier bomb load at a cruising speed of 200 mph, with red-line at 340 mph. Its wingspan is 67 feet, 6 inches, with fuselage length of 54 feet. It measures 15 feet, 9 inches from the runway to the top of its twin tails. The B-25 empty weighs 20,300 pounds, but when loaded to capacity weighs 35,500 pounds. Two Wright Cyclone engines—each delivering 1,700 hp—drive Hamilton hydromatic propellers. B-25D “Grumpy” is fitted with a special bomb bay ferry fuel tank, allowing the aircraft to remain airborne for over 11 hours.

August 28th

admin — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 00:28:58 +0000

Mr. Tim Manna, RAF Museum

Fill 'er Up

Changing Sky

Through the Looking Glass

The Office

Spit Fuselage

In the Sky in 2010

admin — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 00:28:24 +0000

It takes 1,400 gallons of gas to fill Grumpy’s tanks each time we stop. Be a donor. Join the flight crew.

Historic Flight Foundation, 411 University St., Suite 1200, Seattle, WA 98101.

Donate@historicflight.org

admin — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 00:26:51 +0000

A veteran aircraft of the 1940’s, this hard-working B-25D Mitchell will fly the route used by Bomber Command to relocate WW II lend-lease bombers to the United Kingdom. In honor of all the air crews that perished while moving bombers to the European Theater, “Grumpy’s” flight crew will arrive in the United States carrying the Royal Air Force Pooley Sword commissioned by the Royal Air Force Museum American Foundation. The sword is to be presented annually to the Royal Air Force Officer on exchange with the United States Air Force who has made the most significant contribution in that year to Anglo/American relations.

Built in North American Aviation’s Kansas City plant, B-25D-30 Mitchell 433318/N88972 was delivered on October 27, 1943 to the USAAF’s advanced flying school at the 402nd Army Air Force Base Unit at La Junta, Colorado. After flying 1,551 hours with the USAAF, the bomber was overhauled at the Kelly Field Depot, Texas. One of 70 B-25Ds included in a 1944 lend-lease transaction, “Grumpy” also served the RAF. Post-war, the hardy aircraft flew as part of Northwest Air Command responsible for the defense of Western Canada. Early in 1962, “Grumpy” was struck off charge and sold by the Crown Assets Disposal Corporation to Joe Goldney of Vancouver, BC. Subsequent private owners have included North Star Aviation of Fairbanks, Alaska (forest fire fighting service) and Noel Merrill Wien of Anchorage, Alaska.

In 1987, after spending more than a decade in storage in Anchorage, “Grumpy” was acquired by The Fighter Collection of Duxford, U.K., and then flown to B-25 rebuilders Aero Trader of Chino, California. The aircraft was ferried in November 1987 to the United Kingdom by the late John Crocker, Aero Trader co-owner Tony Ritzman, and Stephen Grey of The Fighter Collection. For 17 years, “Grumpy” participated as “a fan’s favorite” in many European air shows. After some more storage time at North Weald airfield, the plane was sold in May, 2008 to Historic Flight Foundation, Paine Field, Washington, and restored to airworthy condition by Aircraft Restoration Company in Duxford, England.