|
|
|
|
The nose gun on the B-24 |
Our flight engineer |
|
|
|
|
Pulling the bird out to the taxi ramp... |
|
|
|
Earl and Tony preparing to board |
Colin took these photos for us |
|
|
|
Our pre-flight breifing about emergencies and exits and how and where we can move about in the aircraft when the Loadmaster tells us. |
|
|
Looking aft from the four rear crew seats |
Earl buckling in |
|
|
|
|
The view from my rear crew seat |
Our Loadmaster |
|
|
He just installed the rear fire extinguisher, although there was nothing that could burn in the rear besides us... |
Closing and locking the rear door after raising the "pogo stick" that keeps the tail from dropping when unloaded and a bunch of civilians get inside |
|
|
|
Airborne! |
|
|
|
|
|
The Coppertop Church and East Skyline |
|
|
|
|
Ever heard the saying of "Having Your Ass in a Sling?" The rear tailgunner of a B-24 originated that saying! Earl has his ass in a sling... |
Enger Park Golf Course |
|
|
The view through the rear deck belly |
Tailgunner view |
|
|
Imagine Berlin, Germany, 1944. This is what the tailgunner saw from behind his "Ma Deuce" M2 .50 BMG machine gun. If I was 18 in 1944, I would have taken this position. |
As much fun as it would be to run through 27 linked feet of .50 BMG at the railyard below, this Ma Deuce had no real ammo ready... |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The bomb bay at midship. They had a few replicas here, but you can see how they racked them to fall through the bomb bay doors below. |
|
|
The view from the front of the bomb bay forward to the nose gunner position. |
Entering the upper flight deck from
the bomb bay lower deck |
|
|
Our fabulous crew of experienced Colonels from the Commemorative Air Force. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The AMSOIL Center |
|
|
|
|
|
|
The Blatnik Bridge |
The Blatnik Bridge and the
North End of Superior, Wisconsin |
|
|
The Blatnik Bridge and most of Superior |
The Photographer having his photo taken
by The Loadmaster |
|
|
|
|
|
|
My Dad, Earl, with a huge grin on his face. I never stopped smiling either! |
Lester Park Golf Course. It looks pretty small from the air! 27 holes fit in there. |
|
|
|
|
Lakeside and Lester Park |
Lakeside, focal point right at 47th Ave E. and Superior Street at the Sammy's Pizza corner |
|
|
|
|
Ordean Middle School |
Ordean Middle School and the lower holes of Northland Country Club golf course |
|
|
Ordean Middle School and Northland Country Club golf course |
I can see my old house from here! |
|
|
Seriously, I can, and here zoomed in you can see my sister's open garage right in the center... |
My parent's driveway is visible
at the upper left of this photo |
|
|
Holy Rosary Church and Elementary School, and Duluth East High School |
UMD from above |
|
|
That's 21st Ave. E. on the right, angling north to Woodland Avenue near the center. |
The Rose Garden and Leif Ericson Park in the foreground, all the way up to UMD and St. Scholastica at the top. |
|
|
St. Mary's Hospital |
St. Mary's Hospital |
|
|
Old Duluth Central Building |
|
|
|
|
|
Observation Hill
I can see Drew's garage in this photo! Just left of the quad-based tower in the foreground.
|
Observation Hill |
|
|
Enger Park Golf Course again |
Enger Park Golf Course again |
|
|
|
|
The Gangsta 'Killin Field' District - Lincoln Park |
|
|
|
The ball fields in West Duluth |
Denfeld Senior High and
Public School Stadium |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Murphy Oil Refinery |
Murphy Oil Refinery |
|
|
|
Nemadji River |
|
|
|
|
Check out Earl's grin! Too much fun! |
|
| |
|
