Greetings from Mojave Airport! Did you see the big four engine bomber fly over Mojave on Tuesday just after noon? That was a Boeing B-17G carrying the name “Sentimental Journey” with the painting of Betty Grable on the nose.

She will return to Mojave Airport at 10:00 a.m., Monday, May 9^th and you can thank Wen and JoAnn Painter for this unscheduled visit! The aircraft will stay until 2:00 p.m. Bring your cameras, kids, friends and relatives to Mojave Airport and touch this wonderful piece of history.

Wen knew that the big four engine bomber, B-17G, “Sentimental Journey” was scheduled to visit Fox Airfield from May 3-9 for the ceremony on the anniversary of V-E Day on Sunday, May 8, but then he thought it would be great if this airplane might be able to come to Mojave Airport and has been working on this project for a long time.

JoAnn emailed and asked if I could help Wen with this since he is recovering from surgery and is still in the hospital. Of course, I said, “Yes!” Ozzie Levi at Fox Field is coordinating with the Arizona Wing of the Commemorative Air Force and all seems to be on schedule. Ozzie called Bill Deaver to help and Bill in turn asked his sister, Susan Wiggins, to put out a notice to all the schools in the area.

“We are looking for donations to help buy fuel – all amounts are welcome,” said Levi. “We especially want the children to see this historical aircraft and be able to touch it.”

Wen and JoAnn Painter have been active in Chapter 49 Experimental Aircraft Association forever! They are always at special events at California City Airport, Mojave Airport and Fox Field supporting the Young Eagles programs and taking young people for their first airplane ride. I cannot think of anyone more devoted to the spirit of aviation than Wen and JoAnn!

I believe JoAnn Painter has been the most qualified person to ever serve on the East Kern Airport District Board of Directors. She is a stalwart supporter of the entire district and is always professional, consistent, dependable, fair and responsible.

Wen is a walking, talking encyclopedia of aviation history! He knows everyone who is anyone in aviation and has a knack of networking that brings results. Even though he is recovering in the hospital as I write this column, he wants everyone to know about the historic bomber that will visit Fox Field and Mojave Airport this next week. What a fantastic history this aircraft has!

Boeing designed Sentimental Journey rolled off the Douglas assembly line in late 1944, and was accepted by the Army Air Corp on March 13, 1945. Manufactured too late to see service in the European war, the aircraft was assigned to the Pacific theater for the duration of the war.

In 1947, the aircraft was removed from storage in Japan and assigned to Clark Field in Manila as a photo-mapping plane. For nearly three years she served in that capacity, flying to all corners of the Pacific in the configuration of a RB-17G.

Sentimental Journey was then transferred to Eglin Field, Florida, and was converted to a DB-17G for service as an air-sea rescue craft. During the 1950’s, B-17 serial number 4485314 was converted once again to become a DB-17P, serving with the 3215th Drone Squadron at Patrick Air Force Base in Florida.

On January 27, 1959, final military orders were cut, transferring the airplane to military storage at Davis Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Arizona. Within a few months, 85314 was acquired by the Aero Union Corporation of Chico, California, and became a civilian aircraft as N-9323Z, the registration which remains with her to date. For the ensuing eighteen years, an aircraft that had been designed to survive no more than a hundred missions flew literally thousands of sorties against forest fires throughout the country.

On January 14, 1978, the newly formed Arizona Wing of the Confederate (now Commemorative) Air Force announced that this aircraft had been donated to the CAF. A contest was initiated by the local media to name the aircraft, which resulted in more than 800 entries, and the ultimate selection of the name Sentimental Journey. The decision was made to use the most famous pinup picture of World War II for the nose art. Permission was secured from widower Harry James to add Betty Grable in her most tantalizing pose to complete the newly acquired bomber. (See photo.)

It was early in 1943 that Frank Powolny photographed the famous full-length back pose of Betty Grable looking over her shoulder. Betty Grable, the famous American actress who appeared in many films during the war, was the most popular pin-up model of World War II. Her legs allegedly were insured for a staggering $1-million!

The B-17G wing span is 103-feet, 9-inches; the length is 74-feet, 3.9-inches, the height is 19-feet, 2.44-inches and the empty weight is 36,134-pounds. Four Wright R-1820-97 Cyclone engines power the B-17. Fuel capacity is 2,780 gallons carried in the wings with a fuel consumption of 200 gallons per hour at cruise power, with a range of 3,750 miles.

A crew of 10 served aboard the “Flying Fortress,” with a bomb load of 8,000 pounds and is had thirteen .50-caliber machine guns to fight off enemy aggression.

Sentimental Journey is based at Falcon Field in Mesa, Arizona and the Arizona Wing CAF is proud of its work and effort to bring Sentimental Journey to everyone at Fox Field and Mojave Airport. Her next stop is Visalia, CA.

Thanks Wen and JoAnn for this wonderful opportunity to see and touch aviation history!

Until next week.  .  .  .  .  .  “Keep ‘em flying!”