As you know, I love aviation. One of the gems that we have in the Phoenix Valley is the Arizona Wing of the Commemorative Air Force. This amazing group spends huge amounts of money and time making sure that the legacies of our fighting men and women of the past whose battlefield was in the sky are preserved. They don’t just take airplane carcasses and put them in a museum; they get them flying again.
It’s one thing to look at static displays of airplanes, and it doesn’t suck to do this. But there is no way to really feel the soul of an airplane, especially a beast from so long ago, unless you can feel the vibration of two or even four giant piston engines vibrating in your chest, see it lumber down the runway, and take off. Even better, be in it. The work that the CAF does in keeping this living history going is to be applauded.
As for this video, the Arizona Wing had this done to highlight their two prized birds; Sentimental Journey, a beautifully restored B-17 that has been the anchor of the wing for some time, and Maid in the Shade, a recently completed restoration of a B-25N “Mitchell”, the newest stable mate of the B-17. It is beautifully done and shows off not only the airplanes but also the amazing Arizona desert terrain east of Phoenix. The takeoff is from our local airport, Falcon Field (KFFZ), where the Arizona Wing has their home and their museum here in Mesa. Also, if you’re interested, I did an interview with the chief pilot and the chief mechanic of Maid in the Shade recently for the Pilotcast, and we talk a bit about this near the end of episode 84, and even included some of that interview at the very end. For the uninitiated, you can easily tell the difference between the two airplanes in this video because the B-17 has four engines, the B-25 has only two. The only thing wrong with this video that I can see is that it isn’t long enough.
There’s not much else to say before you watch. Except, perhaps, that if this doesn’t invoke some sort of emotion as you watch, then, I’m sorry, we just can’t be friends. Enjoy.
I am also a podcaster and have a couple of shows about aviation that I host and produce. Part of what I do as both an aviator and podcaster is make an annual pilgrimage to the Mecca of general aviation, 
It reminds me a bit of the hysteria that always surrounds shark attacks. It is staggeringly unlikely to die by shark, or even get injured by one, even if you spend a fair amount of time in the ocean. Shark attacks, though, and feeding on people’s irrational fear of sharks, makes for a good news story. I see similar frenzies related to airplane accidents. While airplanes are generally a very safe way to travel or have fun, people, for whatever reason, tend to be scared of them. News agencies and politicians use these types of fears all of the time to create panic for their gain. Now, before someone freaks out, I don’t put most of the blame on those exploiting fear, but mostly on those being exploited. All it takes is a little critical thought and 
a little self education to realize you don’t have to be susceptible to exploit in this way. It does beg the question though; which came first, the irrational fears that people have or the hysteria created by the media? Interesting anthropological question…does the hysteria creation and fear mongering just feed on these fears, or partially cause them, too?
While music videos looped on the LCD display, a myriad Sony electronic gadgets and accessories attempt to lure you into parting with your money. Look, I’m all for not having to talk to lame, pimple-faced teenager, uninformed store salesmen that you find in most electronic stores, but this takes half the fun out of shopping, or more accurately, returning, electronics. Who are you supposed to yell at? Additionally, this was in the Las Vegas airport, inside the terminal (i.e. the business side of the ever-so-vigilant TSA). Even if you could drum up the gumption from deep inside yourself to come back and yell at the machine, you’d have to buy some sort of airplane ticket for the privilege. I suppose there’s a phone number you can call if you have problems, but that’s not face to face yelling, so it’s not the same. 
