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Collings Foundation Temporarily Suspends Warbird Rides After B-17 Crash

Posted: Fri Jan 24, 2020 7:22 pm
by RyanS
The Collings Foundation will offer only ground tours of their aircraft for the near future after their B-17 crashed last year while offering a flight experience to paying passengers. Collings said this is an agreement they reached with the FAA while they investigate the crash and review their living history flight experiences.

I have no doubt this is a tough situation all around. It really underscores how fragile the warbird ride industry is. These flights raise a lot of funds to not only keep them flying but support the museums behind the aircraft. I really hope this is a short duration stand down for the right reasons and flights resume soon!

No word on how this will effect the Wings of Freedom Tour achedule for 2020. Some of the Collings aircraft are in Florida right now. Other warbird operators do not appear to be impacted.
"We have agreed to a temporary stand down with our LHFE flights (living history flight exemption) as we work with the FAA thoroughly addressing questions regarding operations," said Hunter Chaney, director of marketing, Collings Foundation. "We hope to have this resolved soon and continue this extraordinary living history experience."
https://www.wfsb.com/news/vintage-plane ... b2443.html

Re: Collings Foundation Temporarily Suspends Warbird Rides After B-17 Crash

Posted: Sat Jan 25, 2020 12:35 am
by LarryWyatt
The Collings Foundation has my absolute support for future flights.
They have been a key element in my long passion of flight.
I would be sad to add their stopping flight operations to another chapter to my 'I remember when' olde man's tale...

Re: Collings Foundation Temporarily Suspends Warbird Rides After B-17 Crash

Posted: Tue Jan 28, 2020 4:01 pm
by RyanS
This seems to be spreading as I feared. National Warplane Museum has terminated their lease of Movie Memphis Belle and Lone Star Flight Museum says they have no plans to fly Thunderbird for the rest of the year.

Re: Collings Foundation Temporarily Suspends Warbird Rides After B-17 Crash

Posted: Tue Jan 28, 2020 6:22 pm
by RyanS