B-29 "FiFi" and Severe Weather at the Dupage County Airport

[McChuugy]

I go golfing right behind FiFi where it took off

[basicbill1]

@McChuugy Thanks for watching.

Bill

[McChuugy]

Terrible weather then, I was in Minnesota but it was still bad i heard

[SaberTanker22]

I really love the scale of this storm you filmed with the B-29 very dark storm.

[basicbill1]

@SaberTanker22 Thanks very much.

Bill

[BNSF7776]

Bill, Its great to see FiFi out and about. I've heard rumor that FiFi's landing gear had collapsed during taxi at one time. Other wise glad to see her flying and my gosh thats a nasty storm blowing in.

[basicbill1]

@BNSF7776 Yeah, it was a lot of fun to watch it fly.

Bill

[greatgreatgrandma]

Wonderful Wonderful Video Bill !! Did you get wet? . 10 stars from me.. !!!!!!! The Best !

[basicbill1]

@greatgreatgrandma Thanks. Got inside just as the rain started.

Bill

[jt4136]

Boy those R3350's sure sound nice. They were cutting it kind of close with that shelve cloud moving in wern't they?

That was an excellent video Bill, one of your best.

[basicbill1]

@jt4136 I was very surprised that they took off as I watched the radar. But it made for a cool video for me.

Thanks much.

Bill

[weilamrhein]

outstanding!



[basicbill1]

@weilamrhein Thanks!

Bill

[wrailfan]

One of the most magnificent videos I've ever watched, be it YouTube, VHS or DVD, period. Five stars or a 'Like' doesn't do this one justice.

[basicbill1]

@wrailfan Very kind. Thanks much.

Bill

[jmehl77]

just simply fantastic shooting, thanks so much for being there, that was great Bill!

[basicbill1]

@jmehl77 Right place, right time for sure. Thanks.

Bill

[MrCraig1930]

B-29s were used in Korea, I've seen a lot of them when I was in Korea in 1953. Great old memory :-)

[basicbill1]

@MrCraig1930 Dropped the Bell X-1, too.

Bill

[yamahonkawazuki]

@basicbill1 and if i recall, the soviet union copied ALOT of it into their long range bomber. love this thing. hopefully one day i can catch a flight on her. perhaps if not ill catch anotherone on aluminum overcast

[basicbill1]

@yamahonkawazuki Sounds about right. Thanks.

Bill

[MrJunior428]

Greatest WW2 aircraft ever built! Wish they could of been used in the European Theater....may have hastened the nazi surrender...will never know...awesome video Bill

[basicbill1]

@MrJunior428 Thanks for watching.

Bill

[ThePostal67]

What can be said? Beautiful and glad you didn't end it to soon. The storm reminds us, no matter how big we make things, nature beats us hands down.. Was at DP about thirty years ago and my son and I bought a ride on the Ford Tri, as it turned out it was second to the last ride of the day. The next passengers got on and I think it was the same storm (lol), they ended their flight in Indiana somewhere, because the pilots couldn't make it back safely. Wish I had know it was to be there!

[basicbill1]

@ThePostal67 Thanks. I hope someone out there continues to give Tr-motor rides. A classic and I would think quite a bit less expensive to maintain than this. The B-29 is still at Dupage today giving rides and ramp tours.

Bill

[sellacct66]

Bill, great, great video! Top notch. And I can also see myself and my brother as FiFi starts to taxi away from where it was parked.

[basicbill1]

@sellacct66 Hey, very cool. Glad you liked it.

Bill

[whywear]

Very nice Bill... I think that aircraft will be heading up to the big aviation meet up in Oshkosh this week. Also great shot if the severe weather moving in. Cool!

[basicbill1]

@whywear Thanks very much.

Bill

[AJ67901]

Nice Video Bill. I saw FiFi up close at GCK one time. They also had a CAF B-17 that I got to tour. I was really surprised to see how small they were inside. I cannot imagine what it must cost to fly a B-29 for an hour. I believe I read that 65% of the B-29s produced came out of Wichita. Lots of them were completed on the ramp when the war ended and were scrapped on the spot without ever having flown.

[basicbill1]

@AJ67901 Thanks. I believe I read the same thing.

Bill

[TheMadNorsky]

Good job Bill. Nice video. A rather nasty looking storm passing by. Kind of taking a chance with the old bird, what with that weather moving in. I recall a show few years back about a B-29 they found in Greenland, had crash landed there while being moved to Europe post WW II. Went to huge effort to get it out of the ice, it was in pristine condition. Got it running, ready to take off when gasoline spilled from a generator on board and burned up the plane. Heartbreaking to see.

[basicbill1]

@TheMadNorsky Thanks. Now that you mention it, I do remember that incident.

Bill

[benmok2]

@TheMadNorsky

Yes, Kee Bird. I watched the story years ago with my father. He knew the story, but didn't let on. I lost it when it unfolded.

[benmok2]

The best video I've seen of Fifi. The passing storm made a great background against her profile at 11:16. Thanks for posting!

[basicbill1]

@benmok2 Thanks. Yes, I would have like to have stopped the video when FiFi taxied off the runway since it was already long. But that view that you mentioned had to be included.

Bill

[1489011]

so the B-29 plane took off before or after the severe weather came?

[basicbill1]

@1489011 It took off, flew a bit, then returned for landing.

Bill