B-17 North of Bakersfield

[Yeager]

Whats the story on that B17 parked right off I-5 (right hand side going N) an hour or two N of Bakersfield Cali.  Went by so fast I just barely caught a glimpse of it.

[2bighorn]

Probably at Harris Ranch Airport/Inn. Most likely refueling stop and/or crew got hungry...

Harris Ranch Inn & Restaurant (http://www.harrisranch.com/) with full restaurant (breakfast, lunch and dinner).

Situated approximately halfway between the Bay Area and Southern California, Harris Ranch is known throughout the state for their famous Harris Ranch Blue Ribbon beef.

They have their own private, 2800' paved runway and they are a popular breakfast / lunch / dinner choice for travelers and truckers going north / south in CA along the I-5. The runway is parallel to the interstate and the weather is typically sunny and warm.

[The Fugitive]

I almost ripped my wifes arm out of her socket yesterday. We were crossing a parking lot and I heard a plane up behind the trees. I yanked her along and started yelling "THAT'S A MUSTANG!"     Sure enough, it was one tooling along over head. I have no idea what one was doing in the area.

[bacon8tr]

I tell ya what gents...something few in the world stop and appreciate, Im outside mowing my lawn yesteday, and over the the cough and spit of my wally world special mower I hear those beautiful engines overhead.  I kill the mower and look up and see a B-25.  My only guess is it was the "Yellow Rose of Texas" as she operates down here often.  Figured maybe she was getting some runs in ahead of the Wings over Houston air show in late October.

[RoGenT]

Whats the story on that B17 parked right off I-5 (right hand side going N) an hour or two N of Bakersfield Cali.  Went by so fast I just barely caught a glimpse of it.

I don't know the history of that particular B-17 but I know which one you are talking about. I live in Bakersfield and ironically, I passed it today. It is actually the Highway 99 (unless there is actually another one off I-5 I don't know about). There is gray B-17 and F-4 Phantom there that is just off Exit 200.  I believe the history is that field was used for training (Fighters, Bombers )back in WWII. Next time you come through Bakersfield, let me know and maybe we can meet up somewhere 

[Pigslilspaz]

Happened to me once, Before i knew that they had bombers come here every year, I was outside and I heard a dull roar getting louder. Looked up and saw a B-17 overhead and then a B-24 almost right after. Was awesome, nobody else knew why I was freaking out, lol

[715]

There is a B17G "Preston's Pride" on the right side of North bound Hwy 99 in Tulare at Mefford field:

  http://ben92252-01.tripod.com/   

  http://www.google.com/maps?ie=UTF8&ll=36.15303,-119.331141&spn=0.001546,0.00339&t=h&z=19

If it was truly Hwy 5, then I don't know.  Harris Ranch restaurant has a field on the right side of North bound Hwy 5, but I am not sure that runway could take a B17.  I think it's for rich ranchers landing their GA planes to get a steak lunch.

I remember once I was mowing my lawn and heard what sounded like a dozen more lawn mowers coming.  I shut down and looked up to see a TBM flying right over me at fairly low altitude.  A few days later I was driving back on base after a long day of work and heard a beautiful sound while stopped at a light.  I looked up and a Spitfire flew right in front of the car at about 200 ft alt on it's approach to the base field.  (There was an air show that weekend.)

[HawkerMKII]

It's strange, you hear aircraft flying over you every day, but when you hear that one or two you just know it's old and something you have to run outside or stop mowing the lawn to look at

[Harp00n]

Too bad we donīt have any working ww2-bombers here in Germany that I know off...

But almost every weekend thereīs a JU52 flying over my house. Itīs so slow it looks like it hovers in the air...the triple-engine sound is still awesome.

[JimmyC]

this lanc flew over my place (UK) the other day


then it flew back later on



sounded amazing..

just snapped away with iphone so could not get better shots

[Dichotomy]

when they have airshows around DFW I can occasionally catch a 51 going over my office.  The sound is unmistakable.  Last year or the year before we kept hearing a sound like distant thunder in the office and everybody went outside to see what was going on.  I kept working.  When they came in somebody asked me if I had any idea what was going on 'The Blue Angels are probably practicing'  About then two came over and you could see them out my window.  *smug*

[Treize69]

Only similar experience I've had was getting buzzed by the SPAD from Old Rhinebeck (I used to work a few miles from there) on the drive home one morning back in '04. Must have been out on a check flight or getting some stick time, went over my parked car and me eating a quick lunch at about 100 feet. Sounded like a lawnmower on steroids.

[Babalonian]

Probably at Harris Ranch Airport/Inn. Most likely refueling stop and/or crew got hungry...

How come they never have anything cool parked there on that runway when I drive by?    A B-17 parked right there would be hard for me to concentrate keeping on the road.