I had to pass on my ride in the Phantom to have been flown by Steve Richie. As an incentive to get pilots out of tour they offered a ride in the Phantom to anyone that spent 50 days out on tour. Mike, one of the new B-17 pilots, and I looked at each other and grinned....we had already signed up to be out all year.
As it turned out I checked my phone message at the SLC airport on the way back to Alaska for a quick break....if I could be in Houston the next morning the Phantom was mine. Grrrrr!!! Schedule just wouldn't allow it, I had to decline -- another opportunity never came up.