I also had the opportunity to ride in a B-17 some years back. The sounds, the smells, the vibrations, and the excitement was unparalleled. It also made me appreciate the sparseness, the limited space, the noise, and the lack of heat that the flight crews had to endure on those long missions over enemy territory.

I believe the earlier '28 and '29 models had a more rounded top on the radiators. The latter models were a flatter style if my memory is correct. I would guess that yours is from the '30s

That is surprising as I have not had a Duracell leak on me ( AA & AAA sizes) but numerous Ray-O-Vac models have and occasionally ruin the component due to corrosion.

When your doctor is younger than your kids.

Fantastic images!

How did you get the planes' exposures to come out so well against a bright blue sky? Was it done manually or did you use AE with a stop or two lighter with a spot setting ?

That is one issue I've had at various air shows and fly-ins with different colored planes and types of sky. Yes, I know I have a lot to learn still but would appreciate any tips.

My first "experience" was in a back seat of a 1953 Studebaker

Another Christmas cartoon

3 years ago I splurged and rode in "Aluminum Overcast", another restored and flying B-17. The creaks and groans of the airframe, the vibrations, and the rumble of the engines were awesome to the senses.

I did leave the aircraft with a new-found appreciation of what our fathers and grandfathers went through and had to endure during wartime. No insulation, no pressurization, exposed control wires, and no heating of the interior must have made the missions miserable at high altitudes, not to mention the claustrophobic conditions for the tail gunner and ball-gunner. Those 8, 10, and 12 hour long range missions tested everyone, I'm sure.

Thanks to the "greatest generation" for their sacrifices at home and overseas and for winning the war. A round of applause also goes out to those who keep history alive and flying while doing their best to make us "spoiled generations" to learn history and to appreciate what was accomplished by the generation before. May those grand old birds keep flying for many more years.

If it were really a scam, do you really think the person would have given you the £20 ?

One night during the 1970 Christmas season in Viet Nam, while listening to Hanoi Hanna (she played better music than Armed Forces Radio) she interviewed a POW over the air. I will never forget his voice wishing a Merry Christmas to everyone and hoping that the war would be over soon so he could once again see his wife and children. I did not catch his name, but the emotion in his voice was real and from the heart, and it comes back and haunts me every year about this time. Hopefully that unknown soldier survived captivity and was able to go back home to his family. He is always mentioned in a Christmas prayer along with my thanks for being able to come home relatively unscathed.

If you are interested in a Nikon D300, I have a very pristine one including the original box with several extra memory cards, an extra battery, and charger. I also have 1 or 2 popular books about using the D300 that would be included or the body only if you wish.

This way you would be purchasing from a fellow Hedgehog member and photo enthusiast instead of an Ebay unknown that could be pawn shop, stolen camera, or one found at a garage sale and flipped for a quick buck.

If you can, take a small boat or kayak up Spruce Creek. Once west of I-95 you can find gators and other wildlife for great photos. With a canoe or kayak explore the creeks and backwaters between US #1 and the Halifax and Indian Rivers.

Great photos of a grand old lady.

I rode in Aluminum Overcast a few years back over Daytona Beach. With no heat or even any insulation inside the aircraft, you have to respect the crews who had to breathe oxygen and wear the heavy leather and sheepskin clothing to ward off the -30° temps of high altitudes, for 8 to 10 hours at a time. I only had my point and shoot with me and no real time to compose or fiddle with controls. Kneeling in the cramped bombardier's nose of the plane and viewing the ocean and the beach was a sight to remember. The noise of starting up 4 engines then the rumble and rattling of takeoff are also indelible memories.

Check your PMs

Bandstand was redone a while back. Lot's of changes from the '60s, even in the last 10years.