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Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress, N9323Z Sentimental Journey has been operated by the Arizona Wing of the Commemorative Air Force for over a quarter of a century.
B-17G, N9323Z Sentimental Journey at Falcon Field, AZ on December 31, 1981. It had not yet received its dorsal and ball turrets.
B-17G, N9323Z Sentimental Journey
at Chino, CA on May 20, 1984.
B-17G, N9323Z Sentimental Journey
at Santa Barbara, CA on November 17, 1989.
B-17G, N9323Z Sentimental Journey
at Santa Barbara, CA on November 17, 1989.
B-17G, N9323Z Sentimental Journey
with B-17G, N207EV Shady Lady at Phoenix 500 Airshow on March 31,
1996. N207EV carries serial number 44-83785 on its tail. It was
operated by the CIA in the sixties. It had a scissors mechanism
installed on the nose to pick up infiltrated agents and was seen
at the end of the movie Thunderball. N207EV was operated by
Evergreen Airlines as a tanker until 1989.
B-17G, N9323Z Sentimental Journey
at Phoenix 500 Airshow on March 31, 1996.
B-17G, N9323Z Sentimental Journey
at Chino, CA on April 24, 1999.
B-17G, N9323Z Sentimental Journey
at Chino, CA on April 24, 1999.
B-17G, N9323Z Sentimental Journey
at Chino, CA on April 24, 1999.
B-17G, N9323Z Sentimental Journey
at Camarillo, CA on May 16, 2000. Curtiss C-46F Commando
China Doll in the background is registered to the
American Airpower Heritage Flying Museum. It is registered N53594
and based at the Camarillo Airport in California. It carries
44-78663 as its military serial.
Visit the web site of the Southern California Wing of the Confederate Air Force.
B-17G, N9323Z Sentimental Journey
at Camarillo, CA on May 16, 2000. Note the two Lockheed
Constellations in the distance.
B-17G, N9323Z Sentimental Journey
returned to the Santa Barbara Airport on May 15, 2001.
Sentimental Journey taxied into position next to the
Elephant Bar.
Sentimental Journey still carries
its original Army Air Force serial number, 44-83514. It was
retired from the Air Force in January 1959. In the sixties,
"Sentimental Journey" flew for Aero Union Corporation
of Chico, California as tanker #E17. It is currently registered
to the American Airpower Heritage Flying Museum of Midland,
Texas. It is operated by the Arizona Wing of the Confederate Air
Force out of Falcon Field near Mesa, Arizona.
The persistant marine layer
overcast prevented Sentimental Journey from making very many
flights during its stay in Santa Barbara. It is seen here
starting up its engines on Tuesday, May 22.
Sentimental Journey on approach to
land on Runway 25 on the afternoon of May 22.
Throttling back over the threshold.
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A towering cumulonimbus cloud looms
in the background as Sentimental Journey concludes her visit to
Santa Barbara.
Sentimental Journey runs up its
engines as it prepares to depart for Watsonville.
It was so humid that contrails
streamed from the propeller blade tips of B-17G, N9323Z
Sentimental Journey as it ran up its engines.
Contrails stream from the propeller
blade tips of B-17G, N9323Z Sentimental Journey as it departs for
Watsonville.
Sentimental Journey visited Fox Field near Lancaster from May 3 to May 9, 2005.
Sentimental Journey arrived at the Santa Barbara Airport on Monday, April 23, 2007 and stayed until Friday April 27.
Link to the Arizona Wing of the Commemorative Air Force web site.
Link to the Sentimental Journey tour calendar.
Link to the
American Airpower Heritage Museum of the Commemorative Air Force
Boeing B-17G Flying Fortresses were used to fight fires unitl the 1980s. Subsequently, the tankers were restored to stock configuration. The restored Flying Fortresses tour the country, taking aviation enthusiasts aloft on nostalgia flights.
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Go to home page of the Goleta Air and Space Museum.