FiFi - It Was a Dark and Stormy Night at KCID Cedar Rapids

Once again Fifi, the WWII B-29 is on Cedar Rapids concrete for a few days. She will be joined by other WWII era combat planes and trainers for static display and rides. This shot came at a time of diminishing light and increasing rain. Besides having to photograph through chain link fencing the potential for me to be a lightning rod was very high. Go visit the plane if you are in the area.

Marion Fly-In 2014 Part 1

One of the opening activities for Freedom Festival is the Marion Fly-In in Marion, Iowa. Today the cloud ceiling was low and therefore no fly-ins participated. However several local small planes gave $10 a person rides throughout the morning.

A skeptical boy hangs on to his mother as they approach a small plane for a ride. 

Air traffic is brisk during mid morning but the crews did a good job in getting people on and off the planes.

A trio of guys get their photo taken after completing a successful flight.

Vehicle traffic was routed slightly differently than in years' past. A volunteer directs traffic away from the old entrance. Note the relative height of the corn in the background. Its been a wet spring.

Marion Fly-In 2013 Part 2

More photos from the Marion Fly-in 2013 on Sunday, June 30, 2013. This annual event features private aircraft either on display or giving short rides around the Cedar Rapids-Marion, Iowa area.

The US military was represented by Army and Marine recruiters this year at the fly-in. Sometimes a Navy recruiter and trainer plane make the event. These Marines were waiting for someone to call who was suppose to meet them.

Civil Air Patrol cadets help a pilot move his plane into a parking position. Each year, cadets work hard to make the entire event a success.

A characteristic of the event is an active flight line. Planes taxi, depart and arrive. The public can stand close to the action where it is not possible at larger commercial airports.

Several smaller planes have their own characteristic paint. This one resembles an eagle. Kids love it.

Local air care made an appearance at the fly-in. This helicopter's arrival is a head turner, as it approaches the crowd, rotates into position and lands. People love looking into the cockpit and talking to the crew.

Marion Fly-in 2013 photos here: Part 1, Part 3.

Marion Fly-In 2013 Part 1

[Getting back to blogging.] On Sunday June 30, 2013, the Marion, Iowa airport stages a fly-in for pilots and the general public. Each year the event grows with more participating aircraft, some for static display and some to give rides for $10 a person. The short flights circle the Marion-Cedar Rapids area and typically last for about 15 minutes. This year the weather was prefect as people enjoyed the lead up to the Independance Day celebrations in the area known as Freedomfest.

Airplane rides are offered in a variety of private aircraft. The Iowa corn crop looked pretty darn good in the background. It would be nearly two months later when substantial rains returned.

This girl wanted her photo taken as she peered out of a Humvee. I suspect that her dad was the driver.

The local Civil Air Patrol manages the flight line and parking for aircraft and cars. The older kids help the younger ones learn what to do while the adult members oversee the entire event. The commander (with his back turned to the camera) generally signaled the planes to park nearby while maintaining high levels of safety. He made sure his troop knew exactly what to do, when to do it and where to do it.

A line of planes wait for passengers to load and unload. As you can imagine the need for safety around these fast moving propellers and taxiing planes are major priorities.

Marion Fly-in photos can be seen here: Part 2, Part 3.

Crop Dusters and Dry Days at Amana Airport

The grass strip at the Amana, Iowa airport looks pretty crispy these days due to regional drought conditions. Not withstanding some area crop fields need spraying for pests, weeds or fertilizer control. Recent growing conditions brought two Grumman Ag Cat crop dusters to Amana's private airport. These types of fixed wing single engine airplanes typically travel regionally during summer months to provide timely and cost effective aerial applications for local farmers.

Onboard these Ag Cats are huge plastic tanks containing the control agent (pesticide, herbicide or fertilizer) in liquid form. The tank is located ahead of the pilot with a section extending into the cockpit. Visual inspection of the fluid levels tell the pilot when the spray mixture has been applied or is about empty.

A series of spray nozzles below the fuselage and wings deliver product to the fields. All of this is powered by huge Pratt & Whitney radial engines that provide tons of horsepower needed to perform steep dives and pull-ups associated with precise spraying. The FAA lists 303 of these Grumman made planes on its register, meaning that about 1/2 percent of entire national fleet can be currently seen at the Amana Airport.

B-29 (Fifi) Tail Section Explained at Cedar Rapids CID

Yesterday at the Eastern Iowa Airport (CID,) a crew member of Fifi, a World War II B-29 bomber explained to me about the tail gun section of the 67 year plane. My late uncle once told me that he was a tail gunner aboard a B-29 during WWII and may have been a gunner on other stations of the craft. Since the bomber was pressurized unlike the open B-17, the gunner traveled to his location from the forward crew compartment. He crawled through a tunnel the length of the plane until he reached a hatch. 

While at Fifi's static display at the airport the crew member climbed ahead of me into the rear of the plane. He allowed me to peek in the tail section to see the open hatch where the tail gunner would enter. The crew member explained that the gunner would then stand and operate optical instruments that fed data to a weapons computer. He explained that my uncle would have engaged the computer and then pulled the trigger to fire the 50 caliber machine guns. It was an interesting tour of the B-29 and it permitted me to see how a tail gunner would operate equipment under combat situations. Fifi flies next to Oshkosh on Saturday morning to attend the EAA airshow.

A Day With a B-29 (Fifi) at the Cedar Rapids Airport CID

Make no mistake, this was a rare day for aviation enthusiasts to see, hear and experience the rumblings of a Boeing B-29 Superfortress. "Fifi" entered service in May 1945 just a few months ahead of the end of World War II and now tours the country. Yesterday the massive four prop bomber arrived at the Eastern Iowa Airport (CID) in Cedar Rapids, Iowa for a couple of days of static display and to provide rides for those with cash. The plane will move on to Oshkosh, Wisconsin on Saturday for the annual EAA show.

The line to climb into the cockpit was long but a wind was blowing, the humidity was down and the shade from the right wing provided great relief from the summer sun. Standing in line you meet people and hear stories related to B-29s. The guy next to me just returned from Alaska via Seattle where he visited the Boeing plant there and toured the last manufactured B-17 bomber made.

While in line you can also chat with the flight crew. Here two Fifi mechanics unscrew the face plate of one of the massive engines to determine where oil was leaking. The obvious answer is that these engines constantly leak oil all over - perhaps by design. The boys made sure all the rivets were replaced.

And finally after 45 minutes you climb up a ladder in the forward bomb bay section to enter the pressurized flight deck. Here is where the majority of the crew is seated during missions. A tail gunner would crawl in a tube from this area rearward to the 50 caliber machine guns in the tail. Note how the glass nose looks very much like Star Wars' Millennium Falcon's front view area. Hans Solo and Chewbaca would fit right in. 

The tour continues with an exit down another ladder to the nose wheels. After emerging from the wheel door you are greeted by a view of the nose window.

Hours later the 67 year old B-29, which is the only remaining flying Superfortress, started its four engines and rolled down the taxi area in preparation for flight. Fifi provided two flights today and will do so tomorrow (Friday) before leaving on Saturday for the land of beer and cheese.

Wide Body Over Iowa

Along this portion of 42N many flyover routes line the sky. On clear days east-west air traffic can be observed mainly to the south of the 42N HQ location. A mid-continent navigation tower is located near Hills, Iowa which provides an electronic beacon for coast to coast travellers.

This large plane is southeast to northwest bound - maybe to Minneapolis or Seattle. Its distinctive four contrails alerted me as to this was no regional plane. Air controllers call these wide bodies. Any guesses as to what type of jet this is? Know that.

Ultralight Planes Prepare for Takeoff

Two ultralight planes leave the flight row at the annual Marion Airport fly-in on July 3, 2005. Every year on the weekend before the Fourth of July, the Marion, Iowa airport (just NE outside of Cedar Rapids, Iowa on Hwy 151) stages a fly-in pancake breakfast for the general public. You never know what you will see but the ultralights are generally there. True ultralights (FAR 103) typically start at around $6,000 (USD) and go up from there, although you can find good used ones starting at around $2,500. Light sport aircraft on the other hand cost significantly more. This video posted on YouTube has had over 15,700 views to date and has been watched the most in California, Florida, Texas and Canada, although it has been seen in many other countries.