May 16-20, 2001
With
both Boeing and McConnell Air Force Base near Wichita and so much
to see in both, Wichita was a great choice for the 26th reunion of
the 73rd Bomb Wing.
The experimental flight hangar at Boeing was my favorite site to see.
Here we saw the remains of "doc" as she is being completely
restored by hundreds of volunteers under the auspices of Boeing and
the watchful eye of Dick Ziegler the Restoration Crew and Publicity
Director.
I also enjoyed the tour of the Kansas City Air National Guard's hangars
where we saw the B-1 bombers (I actually climbed up the ladder dress
and all to sit in the pilot's seat!) We also had a very lively tour
of the KC-135 jet tankers by some wonderful tour guides from McConnell
AFB.
I must admit, though, that with all these wonderful sites to see,
my most enjoyable moments were being with the guys and their wives
and meeting a lot of new friends and some :old" Internet friends
whom I have never met in person. Unfortunately for my diet, I also
enjoyed the cuisine!
Sit back, relax and enjoy my memories of the 26th reunion of the 73rd Bomb Wing. I did not attend all the functions but have many, many photos of the things I did attend and the people I met.
My
thanks go out to Bill Copeland, Tex Knowles and Lee Florence for the
use of their many photographs. I was going to try and identify who
took what, but that would take forever. [You all know which are yours
and, again, thank you so much for sharing them with us all.]
Here we are inside the experimental hangar at Boeing where "Doc" is being restored. The above banner depicts some of the sponsors who are helping bear the huge financial burden of this project.
Photos of "Doc's" Nose
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A Look Inside "Doc" |
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Wings and Body |
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Tail Section |
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A few of us were fortunate enough to get a tour inside the Boeing plant.
The light was bad so many of Bill's photos did not come out. Here are
a few of his and mine that did.
The photo below has been in most books about the history of the B-29.
While on the tour I stood in the same spot that the original Boeing
plant photo was taken to show you what that same space looks like today.
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