The Great International Transcontinental Roadtrip is due to kick off next week. 4828 miles across the North American Continent. Stops scheduled in Whitehorse, Banff, Edmonton, Yellowstone, the Black Hills, St. Louis, and points unknown. 40 days to see everything I can fit and to photograph it for posterity.
Its gonna be a lot of driving, and a lot of work, but this is a once or twice in a lifetime thing. I plan to make the most of it.
Feel free to follow along.
Bridge on Flickr.
KB-29B (s/n 44-83905)
“Lady Of The Lake”
Eielson AFB, AK
From the pamphlet:
“In 1957 the B-29s were replaced by B-50s, a larger version of the B-29. Although the two airplane models looked alike, most parts were not interchangeable. After World War II, most B-29s were cut up and scrapped, so the parts supply was rapidly dwindling. By the time the B-50s arrived, parts cannibalization on B-29s was standard practice, just to keep the remaining planes flying.
The “Lady of the Lake” was one such aircraft. With all the useful parts removed, and with no chance of replacement, the plane was removed from the active aircraft inventory. At that time, almost all of the flights originating out of Eielson AFB were reconnaissance flights traveling over open water, either over the Arctic Ocean, or the North Pacific Ocean. Someone thought of using the grounded WB-29 for open water extraction practice.
The plane was hauled out to its present location via the railroad, and set up in a shallow pond for training purposes. Unfortunately, either because of raising water, or because the plane sank into the bottom of the pond, the water level became too high to continue the extraction training, and the plane was abandoned in place. Over the years, a certain mystic rose around the plane, and many different theories came about as to its origins, but the case of the “Lady in the Lake” has been closed for now.”
www.eielson.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-061114-019.pdf www.warbirdregistry.org/b29registry/b29-4483905.html
Chena Bend
Denali National Park, AK 04-14-2012
Spring is coming fast
Savage Creek Boulders Diptych.
I couldn’t decide which version I liked better.
Denali National Park, AK
My trip to Denali National Park, AK on 14 April 2012
About Far From Perfect
The ever continuing adventures of a Combat Flight Medic, Soldier, Geek, Husband, and Father of Three Girls.
Ten years blogging my real-time memoirs, maybe someone will be interested someday.
Nat Farbman, Fairbanks, Alaska, USA, 1958.
Le Nam
