Arlo and Janis by Jimmy Johnson for March 03, 2024

Obviously two different movies, DNA tests and B-17s don’t mix. As for a crippled bomber trying to make it back to England, that is a scene in virtually all B-17 movies, but my gut says it’s Memphis Belle

See “The War Lover”, 1962. Steve Mcqueen and Robert Wagner.

“Masters of the Maury Povich Show”

The “Master Povich Air Show”.

Fazed and Confused?

I’m going to guess so, the B-17 was a beast.

Please don’t play B-17

B-17?—-BINGO!

From the History Channel to Lifetime.

Dad was strafing a rail yard in Germany in his P-51 when he felt two big impacts in his rudder pedals. He was momentarily afraid he’d been hit in the belly of the plane, which is where the coolant lines ran, which would have resulted in a seized engine in short order. He firewalled it on out of there, looked back, and saw two big holes in the rudder which wouldn’t bring him down, so relaxed somewhat.Cruised on back to Duxford, landed, taxied to his hard stand, and cut the engine. When the last blade of the big 4 blade prop stopped straight up, he was looking at a big hole in the blade with about 2" of metal either side of the hole. He said he was too weak kneed to climb out for a while.

She changed the channel while you slept.

My wife used to watch the TV show Elementary. She said that Jonny Lee Miller’s voice was more effective than Sominex.

“A DNA test proved it wasn’t his baby.” Another reminder that we shouldn’t ask questions we don’t want the answer to.

Masters of the Air is about a WW2 B-17 wing. It’s well done and available for streaming. I think it’s an Apple production.

Excellent example of male vs. female taste in movies.

My father flew the Canadian version of the B-17 over Germany in WW II. Canada’s plane was called a Lancaster, the Brits called theirs a Wellington ( a Welly), all basically the same plane.

Masters of the Air meets Dr. Phil…

No, the B-17 didn’t make it back to base. It was still up there circling the beach like that spitfire that was up there for most of the two hour recent Dunkirk movie, even though it was out of fuel.

The same movie with two different interests in the different threads of the woven story.

You snooze, you lose.

The good and bad of channel surfing.

I have had all to many of those nights this winter! Come on Spring!

“Remains of Army Air Forces B-17 gunner identified” Air Force Times, Oct 26, 2019. They used DNA for the identification. Probably not what Arlo was talking about, but I felt obligated to look for something that could connect them…

B-17s were lost at an appalling rate – almost as many to mechanical failure as to enemy action. The high number of sorties scheduled did not allow for proper maintenance between flights, even if parts were available. If you want a real idea of World War II, READ “Catch-22” by Joseph Heller. Flight crews were also not given time to recover between sorties. Mental health was not a priority.