2 CommentsB-17 News, B-25 News, General

Obviously…I have not updated these posts in some time…and in that time much has changed. The B-17G known as 909 crashed in October 2019 with the tragic loss of life of both crew and passengers. Since that time, all B-17 touring has been effectively stopped. Between the COVID-19 pandemic and FAA scrutiny on the Living History Ride Program, things are no longer normal and not expected to return to anything like what we used to think as of normal any time soon. And, there are so many instant information sources in the warbird world right now, some accurate and some not so much, I can’t attempt to keep up. Still, I am making stabs at updating and expanding the Aero Vintage website, and visitors might see a few enhancements here and there as the weeks roll by.

Comments (2)

  1. Gary Fisk

    Scott – While surfing TV channels, I ran across a video on YouTube entitled “F-0770 Spirit of St. Louis Reproduction # 1” which shows the construction of the Tallmantz “S.O.S.L.” replica. It’s a 20-min. color silent movie (16 MM?) that not only shows Tallman talking with T. Claude Ryan but also shows nearly ALL the Tallmantz employees at the time. It might be a good idea to get someone (Mrs. Tallman?) to identify the various people shown before everyone forget who they were.

    I LOVE your web-site!

    • aerovintage

      Gary, thanks for visiting back and making the comment. Yes, I have seen that clip on YouTube and it is fascinating to watch the craftsmen at Tallmantz work their magic. A reconstructed “Spirit” that took 6 months to build for a budget of under $50,000 ($50,000 in 1967 dollars = $386,000 in 2020 dollars…still pretty amazing). I recognized Frank Pine and Wayne Burtt in the film. I tried to contact Ruth Tallman and Martha Pine (sisters) years ago but got no response…they are both quite elderly now presuming they have not passed on. I had hoped to get an oral history done with Wayne Burtt in 2018…he was 97 at the time…but never was able to make it happen. He worked for Tallmantz from at least the early 1960s until the end in the mid 1980s so he probably has (had) a lot of stories to tell and could have identified those in the film. A missed opportunity for me.

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