As many of our readers will be well aware from a previous article, the famous B-17G Flying Fortress known as “Lacey Lady” which has sat for more than half a century atop poles at a now disused gas station in Milwaukie, Oregon has been long overdue to come in from the cold. Her owners, the B-17 Alliance Group, have devised a plan to do just that, and more. Today they began the arduous and risky job of safely lowering the old bomber from her perch. With the help of financial donations from people like you, as well as the gifted services from a number of local companies (including Terry Emmert International), a rigging crew has begun carefully preparing the aircraft for its move.
Once the aircraft is secure, they will gradually set her back on the ground using hydraulic lifts. The procedure should take place on August 13th, and last about an hour. Once they complete this task, the next effort will focus on carefully dismantling the aircraft for transport to the B-17 Alliance’s hangar about twenty miles away at Aurora State Airport. Then the restoration effort will start in earnest. The B-17 Alliance already has a head start on this, having virtually completed the restoration of the forward fuselage, which the brought down some years ago. They will still need plenty of support though, so please do visit their website HERE to see how you can help, or arrange a tour of their facilities. WarbirdsNews will of course be following their work as it progresses, and hope to make regular reports on any developments.
Check the Warbirds News Facebook page for a live picture broadcast of the move! Click HERE.
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Richard Mallory Allnutt's aviation passion ignited at the 1974 Farnborough Airshow. Raised in 1970s Britain, he was immersed in WWII aviation lore. Moving to Washington DC, he frequented the Smithsonian’s National Air & Space Museum, meeting aviation legends.
After grad school, Richard worked for Lockheed-Martin but stayed devoted to aviation, volunteering at museums and honing his photography skills. In 2013, he became the founding editor of Warbirds News, now Vintage Aviation News. With around 800 articles written, he focuses on supporting grassroots aviation groups.
Richard values the connections made in the aviation community and is proud to help grow Vintage Aviation News.
I can remember seeing “Lacey Lady” in 1957, and wishing it could fly again! At least, now it is one giant step closer. Bravo!
John R. Page, MSgt., USAF (Ret.)