Aviation News - May 2016

effects of atomic weapons on aircraft in

 ight. It was placed in storage at Davis-

Monthan AFB, Arizona, in January 1959 and

purchased shortly afterwards for conversion

to a  re-bomber by Aero Union when it

received the civil registration N9323Z.

After nearly 20 seasons dropping

retardant on forest  res throughout the US,

Aero Union donated it to the newly formed

Arizona Wing of the Confederate Air Force

based at Falcon Field Airport in Mesa in

1978.

The wing held a contest to name the

aircraft, with the winner being Sentimental

Journey. CAF leadership contacted Betty

Grable’s widower for permission to use the

starlet’s likeness for the nose art and, with

that secured, the name and markings were

applied that have adorned this B-17 through

its CAF career.

When asked what ‘SJ’ means to CAF

Airbase Arizona, current Airbase Leader

Dennis Fennessy told Aviation News: “It

means we exist. This whole museum was

established for that aircraft, and everything

here – the hangars, the membership, the

other aircraft – grew around it.”

The wing built a new hangar in 1985 to

house SJ during maintenance and to keep

it out of Arizona’s merciless summer sun. In

1986, the aircraft began a tradition of touring

the US and Canada, performing at airshows,

giving the public the chance to explore the

inside of the aircraft, and – most importantly

• giving people the opportunity to pay for a
   ight aboard a real B-17 bomber.

Main photo: Sentimental Journey

is based at Falcon Field Airport,

Arizona. The local passenger

 ights are typically over the

untouched mountain areas of the

Fort McDowell Indian Reservation

east of Phoenix. Jay Beckman

Left: Permission was sought from

Betty Grable’s widower to use her

likeness for Sentimental Journey’s

nose art, her estate also granted

the CAF the rights to the image.

All photos Joe Copalman unless

stated

http://www.aviation-news.co.uk 59

Left:

Betty Grable’s widower to use her

likeness for

nose art, her estate also granted

the CAF the rights to the image.

All photos Joe Copalman unless

stated

58-62_b17DC.mfDC.mfDC.mf.indd 59 08/04/2016 12:30