Fifi was at the "Historic Flight" museum at Paine Field about five years ago (we have
four aircraft museums spread around Paine Field
). I wanted to take a ride but my wife objected to the cost (lesson learned - next time just don't tell her
). But I stopped there after work and for $10 I got a personal guided tour of Fifi that took close to an hour which was a pretty good consolation (I was literally the only visitor there at the time which was cool but also a little sad given it was a beautiful summer afternoon).
My first experience with the CAF was July 4, 1976 (it was known as the Confederate Air Force back then - before political correctness forced them to change the name). Somehow Colorado Springs had managed to book the CAF for the US Bicentennial weekend. I had a summer job driving a delivery truck for a car dealer in Pueblo - the preceding Friday I was driving around making a delivery when I heard that
sound - I looked up and the CAF B-17, B-25, P-38, and P-51 were flying in formation overhead
When I got home from work I asked my dad if we could go up to Springs for the show and he immediately agreed. Fantastic (I remember being shocked at how small the B-17 was in person - I'd always thought of it as a huge airplane after watching movies like "12-O'clock High".)