View Full Version : Glacier Girl Flying to England today, 65 years late.
SaturnV
22nd Jun 2007, 19:18
Mods, I realize this may get moved to the aviation history forum, but it is such a great story that I'm starting the thread here.
Glacier Girl, a P-38 Lightning that was part of the Lost Squadron that crashlanded on the Greenland Ice Cap in July 1942, took off from Teterboro today enroute to Duxford. (Currently over Massachusetts). Glacier Girl has 85 percent of her original parts, not bad for a plane buried under 200 feet of snow for decades. For the first 100 miles, she will be accompanied by a P-51 Mustang, and flying in the rear seat of the Mustang will be Brad McManus, the last surviving pilot from the Lost Squadron.
The Lost Squadron was comprised of six P-38's and two B-17's that crashlanded on the ice because of weather. They were being sent to England to help defend the sceptered isle.
Live tracking here:
http://bolero.flightexplorer.com/default.aspx?475358
The routing is: Presque Isle (KPQI), Goose Bay (CYYR), Frobisher Bay (CYFB), Sondre Stromfjord (BGSF), Kulsuk (BGKK), Reykjvik (BIRK), Stornoway (EGPO), Duxford (EGSU).
To IM the flight crew, you can go here. (My how times change).
http://www.airshowbuzz.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=1034
God speed GG!!!!!!!!!!
magpienja
22nd Jun 2007, 21:17
Interesting must look out for it, thanks for the heads up.
Nick.
G-BOY
22nd Jun 2007, 21:24
I'd like to see them do that with the stardust - then again, they might have to wait a while for all the parts to come out of the rock cycle :E
hobie
22nd Jun 2007, 22:16
Try a Google with glacier girl ...... it's well worth it .....
I rem. Discovery or a similar channel did a series on the recovery operation .... the highs and lows ..... a fabulous project .... :)
treadigraph
22nd Jun 2007, 22:17
Very best wishes to Steve Hinton (Glacier Girl) and Ed Shipley (Miss Velma) and look forward to seeing both aircraft and their pilots at Flying Legends. :ok:
Steve Hinton gave my 7-year-old son an autograph at Oshkosh last year. A true gentleman and a very unique pilot.
http://www.clubhyper.com/reference/glaciergirlimages/gg10shinton-01.jpg
BEagle
24th Jun 2007, 07:52
Weather at Goose looked pretty dire yesterday. However, it might be OK in a few hours' time today?
CYYR 240530Z 240606 04010KT 2SM -DZ BR BKN004 BKN008 OVC012 TEMPO 0611 5SM -SHRA BR SCT004 BKN008 OVC012....:uhoh:
FM1400Z 07007KT P6SM BKN020 OVC030 TEMPO 1419 SCT020 BKN030 BKN080
FM1900Z 12007KT P6SM SCT025 BKN040 TEMPO 1906 P6SM -SHRA BKN020 BECMG 2324 26006KT RMK NXT FCST BY 12Z
Good luck to Steve Hinton and Ed Shipley on this amazing flight. Sorry I won't get to see you at Duxford.
alvin-sfc
24th Jun 2007, 15:05
Godspeed Glacier girl and wingman, see you at Duckers.:ok:
Wiretensioner
24th Jun 2007, 18:36
And where pray tell is Duckers???????????:cool:
BEagle
24th Jun 2007, 20:36
But not heading for Goose?
Stephenville? St Anthony? Gander?
Have a good one!!
30 min later - Now seems to be back on course for Goose!
15 min later - Or maybe not?
alvin-sfc
25th Jun 2007, 18:04
Duxford, old boy.Goodness me use a little imagination what? dont yer know and all that twaddle.:ugh::ok:
BEagle
26th Jun 2007, 13:32
Looks as though they might be planning Goose to Kangerlussuaq direct, rather than via Iqaluit....
(For older readers, that's Goose to Sondre Strømfjord direct, rather than via Frobisher Bay!)
Or maybe not - the map has changed again!
And yet again - now it looks like Goose - Narssassuaq - Kulusuk?
Goose - Iqaluit - Kangerlussuaq = 1164 miles
Goose - Kangerlussuaq = 872 miles
Goose - Narssasssuaq - Kulusuk = 1024 miles
Good luck, Glacier Girl!!
blue up
28th Jun 2007, 05:47
If they get lost and run out of fuel then there is always the ice to land on.:ooh:
It's been done before! (apparently):E
treadigraph
28th Jun 2007, 20:22
Sad news - just seen on Airshowbuzz and elsewhere that Glacier Girl's epic journey to the UK has ended at Goose with an engine problem. Better to find a snag there than miles out to sea... :{ Ed Shipley is en route to Narssas... Narsar... Nasasssaas... heck, Greenland, in the TF-51D Miss Velma accompanied by Steve Hinton and crew in a PC-12. :ok:
Also on the upside, The Fighter Collection's P-40B Tomahawk has arrived at Duxford . Let's hope that the excellent spanner-wielding team can get her assembled and airworthy in time for Flying Legends on the 7th July! Course they can!
G-KEST
28th Jun 2007, 20:53
Rotten luck.............!!!!!!!!!! Hope the rest of Miss Velma's trip to Legends proves to be trouble free.
Cheers,
Trapper 69
:ugh:
DBisDogOne
28th Jun 2007, 21:17
Hope they have better luck next try. Would be nice if BBC2 or C4 would repeat the rather excellent doco they made about the exhumation of the Lightning and its background story.
(Although prob. no room in the schedule these days, got to have lots of interesting crap like football or Big Brother or soap operas eh?) :mad::ugh:
barit1
30th Jun 2007, 02:09
Coolant leak (http://www.aero-news.net/index.cfm?ContentBlockID=7ebfacb3-283f-4604-9134-bb43367938da&) at Goose Bay
pigboat
30th Jun 2007, 03:23
Brief video here (http://www.airshowbuzz.com/videos/view.php?v=4d9f1998).
airgage
30th Jun 2007, 19:24
and pictures from today 30th June here at http://fighter-collection.com/pages.php
treadigraph
1st Jul 2007, 00:37
A pair of gorgeous gals have appeared this side of Pondus Atlanticus, and that is without Girl putting in an appearance. Great to see that Ed is here with Miss Velma. Operation Bolera III has just gotta happen next year... I'll drink to that...
Congratulations to Ed Shipley and all of the team. Glad that you and Miss Velma arrived safely. Good luck to the guys and hope Glacier Girl completes her journey safely as well. I believe there is talk of the B-17 Liberty Bell crossing the pond next year, perhaps the perfect esort for Glacier Girl! Either way I am sure we will be seeing her soon.