In July 2021, Sentimental Journey returned to the Pocatello Regional Airport, in Southeast Idaho.  It seems I always cross paths with this ancient restored aircraft, from the two decades when it was flown by the Confederate Air Force, to today’s Commemorative Air Force (just call it CAF).

Topping off the tanks.

Old meets new as modern day Challenger and Mustang drive out for a photo opportunity.

Staging the Challenger and Mustang.

Now it’s the people’s turn.

The people are so interested in the old bomber they don’t seem to notice the giant DC-10 water bomber that just landed.

If you had enough money you could get a ride in the B-17G bomber. Notice the K-Max firefighting helicopter in the background, lots of smoke in the air.

U.S. Air Force video by Sergeant Adam Ross, getting ‘sentimental’ over the B-17, October 2012:

May 2001: Confederate Air Force has grown to more than nine thousand members in 27 states and three countries, however, many (‘woke’) members hate the name

November 2000: Confederate Air Force to change its Name due to the insidious ‘political correctness’ movement

Summer 1999, Pocatello Regional Airport.  My children Denise M. Hutchins, Aryssa M. Hutchins, Alexander B. Hutchins and Jennette McKay-Schow.

Nose gunner/bombardier station.

Alex loves .50-cals.

Denise’s .50-cal just jammed, Alex looks concerned!  The Japanese Zeros are swarming!

I don’t remember having to pay to tour the B-17G, but I did buy these Sentimental souvenirs, and a T-shirt which I wore-out long ago.

Me.

1991, ‘Don’t Mess with the Texas Confederate Air Force’ video:

December 1986: A Navigator’s final B-17 flight in Sentimental Journey

My immediate family’s connection to Sentimental Journey began in Summer 1986, when the restored flying fortress visited Edwards Air Force Base, California.  Photos by my father William Lewis Hutchins.

My baby brother Ernst F. Hutchins.

From 27APR1986, over Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, during the Gathering of Eagles ’86 tour.

According to CAF, the B-17G that became Sentimental Journey spent the last few months of World War Two over the Pacific.  After the war it was converted to serve as a boat carrying Search And Rescue plane out of Florida.  In the 1950s it was used as a drone controller during nuclear weapons tests.  In 1959, it went to the Bone Yard in Arizona, but shortly after that it was purchased by a firefighting company in California.  Sentimental Journey still uses the registration number assigned while it was a fire fighter.  In 1978 the B-17 water bomber was donated to the Arizona chapter of the CAF.  The name Sentimental Journey was the result of a local newspaper holding a contest for the name. The Arizona CAF members restored Sentimental Journey to its World War Two bomber configuration.  Amazingly, Sentimental Journey was fully restored as a bomber and flying air shows by the end of 1985/beginning of 1986.

1982, half hour long documentary explaining the reason for the Confederate Air Force-Ghost Squadron:

1981, British made hour long documentary explaining that the Confederate Air Force-Ghost Squadron was led by a totally made-up Confederate officer named Colonel Culpepper, and why the CAF was originally created.  Notice that at the beginning of the film one of the members says “…we shouldn’t apologize to anybody in the world for what we are or what we’ve been.”:

1963: THE CONFEDERATE AIR FORCE FLIES AT LAST

HOW TO PAINT YOUR 1:1 SCALE B-17 MEMPHIS BELLE WITH ‘PERIOD CORRECT’ (correctly mixed that is, 1940s style) PAINT

Pocatello Airport 1999, 2012 & 2014: Section Eight & Ole Yeller flies on