1982 B-25 Incident at Reno

[Leo]

During qualifications in 1982, the B-25 "Dream Lover" was towed through the desert past us (we were at outer 4). The props were curled and the nose missing from the nose gear forward. The nose gear had been hastily repaired to allow towing. I snapped a couple pictures which I cannot access now. The crew towing her told us they had run out of fuel and put it down on a road in the desert. During race week they pulled the props and put a solid nose on.
There is nothing in the NTSB website that I could find, does anyone know the particulars of the incident?

[stuntflyr]

Re: 1982 B-25 Incident at Reno

Jim Ricketts was the owner/pilot I think. The airplane was repaired and flown out. The concensus was they ran out of gas, the exciting thing to me was at the time the word was they flew over from Oakland with all of the friends and family onboard!

[Leo]

Re: 1982 B-25 Incident at Reno

Back in the day when there were fewer restrictions. I got several rides in the late 70's and early 80's, B-25, B-23, T-6 and others. Some of the planes I wouldn't step into today, and some of the pilots I had to be crazy to fly with!
The idea of leaving Oakland for a relatively "local" flight, and running out of fuel...

[supercub]

Re: 1982 B-25 Incident at Reno

Actually I think it was Stockton, which is even closer. If I remember right, I think they were suppose to get free gas at Reno for showing up. I could be remember wrong though.
Brian

[stuntflyr]

Re: 1982 B-25 Incident at Reno

I think you are right, Stockton. Thanks for the reminder.

[Leo]

Re: 1982 B-25 Incident at Reno

I once flew into Travis with a group of guys in a B-25. The deal was the same, they gave us gas for showing up. The actual flight was quite short, so the day before we spent hours defueling the plane. This particular plane was in pretty sad shape (names and plane hidden to protect the...well you know) and we spent most of the show day keeping air in the nosewheel! Usually it flew very rarely, but after that show it was in the air constantly, until the free fuel ran out!
I knew Dream Lover was repaired and have seen it many times since. Where did it actually go down/ Out in Lemmon Valley? Had to be fairly close.

[Shawn Aro]

Re: 1982 B-25 Incident at Reno

here is a pic of it at the Livermore air show it was at oakland at Hanger 5 for a bit i remember my dad going to oakland for the warbird fly by for the new Kaiser building and this pacaticaped in it Shawn

[supercub]

Re: 1982 B-25 Incident at Reno

So where is it now?

[Warbird5]

Re: 1982 B-25 Incident at Reno

She was in Merced Ca the last I heard. Now named Old Glory.

Willie

[Race 29]

Re: 1982 B-25 Incident at Reno

If it's Old Glory, I think it's in Stockton and flown pretty regularly. At least it was a few months ago. I used to go look at it on my way home from work. A buddy of mine talked to the owner who said he had just bought it. We used to see it flying all the time. I don't work near Stockton anymore, so my info might be old.

Race 29

[JCP]

Re: 1982 B-25 Incident at Reno

It was a navigation error........they mistook Pyramid Lake for Lake Tahoe and just kept motoring along hoping to see Reno soon. True Story.

[AirDOGGe]

Re: 1982 B-25 Incident at Reno

It was a navigation error........they mistook Pyramid Lake for Lake Tahoe and just kept motoring along hoping to see Reno soon. True Story.

IS that possible? I've never seen Pyramid lake, but I assumed it was surrounded by desert terrain and dry brown hill, unlike Tahoe which is bordered by steep mountains and lots of GREEN stuff.

So much for seat-of-the-pants navs, eh?

[supercub]

Re: 1982 B-25 Incident at Reno

If it's Old Glory, she was kept at Stockton for several years, then moved to Modesto for just a short while, and my understanding is it's kept at Castle now near Merced. The owners name is Ward, owns an office furniture store in Modesto. Maybe he sold it and it's back in Stockton, haven't heard anything in the last few months about it.

[dvddude]

Re: 1982 B-25 Incident at Reno

IS that possible? I've never seen Pyramid lake, but I assumed it was surrounded by desert terrain and dry brown hill, unlike Tahoe which is bordered by steep mountains and lots of GREEN stuff.

So much for seat-of-the-pants navs, eh?

Cut them some slack, the water in both places was blue.

[AirDOGGe]

Re: 1982 B-25 Incident at Reno

Actually, '82 was the year we got heavy, HEAVY rains, so maybe that's why Pyramid looked like Tahoe. Even the plains where Red Baron went down looked like a lake.

Funny I don't recall Dream Lover getting damaged that year, but I was probably cowering in my lil' tent trying to stay dry when it happened...