B17 - Nine O Nine

I heard the news that today a B-17 crashed.  Most other details after that were blurry.
I do believe, without apology to some new age thinking, that the WWII generation was the greatest generation.  It is a loss to greater humanity when one of dwindling numbers of these people transition to the next life.  White Shores.
I also believe just as much that the equipment used to see them through the struggles of war is disappearing almost as fast.
I enjoy so much seeing old war birds of that era.  On the ground.  In the air.  So much smoke, so much smell, so much sight.  I could watch them fly around the flagpole for hours.
Today's news of the loss of a B-17 is disheartening.
The Nine O Nine entered the US inventory destined for European theater in December 1943.  She was delivered to England as a replacement aircraft in February of 1944.  In January of 1986, the Collings Foundation acquired her and began the restoration process.  And in September 2015, our paths crossed.
And in the smaller world, I've been on the aircraft that was mortally wounded today.  In September of 2015, the Collings Foundation brought to WWII era bombers and one Mustang to Flint.  I was there.  The two bombers were a B-24J and a B-17G.  The Mustang was a P51-D.  I have photos of the inside of both aircraft.  I wasn't special, the public was invited in.  One of the best aircraft pictures I have the pilot's panel on the B-17.  The post is here.    I've used that image as a screen background for a few years.  I have an interesting of one engine that I used for a workflow post.  The post is here.   I have a nose on image that is on my rotation of screen savers, even after 5 years.  The post is here.  I did a B&W take on the bombardier's compartment.  The post is here.   I got a lot of photographic mileage out of that visit.
There are certain types of aircraft that I just plain like, aesthetically.  The F-22 Raptor might be the baddest aircraft out there today, but I'll take the F4 - Phantom any day.  Staying with the F-4 theme, the F-4U is my favorite WWII fighter.  (What a thrill it was to see one fly this year!)  And for the WWII bomber class, without a doubt it was the B-17.  No idea why - just is.  Sorry Liberator.
I'm guessing at this point there will be no saving this airframe.  The limited images I've seen so far are not good.  I would love to be wrong.
Some of the other images from that day in September 2015.

Nine O Nine on Display

Nine O Nine Nose Art

Nine O Nine Looking Forward

Nine O Nine Crowd Pleaser

Nine O Nine on Departure

Please spare me the comments about frozen props, I know that now.  I've worked on that aspect in my photographs over the last five years.  The camera used was a Nikon D90.  The lens was my walk around 18-200 DX.
Unfortunately there was life loss in this incident.  The details are still coming out.  
Hoping for a return to health for those who survived.  Thinking of those who were lost.