POST SCRIPT: Before we get a letter from one of our readers, we
decided to quickly correct an item we carried about birds dying in
the Quehanna area due to “collision injuries.”
Actually, the article itself was fine – It told how the birds
had flown into towers and other structures, and sustained fatal
injuries on a single day earlier this month.
In it, however, we had quoted a couple of state officials who
specifically referred to this “collision” scenario. And we all
know, of course, a collision must be between two moving objects.
Since “a tower or other structures” is stationary, a collision, per
se, is impossible.
(We have a couple readers who like to correct our spelling,
grammar, syntax, etc. and we just wanted to beat them to the
punch.)
THAT PLANE: We got quite a bit of input after reporting a huge,
low-flying B-17 was spotted flying over Derrick City last
Thursday.
Deb Defibaugh of Smethport writes, “In regards to the low-flying
plane, I wonder if they were just doing practice maneuvers. I was
driving on Route 59 close to the airport at 2 p.m. when a large,
military-type plane appeared suddenly to the right of me. He was
VERY low and looked as if he were landing, only to quickly take
back off again.”
Joel Gilfert of Eldred writes, “Regarding this mornings RTS
about a B-17 flying over, it could have been ‘Fuddy Duddy,’ a B-17G
from the Wings of Eagles Museum at Elmira-Corning airport in
Horseheads, N.Y. The plane is silver in color with the tail section
in bright yellow and currently scheduled on a national tour and due
in Florida now.”
A camp owner in this region also wrote: “I did not witness the
overflight of B-17s in the Bradford area but I did observe three
WWII vintage aircraft of some type (possibly P-51s) in the area of
Moraine State Park on Wednesday (Oct. 19). Is it possible that
there was a demonstration or display of vintage aircraft somewhere
this week? I own Camp Hel-omi in the Betula area of McKean County
and am concerned about what happens in our county.”
Tom Ewell phoned to report there are a couple of groups of B-17s
and B-24s that fly all over and are on display. For a mere $400,
they’ll take you for a ride!
