B-17 Nine O Nine had a strong connection to Laconia

To The Daily Sun,

The fatal crash of the B-17 Nine O Nine last week brought back many memories for me, as I have flown on it several times.

What a lot of people may not remember is that the Collings Foundation World War II bomber had a strong connection to Laconia.

Shortly after World War II, a local manufacturing firm which made parts for the B-17 bought one and had it stationed at the Laconia Airport.

It was heavily vandalized and scrapped in 1947.

Many years later, I learned that nearby junkyards still had many of the parts from that airplane. I purchased a truck load of the parts and donated them to he Collings Foundation so they could rebuild the Nine O Nine which had been in an accident in Pennsylvania. Many parts from the airplane which was once at the Laconia Airport were used to rebuild the Flying Fortress Nine O Nine.

As a way to say thank you, the foundation made arrangements for me to be flown to Massachusetts so I could ride the Nine O Nine back to the Laconia Airport where it was seen by hundreds of people.

The appearance of the B-17 at the airport in the 1990s was the first of many times it was here.

I was very sad to learn of the crash and that a number of people, including the pilot and co-pilot whom I had flown with, died in the crash.

Gordon D. King

Laconia