Sally B – Europes last airworthy B17 Flying Fortress pays a visit to Hawarden airport

Aviation fans in Deeside have been given a bit of a treat this afternoon with the wonderful sight and sound of a B17 ‘flying fortress’ passing low overhead.

Sally B, Europe’s last remaining airworthy B-17, and her team are using Hawarden airport as a base while they take part in Southport airshow over the weekend.

Pictures taken by @FlintshireSkies  (twitter) show the iconic Boeing B-17G, which starred in the 1990 film Memphis Belle, landing at Hawarden this afternoon.

Sally B making her way into Hawarden airport on Saturday – Pic: Twitter @FlintshireSkies

Sally B, which is based at the Imperial War Museum Duxford, has two slots at Southport airshow one on Saturday afternoon the other on Sunday.

The flying fortress was delivered to the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) on 19 June 1945 as 44-85784, too late to see active service in the war.

Pic: Twitter @FlintshireSkies

After being converted to both a TB-17G training aircraft and then an EB-17G it was ‘struck off charge’ in 1954.

In the same year the Institut Géographique National in France bought the plane for use as a survey aircraft.

In 1975 it moved to England and given the registration number G-BEDF a lengthly restoration project then began.

The Sally B was used in the 1990 film Memphis Belle as one of five flying B-17s needed for various film scenes, and it was used to replicate the real Memphis Belle in one scene.

Pic: Twitter @FlintshireSkies

Half of the aircraft is still in the Memphis Belle livery, following restoration of the Sally B nose art and the black and yellow checkerboard pattern on the cowling of the starboard inner engine.

She is due to take part at Southport airshow on Sunday at 4pm so eyes to the skies around Hawarden from around 3.30pm, you’ll probaby hear her before you see her!