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The UK’s only remaining B-17 Flying Fortress, Sally B, has been given a new lease of life by Air Livery at Southend The B-17 has been in need of a new paint job for some time, but with money always tight, and with the ongoing fight to change new EU insurance laws that grounded the aircraft in 2005, there have simply not been sufficient funds. But now, at the end of another busy season - highlighted by Sally B’s special visit to Poland to commemorate the 62nd Anniversary of the Warsaw Uprising - a good friend, Adrian Tucker (Managing Director of Air Livery), rang B-17 Operator Elly Sallingboe, saying that, if the aircraft could be brought to Southend immediately, he would offer a very special price for a complete respray. Within four days the aircraft was flown to Southend. On Sunday 17th September, Sally B arrived at Air Livery’s premises. There, she was stripped back to bare metal, primed and resprayed in the same colour scheme as before, complete with Sally B and ”Memphis Belle” nose art. |
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| Photo Credit Steve Jones | |
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“It is so good to have Sally B back to her former glory,” said Elly Sallingboe. “This respray was long overdue to continue protecting the aircraft from the elements. Now, with this new lease of life she should be OK for many years. |
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| Photo Credit Steve Jones | |
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We thank Air Livery for helping us with such a super deal and brilliant respray, and our Members, friends, sponsors, and the aviation insurance world for their generous support which has made this possible.” Sally B will be flown back to her permanent base at the Imperial War Museum Duxford on Wednesday 4th October. The first public outing for her pristine new livery will be at Duxford’s Autumn Air Show on Sunday 8th October, which will also be the aircraft’s last show of the 2006 season. Sally B is operated by Elly Sallingboe of B-17 Preservation and a team of dedicated volunteers, and has been flown in this country for the past 31 years as a flying memorial. The aircraft receives no official support, relying on the generosity of friends, sponsors and the 6,500 Members of the Sally B Supporters Club for survival. She is a regular attraction on the UK air show circuit and flagship of Duxford’s American Air Museum in Britain. For more information about Sally B or The B-17 Charitable Trust please contact Elly Sallingboe: b-17preservation@btconnect.com; tel (01638) 721304. |
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Into 4th decade of flying for B-17 Sally B Despite problems caused by European insurance laws, the UK’s last remaining airworthy Flying Fortress, G-BEDF Sally B, is back in the air for her 31st display season! B-17 Sally B has been a favourite at air displays and other events around the UK for over 30 years. It’s an incredible achievement for B-17 operator Elly Sallingboe, her team and crew, and the 6,500 Sally B Supporters Club Members. All the more incredible is that in 2005, on the eve of the 60th anniversary of the end of World War Two, European regulations temporarily grounded this much-loved aircraft. New EU insurance laws based on aircraft weight placed Sally B in the same category as a commercial airliner – increasing her third party liability insurance costs by a staggering 500%. What were we to do about it? A national media campaign and a petition (with 35,000+ signatures to date) brought such a sheer volume of support and overwhelming goodwill that our website crashed. But we did get the ear of the regulators in Brussels, who now appreciate that an oversight was made in the case of Sally B. But to change this law is another matter, and the threat remains. On a positive note, the public response caused the insurance world to come up with a temporary affordable insurance package. While Elly Sallingboe is optimistic of a solution, the campaign goes on. "I trust them to do something, but funds are still desperately needed. This is a burning issue, not only for Sally B, but for vintage aircraft in general. They are not commercial airliners, they are flying memorials loaded not with bombs but with memories. Such aircraft salute those who gave their lives for our freedom, a sacrifice that must never be forgotten".
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14 October 2005 Hope on the Horizon for Sally B As Aviation Insurers, Politicians, and enthusiasts rally to the cause of ‘living’ aviation heritage In an unprecedented move, the immediate threat of permanent grounding to an important living piece of national heritage, B-17 Flying Fortress Sally B, has been temporarily lifted. On 29th September, aviation insurance underwriters came up with an affordable ‘stop gap’ solution to comply with a new controversial European Union regulation that had placed crippling financial demands on the operation of the 60-year old bomber. New legislation had put a burden of an extra £1,000 per flying hour on this national aviation icon. Sally B receives no direct state funding to keep her airborne. Elly Sallingboe, B-17 Operator said: “Our fight to change this rule goes on, but we are delighted that the insurance world has again come up trumps with an affordable solution to help. Meanwhile, we wait for the EU to change this totally unrealistic law. “We thank Lloyds brokers Marsh, Sally B's broker Arthur J Gallagher (UK) and other London insurance companies and Lloyds Underwriters. The B-17 is now fully covered by third party liability insurance up to the 30th September 2006. “With the help of politicians, the Civil Aviation Authority and our many friends and supporters, we have managed to get the ear of the Regulators in Brussels. It is now appreciated that an oversight has been made in this third party issue for Sally B. |
“But, to change a law like this will take time. Once an EU law has been made, it takes years to reverse it. But, the pioneering work has now been done and I am confident that within the next 18 months this unjust law will be changed, not only for Sally B, but for vintage aircraft in general. Like Sally B, they are not commercial airliners, they are flying memorials loaded not with bombs but with memories. Such aircraft salute those who gave their lives for our freedom, a sacrifice that must never be forgotten”. This has been a hard season for Sally B and her team, condensing as much work as possible in a season reduced to three months. But with dedication and enthusiasm, helped by loyal members and friends digging deep, the impossible has been achieved and on the 10th July Sally B joined the London flypast marking the 60th anniversary of the end of World War Two and has since flown proudly through her special anniversary year - her 30th flying season in the UK. A petition seeking an exemption to the new EU regulations has now been signed by 25,000-plus people – all by hand. This will be presented to Downing Street in due course. Sally B is one of a mere handful of survivors from the 12,731 Fortresses which were built, and her future in this country can only be secured through fundraising. |
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21 st June 2005 STOP PRESS - LATEST NEWS Members, friends and Virgin Atlantic saves the day for Sally B The UK’s last B-17 Flying Fortress Sally B grounded because of a new EU liability insurance regulations, has been reprieve with the help of insurers, supporters and Sir Richard Branson. Sally B will now join the London flypast on July 10th marking the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II after Lloyds of London offered it just three months insurance instead of the usual annual premium. This has substantially reduced the cost. The new EU regulation on third party insurance introduced on the 1st May, classed Sally B in the same category as an airliner. The annual premium increased by £1,000 extra per flying hour. In an unprecedented move, on the 17th June, Lloyd's of London underwriter’s came up with an affordable solution to comply with new EU regulation EC 785/2004. Help has come from Lloyds brokers Marsh, Sally B's broker Arthur I Gallagher (UK) and other London insurance companies and Lloyds Underwriters. Sally B's hull insurance underwriters also wished to help and generously stepped forward with a special deal to extend the aircraft's cover to the end of the 2005 season. The operators B-17 Preservation said that help has also come from many other sources. Our Members of the Sally B Supporters club have helped, as have the public. One Leicester businessman has made a substantial personal donation, and Sir Richard Branson has generously offered to pay for the three month season's third party liability premium. |
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Commenting on Virgin Atlantic's involvement, Sir Richard Branson said: "When we were told about the plight of Sally B everyone at Virgin Atlantic felt we ought to do something to help keep this amazing aircraft flying. I am honoured that Virgin Atlantic has helped ensure that the Sally B will take pride of place in the 60th Anniversary Flypast over Buckingham Palace this summer" Elly Sallingboe, the head of B-17 Preservation, said: " We are intensely grateful to everyone who has offered us so much support in this serious crisis for Sally B. But this is only the beginning, the problem has not gone away, we must now plan ahead. As long term solution must be found if Sally B is to continue flying for the education and enjoyment of future generations. I am counting on the powers of our government to grant us an exemption from this illogical situation and for Brussels to amend this law to consider the limitations within which Sally B flies, rather than the current criteria based simply on aircraft weight. And, it is vital that the aircraft receives further financial support to meet the ever-increasing costs." A petition seeking an exemption to the new EU regulation has already been signed by 7000 people. The aircraft will return to the skies for three months for the remainder of the 2005 season on 2nd July when it will display at Kimbolton Castle and RAF Waddington. Followed by Flying Legends at Duxford 9/10 July, from where the London Formation will begin and end. |
STOP PRESS
B-17 Flypast at Madingley cancelled
Sally B still grounded - But she will fly again this season
It is with the greatest regret that we announce that Sally B will not participate in the official flypast over Madingley American Military Cemetery, near Cambridge, on Memorial Day, Monday 30 May. This is because, so far, no exemption to EU regulation 785/2004 has been forthcoming. This is the new regulation that puts the B-17 into the weight category of an airliner.
For the past thirty years, Madingley on Memorial Day has been this B-17’s most important and poignant annual engagement, carried out in honour of the 79,000 US Army Air Force airmen who flew from these islands during the second world war and died fighting for our freedom.
We are devastated not to be able to pay tribute to all those young men, especially in this 60th Anniversary of the end of the War. The idea simply beggars belief that the aircraft that flew to liberate Europe and now flies in honour of all those lost young men should be put out of action by the very people who owe their freedom to the existence of aircraft like Sally B.
However, we are determined that we will get her back in the air in time for the Special 60th Anniversary Commemorative Flypast over Buckingham Palace on 10 July. We are confident that a huge head of political pressure is building to resolve the unacceptable effect of the new regulation. Even without an exemption granted in time, we are determined that her first appearance will be on 2 July at Kimbolton Castle and the RAF Waddington Air Show.
To this end, we have assembled an impressive list of the great and the good in and around the aviation world who have been prepared to sign a letter of protest to the Daily Telegraph, which was published on Monday 23 May. The list of signatories follows this stop press notice.
We remain hopeful that a way can be found through this illogical and unjust law, so that Sally B’s 30th Anniversary season in this country will not be her last.
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Signatories to letter to The Daily Telegraph Raymond Baxter, wartime Spitfire pilot and broadcaster. |
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PRESS RELEASE UK’s last B-17 Flying Fortress, Sally B, grounded by European Regulations This is because of crippling new EU third party liability insurance requirements, based on aircraft weight, which have placed Sally B in the same insurance category as a commercial airliner. The effect is an increase in liability insurance of almost five hundred per cent, which is the equivalent of a staggering one thousand pounds extra per flying hour, on top of the already incredibly high running costs. But unlike a 737, Sally B operates for only twenty hours a year, is on a Permit to Fly, and can neither fly commercially, carry passengers, fly for hire and reward or fly over built-up areas. Elly Sallingboe, head of the aircraft’s operating company, said ‘In this anniversary of the end of World War Two, Europe has managed to ground the last B-17 in the UK. This is a bitter setback to the B-17 Team and Members, who have put in over a quarter of a century of relentless hard work and dedication to keep Sally B in the air. It seems the Government is powerless to grant an exemption to this new regulation, which is destroying historic aviation in the UK. It is particularly upsetting when you think that Sally B flies as a memorial to over 70,000 Allied airmen who lost their lives in the skies over Europe. The aircraft is ready to fly, and we will do everything humanly possible to find a solution.’ On the eve of the commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the end of World War Two, new European regulations have grounded the UK’s much-loved Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress, Sally B. |
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So what are we doing about it? We have begun a national media campaign to spread awareness of the aircraft’s plight, raise the additional funds and continue our fight for an exemption. We are positive that a short-term solution will be found so that Sally B can continue flying this season, starting with the Memorial Day Flypast over the American Military Cemetery at Madingley on 30 May. This is undoubtedly her most important and poignant event of the year, when we pay tribute to all those young men who sacrificed their lives for our freedom, and especially as we mark the 60th Anniversary of the end of the War. You can help us Lobby your MP to get this unjust law changed – their details can be found at www.theyworkforyou.com/mp or MPs can be contacted by fax at www.faxyourmp.com Sign our petition Every signature counts. Everything depends on the public’s reaction to our campaign and their generosity in making donations to The B-17 Charitable Trust. But if no permanent solution is found, this will be Sally B’s last season flying in this country. We also desperately need the public’s help. Details of how to support us can be found on our How you can Help page. For further press information, please contact Sean Maffett, tel: (01451) 810100 e-mail sean@airsound.co.uk |
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Department of Culture, Media and Sport 5 May 2005 Dear Miss Sallingboe Thank you for your letter of 7 April to the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, enclosing a copy of your letter to the Secretary of State for Transport and Scotland about the B-17 Flying Fortress Sally B, and EC Regulation 785/2004. I have been asked to reply. I understand that the Minister of State at the Department of Transport has confirmed that the aircraft falls within the scope of this Regulation and must therefore meet the minimum insurance requirements in relation to passengers, baggage, cargo and third parties, also that there is no provision within the Regulation for Member States to exempt particular aircraft. However, I note that the Minister also suggests some possible avenues that you might wish to explore, such as insuring the aircraft on a per-flight basis or securing commercial sponsorship from an airline, either towards the cost of insurance or by including the aircraft on the airline's policy, and I hope that these options might provide a useful way forward. Yours sincerely Elizabeth Foxell Museums & Libraries Sponsorship Unit |
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Department of Transport 20 April 2005 Dear Miss Sallingboe Thank you for your letter of 7 April to the Secretary of State, about the impact European Union legislation on minimum insurance requirements will have on your B-17 Flying Fortress aircraft. I am replying on behalf of Charlotte Atkins. First, I have to inform you that the consultation on these regulations closed on 25 February, and the regulations were laid in Parliament on 5 April. I am sorry to disappoint you but, since the aircraft concerned is not a State aircraft, it falls within the scope of EC Regulation 785/2004 and must meet the minimum insurance requirements in relation to passengers, baggage and cargo (Article 6) and third parties (Article 7). The weight of the aircraft suggests that, for the purposes of third party cover if falls within Category 6 of Article 7, which stipulates a minimum cover of SDR80 million - approximately £68 million. There is no provision within the Regulation for Member States to exempt particular aircraft being a Regulation rather than a Directive, it applies to air carriers and aircraft operators directly. Even if a way could be found to allow the B-17 to fly with less than the EU minimum amount of third party insurance for its weight, issues of Government liability could arise if there was an accident involving significant loss of life and/or damage to property in excess of the limit of insurance. Since the aircraft is operational for only 20 - 40 hours per year, you might wish to explore the possibility of insuring the aircraft on a per-flight basis rather than year round. I appreciate that there is already a fund-raising effort to keep Sally B going. I wonder if there may also be the possibility of securing commercial sponsorship from an airline, either in the form of a direct grant towards the cost of insurance or putting the aircraft on the airline's policy. Tony McNulty
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Civil Aviation Authority 20 April 2005 Dear Miss Sallingboe B17 G-BEDF Thank you for your letter of 7 April concerning the new minimum levels of insurance required for your B17 aircraft and its potential impact on your ability to operate. I know my staff have been looking into the particular problems raised by historic aircraft such as yours. Unfortunately the EC Regulation does not allow for any exemption, and the CAA has no discretion in this matter. I agree that your B17 is an historic aircraft which, if possible, should remain flying for the benefit of the public at large. If you have not done so already, might I suggest that the way forward might be to try to obtain sponsorship by, say, an airline who might be willing to add your aircraft to its fleet policy. That is the only practical suggestion we can make at this time. However, we are sympathetic to the situation with your B17 aircraft and we will discuss the matter further with the UK Department for Transport and with the European Commission. Yours sincerely Sir Roy McNulty CBE |
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Civil Aviation Authority 21 April 2005 Dear Miss Sallingboe Thank you for your letter of 7 April 2005, enclosing a copy of your letter to The Secretary of State for Transport regarding the potential grounding of your B-17 aircraft. As Mr Bell is currently out of the office, he has asked me to respond on his behalf. In common, I am sure, with all aviation enthusiasts, we very much hope that a way can be found to keep your aircraft flying in the UK. Unfortunately, as explained in Sir Roy McNulty’s letter to you of 20 April, the CAA has no powers in this matter. Yours sincerely R D Elder |
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Posted 7th April 2005 Euro charges threaten Sally B Many of you will have heard and/or read in the aviation press and online forums about a new EU Regulation on third party liability insurance from 1 May 2005. But in case you are not up to speed, I set out below details of this law and its consequences - unless an exemption can be granted. EU Regulation 785/2004 imposes new minimum third party liability insurance requirements for aircraft operators, with bands according to maximum take-off weight. Other privately operated vintage aircraft come under Band 5, but Sally B, as the only B-17, comes under Band 6, the same as a commercial Boeing 737, requiring a staggering £65 million in third party liability insurance cover (at the moment she carries a prudent £25 million). For us, this means having to find an additional £25,000 per year - that’s an astonishing £1,000 extra per flying hour, on top of the aircraft’s already extensive insurance premium. This legislation is totally illogical, unjust and beyond comprehension; it seems simply not to have taken account of heavy historic aircraft such as Sally B. I’m not saying the rules are wrong, but there should be scope for exemptions for aircraft such as ours. Of course, the easiest and cheapest option would be to ground the aircraft. But those of you who know me well, also know that the easy option - unless it’s the right one - has never been the one for me. I know that to fight this injustice is an uphill struggle, but I have come to the conclusion that we simply have no option if Sally B is to have a future in this country. And our best chance of winning - of gaining the world’s attention - is with a flying aircraft. SO, SALLY B WILL FLY THIS SEASON. Meanwhile, the fight is on, and the campaign is mounting. You will see below the letter I have sent to the Secretary of State for Transport, Alistair Darling MP. This has been acknowledged pending a reply. |
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HOW YOU CAN HELP - by protesting in writing to your MP. Contact details can be found at www.theyworkforyou.com/mp Everyone has a voice in this, so make yours heard! As I’m sure you will appreciate, the past few weeks have not been without their trials and tribulations, with the busy pre-season period overshadowed by this predicament. For all you Members out there, expecting to receive your News Bulletin, please bear with us - it is being put together, and we will get it to you as soon as possible. I will, of course, post news of developments on this website. So do keep checking in for the latest. With best wishes, Elly Sallingboe
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LETTER FROM B-17 OPERATOR ELLY SALLINGBOE TO THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR TRANSPORT ALISTAIR DARLING MP, ABOUT EUROCHARGES The Rt Hon Alistair Darling MP 7 April 2005 Dear Mr Darling New Euro charges threaten to ground Britain’s last Flying Fortress In 2005, this aircraft will have been flying in the UK for an incredible 30 years without any official funding, thanks to a dedicated team of volunteer professionals (see enclosed press release). It should be a year of celebration, but instead Sally B’s future in this country is imminently and seriously threatened, and this is why I am asking you please, as a matter of urgency, to find a solution. As you know, the new insurance requirements are based on aircraft weight. Our aircraft weighs 15,150.24kg, and therefore falls just a few thousand kg outside of Category 5 (see the chart printed below). This puts it in Category 6, the same as a commercial Boeing 737, requiring a staggering 80 million SDRs - a leap of more than four times as much in the insurance cover requirement. This new legislation will cost us another £25,000 per year, which is simply impossible. I would add that the aircraft operates at dramatically reduced weights from those of a wartime B-17. Clearly it carries no warload, nor does it fly with full tanks for long-range operations. We currently hold £25 million third party insurance. I was advised that, for the size and weight of the aircraft, this is a prudent amount of cover, and more than double what has been required in recent years for aircraft flying in air shows. This would still appear to be prudent according to the weights given in the chart, if only there was not such a vast leap in cover required between Categories 5 and 6. I am sure these new charges were not intended to destroy flying national treasures such as ours, but this is what is happening. Unlike commercial aircraft, our historic aircraft is on a British Permit to Fly, and as such: - is not allowed to carry out commercial flights Despite this: - it has its own maintenance company approved by the CAA AND it flies only 20-40 hours per year, between May and October I should mention that the General Aviation Department of the CAA has been trying to do something about this on our behalf for some time. We were hopeful that the matter could be rectified, but sadly this has not been possible. This is why I am appealing to you at this late stage, in the hope that you can please do something to help. I cannot emphasise too strongly just how vital it is to rectify this situation. This year, as part of the 60th anniversary commemorations of the end of the Second World War, Sally B is due to carry out a poppy drop and, most importantly, to join in the official commemorative flypast over Buckingham Palace. High profile commemorative events such as these will be drastically affected if a way forward cannot be found. Tens of thousands of young American airmen lost their lives flying from UK bases in B-17s. This aircraft is the only living memorial to their sacrifice – a flagship of the special relationship that has existed ever since between our two countries. Its mission is to educate young and old of this important piece of our national history. There will be a massive outcry if this beloved aircraft, which represents so much to so many people, is grounded now, having flown for thirty years thanks solely to the dedication of its volunteers and supporters, and funds raised by its own charity, The B-17 Charitable Trust. If something is not done, this historic aircraft will soon cross the Atlantic to the USA. I hope you will agree that this would be a tragedy, especially when the cause is a piece of legislation that appears simply not to have taken account of historic aircraft such as Sally B. In these circumstances, and bearing in mind that the aircraft flies only in the UK, I ask you please to grant the Sally B an exemption so that this aircraft can continue to fly in the UK, as a matter of urgency, given that our flying season starts in May. If you would like to find out more about this unique aircraft, please do look at our website www.sallyb.org.uk Thank you so much for your time in considering this matter, and I look forward to hearing from you as soon as possible. Yours sincerely Elly Sallingboe Aircraft Operator Required Levels of Insurance under Regulation 785/2004
MTOM = maximum take off mass SDR = Special Drawing Rights, one SDR being about 80 pence Enc: Sally B Press Release and leaflet Copies to:
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Posted 24th March 2005 Thirty Years of struggle turns into triumph for UK’s last Flying Fortress Sally B It is hoped to organise a tour flying over all of the UK’s 8th Air Force memorials, and plans are afoot for Sally B to participate in the official flypast over London on July 10, but, as always, everything depends on funding. Keeping the B-17 Sally B flying for thirty years is an outstanding achievement for the aircraft operator Elly Sallingboe along with her crew and team of volunteers, who have reached this milestone without any official help. Their enthusiasm, dedication and sheer determination have kept this unique four engine vintage aircraft flying for three decades – more than a lifetime for some of Sally B’s 6,500 Supporters Club members on whose support, along with charitable donations, sponsorship and souvenir sales, the aircraft relies for survival. Consequently, fundraising is an ongoing struggle. But well over a quarter of a century on, and against all the odds, Sally B is still going strong. The aircraft is permanently based at the Imperial War Museum Duxford, although not part of the Museum’s own collection. In 2005, Sally B will display there and around the UK, celebrating at each venue, culminating in a grand party at Duxford in September. But even as Sally B is taking off or landing, the fund raising still has to go on. “It’s a continuous challenge,” says Elly, “no sooner do we secure sufficient funds for one year, we have to start on the next, and it’s always been that way. Nevertheless, we are determined to continue fighting for the survival of this important living piece of our history and heritage for many years to come, because Sally B flies as a memorial to all the Allied airmen who fell in World War Two.” Please help secure Sally B’s future in this country for generations to come by making a donation to the latest appeal of the aircraft’s own Registered Charity The B-17 Charitable Trust, join the Supporters Club, or participating in one of our many fundraising schemes. This is a landmark year in several ways for the UK’s last remaining airworthy B-17 Flying Fortress, Sally B. This VE Day 60th anniversary year will also mark her own 60th birthday, and - most remarkably - her 30th flying season in the UK. |