B-17G 44-83512 Lackland AFB, San Antonio, Texas. Displayed
as 483512, Heavens Above.
Photo by Brian Nick
Photo by Brian Nick
44-83512 left the Douglas, Long Beach production line
on 21 March 1945. The Army accepted it two days later and it was sent to
the Douglas modification center in Tulsa, Oklahoma arriving on 25 March.
When completed at the modification center it was flown on 18 May to Patterson
Field, Ohio for short term storage. 44-83512 remained in storage until
early 1946 when it was assigned to the Continental Air Force at McChord
Field, Washington as a TB-17G. Assigned to the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance
Squadron it provided weather reports to the Army Air Force. On 29
August 1946, it moved to Morrison Field, Florida but remained with the
53rd. 44-83512 deployed to Kindley Field, Bermuda on 08 June 1947. It was
reassigned on 09 November 1947 to Robbins AFB, Georgia to the 67th Base
Unit and then the 4117th Base Unit. Going overseas again it was assigned
to the Military Air Transport Service based at Pepperrell Air Base, St.
Johns Newfoundland.
On 21 August 1950, Heaven's Above returned to the
U.S. and was reassigned to the Training Command at Lackland AFB, Texas.
The reason for this is unclear, because as a basic training base for new
recruits Lackland does not have any aircraft facilities. Two suggested
reasons might be that it would be used as a training aide of some sort
or that someone had the vision to start a museum in the future. On 11 September
1950, authorization was given and 44-83512 was stricken from the Air Force
inventory. In 1956 the Air Force History and Traditions Museum was established
at Lackland and Heaven's Above officially went to the Museum in 1957. At
one point 44-83512 was marked as Princess Pat of the 381st Bomb Group,
but in 1983 it was repainted as Heavens Above of the 388th Bomb Group.
On a personal note, I visited Heavens Above in March
1998 and was saddened by the condition of this plane. As a museum piece
of the U.S. Air Force Museum I was surprised that they would let this plane
deteriorate as much as it has. Although it is called the History and Traditions
Museum I have not found any information about it besides the name
and did not see any buildings marked as a "museum". Whoever is maintaining
these planes is doing a satisfactory job of keeping them painted, but an
accurate representation of proud warbirds they are not. Heavens Above has
had all its doors removed and replaced with riveted on sheet metal, all
the windows are painted out (some of them not even in the correct place),
there are no turrets installed on the underside (not even replicas), and
it had what appeared to be broom sticks to represent guns. But the one
thing that troubled me the most was that someone had riveted brackets onto
the propellors to the cowlings to keep them from turning. I have to give
credit to whoever is painting the nose art, it is very well done and I
can't figure out how the "politically correct police" have not made them
take it off yet. I just don't understand how the same Air Force Museum
will not let you touch Shoo Shoo Baby because your finger oil will corrode
it and they let this one deteriorate so much. There has to be a happy medium.
One last thought. It is in a place where very few will ever see it. It
is on a military base that civilians must get a pass to get on. Having
been a recruit at Lackland AFB myself, I was only interested in keeping
the Training Instructor off my back not looking at airplanes on the parade
ground. I had to go back 14 years later to see Heavens Above.
