ANN has received a
number of copies, from concerned readers, of the following missive
from the Collings Foundation. Collings operates a number of
historic warbirds under FAA exemptions allowing them to fly these
amazing treasures. The letter is published below for your
edification and potential comment.
To Friends of the Collings Foundation:
HIGHEST LEVEL OF URGENCY: EFFORT TO KEEP THE B-17,
B-24, & B-25 FLYING
Good evening everyone. You are getting this email because you
signed up for the Collings Foundation’s eNewsletter and have
shown an interest in helping to keep our historic aircraft flying
for many years to come. We are sending this letter to you in the
hope that you will find time to help us fight the latest issue that
would potentially devastate our ability to fly the B-17 Flying
Fortress, B-24 Liberator, and B-25 Mitchell.
These three aircraft operate under a Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA) Exemption letter that allows The Collings
Foundation to fly these aircraft for “flight
experiences” where you may actually fly in the aircraft for
30 minutes. These flights are the primary fundraising effort and
are literally the driving force that keeps the bombers flying.
These exemption letters are issued for two years and then are
renewed at the end of each term for the organization that wishes to
continue it. We have done so for many years without a problem.
Our current exemption letter expires on Oct 31, 2005 and we are
reaching a very high point of urgency. Despite having a request at
the FAA Office of Rulemaking for the past nine months for renewal
of the exemption letter that would continue allowing us to offer
flights in the B-17, B-24, and B-25, the FAA still has not issued a
renewal or an extension of the exemption letter. We are two weeks
away from the expiration of the letter and bureaucracy has tied the
process up and no one has given us an answer, nor has been able to
give us the status of this request.
We need your help! Please contact anyone at the FAA that you
feel could/should help, including:
Make sure and reference the FAA Exemption Letter 6540F and note
this is for The Collings Foundations B-17 (N93012), B-24 (N224J),
and B-25 (N3476G).
If you can help, we ask you to please carbon copy email your
letter to bob_collings@collingsfoundation.org.
Thank you for your help to “Keep ‘em Flying!”
Best regards,
Bob Collings, Collings Foundation