Remembering ‘Texas Raiders’

There are approximately 45 B-17 Flying Fortresses left. Losing this one feels personal.

Meg Godlewski

Monday, November 14, 2022 at 09:14 AM ET

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The B-17 ‘Texas Raiders’ from the Commemorative Air Force Gulf Coast Wing. [Courtesy: Jim Allen]

Key Takeaways:

The midair collision involving the B-17 *Texas Raiders* at the Wings Over Dallas Airshow has reignited a contentious debate about the safety and necessity of flying rare historic aircraft.
This discussion builds on previous incidents, including the 2011 *Liberty Belle* fire and the fatal 2019 *Nine-O-Nine* crash, both of which prompted calls to ground the few remaining airworthy B-17s.
The article explores the fundamental dilemma: whether these vintage planes should continue to fly for educational and inspirational purposes, or be permanently grounded as static displays to ensure their preservation for future generations.

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By now you have probably heard about the midair collision between a Bell P-63 Kingcobra and the B-17 Texas Raiders that took place the afternoon of November 12, 2022, during the Wings Over Dallas Airshow.

The event, a product of the Commemorative Air Force, was something so many people looked forward to—including me, as the week prior to the event I had written stories mentioning aircraft slated to be at the show, namely the P-51 Tuskegee Airmen and Texas Raiders. I was looking forward to watching the video of the event—and I did see lots of video—just not what I wanted to see.