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 at the Wings Over Dallas Airshow involving the B-17 "Texas Raiders" has reignited the contentious debate about the safety and wisdom of flying rare historic aircraft.
Arguments for flying these planes emphasize their educational and inspirational value, stating aircraft are meant to fly, while opponents advocate for grounding them due to their extreme rarity and the irreversible loss from accidents.
The author expresses profound personal grief over the loss of "Texas Raiders," highlighting the deep emotional connection many in the aviation community have to these historic planes and the difficult balance between preserving them and keeping them airborne.

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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.