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

Verified

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

Key Takeaways:

The November 2022 mid-air collision at the Wings Over Dallas Airshow, involving a B-17 *Texas Raiders* and a P-63 Kingcobra, reignited widespread debate about the wisdom of flying rare vintage aircraft.
This incident, along with previous B-17 accidents like the *Liberty Belle* fire (2011) and the fatal *Nine-O-Nine* crash (2019), has fueled calls to ground remaining airworthy historic planes due to their rarity and inherent risks.
The core of the debate lies between those who advocate for preserving these rare aircraft as static displays for future generations, and those who believe they should continue to fly to educate, inspire, and honor their legacy.
The author expresses deep personal sorrow over the loss of *Texas Raiders*, having had a significant and formative connection with the aircraft early in their career.

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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.