Glacier Girl is a P-38 which was buried in ice for years and recently recovered.

We published information about the aircraft on April 27th

Glacier Girl (Courtesy of member Jim Parish)

 

The following was recently sent to us by member Bob Earl:

 

Doug Corrigan was one of the 8 original controllers at CHD Tower.  He retreated back to New England within 2 months after our opening and the desert heated up. 

 

Bob

 

Following is an email Bob received from Doug Corrigan concerning the current status of Glacier Girl:

 

My boss and I were sitting in the tower around 2pm and noticed a flight of three passing just north of Beverly headed eastbound at 3,500ft. When I put the Binocs on them it was sure enough a P-38 Lightning with a P-51 Mustang and a PC-12 right along side. Their first fuel stop was Bangor Maine, enroute to Duxford England.  Quite the site to see.

 

Doug

 

***********************************************************

Glacier Girl's Trans-Atlantic Trip Delayed Again (6/29/07)

Starboard Engine Has A Coolant Leak

It's sad, but true. A mechanical issue with the P-38 'Glacier Girl' has her grounded for the time being in Goose Bay, Newfoundland, and unable to continue in her attempt to complete her original mission to England.

For Operation Bolero II, Glacier Girl was accompanied by veteran air show pilot Ed Shipley, who is flying the vintage North American P-51 Mustang, Miss Velma, carrying all the tracking gear.

Deb Mitchell, co-founder of AirShowBuzz.com, posted on the project's message board, Operation Bolero II HQ, "Glacier Girl's attempt to complete her mission has ended for now. She will remain in Goose Bay while Miss Velma continues on to England. The human spirit's magnificent ability to press forward serves the team well now.

"Everyone, here and around the world, are disappointed Glacier Girl will remain behind, but Miss Velma carries her spirit across the North Atlantic to England."

Glacier Girl To Recreate Aborted WWII Mission Before Arriving at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh
  

Glacier Girl, the Lockheed P-38 WWII fighter that was rescued from beneath the ice in Greenland and meticulously restored to original condition, will appear at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2007, parked on display at the main showcase ramp, AeroShell Square. But before she gets to the World’s Greatest Aviation Celebration for the week of July 23-29, the airplane has some unfinished business to take care of.

Sixty-five years ago, Glacier Girl was one of eight aircraft--six P-38s and two B-17 bombers--assigned to Operation Bolero, a World War II aid mission to support U.S. allies in the war-torn European theatre. The mission was cut short by brutal weather, and the entire squadron was forced to make an emergency landing on a remote ice cap in Greenland.

Fifty years later, the P-38 was salvaged from under 268 feet of ice and was painstakingly restored over the next decade. It flew again in late October 2002 and was an immensely popular attraction at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2005.

On June 22, pilot Steve Hinton will take off in Glacier Girl from Teterboro Airport in New Jersey, and fly to Duxford, England, to complete the aborted Operation Bolero from 65 years ago.

“This monumental flight will bring closure to Operation Bolero as well as pay homage to the brave aviators who beat the odds to survive certain death on that polar ice cap in Greenland during World War II,” Hinton said. “It’s thrilling to be a part of this historic event.”

“Operation Bolero II” will also include air show veteran Ed Shipley, who will be Hinton’s wingman in the recently completed P-51 Mustang Miss Velma. The Mustang will be equipped with Wingspeed Corporation’s satellite-based aircraft communications technology that will allow anyone on the ground to communicate with the pilots via e-mail communications and receive answers from the cockpit while the planes are in flight.

The cutting-edge technology will also allow real time tracking of Glacier Girl’s historic journey at Shipley’s website for aviation enthusiasts, AirShowBuzz.com.

“It’s an honor to be Steve’s wingman as we trace the same flight path that Glacier Girl flew over 60 years ago,” said Shipley, U.S. Air Force Heritage Flight pilot.

Glacier Girl will remain in Duxford for the Flying Legends Air Show on July 7-8, and then return to the U.S. to take part in EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2007. The airplane will be on display at AeroShell Square and be a featured aircraft in the popular Warbirds In Review program, scheduled for 10 a.m. Saturday, July 28. It’s also scheduled to be a part of the U.S. Air Force Heritage Flights.