The Pink Lady ( aircraft ) The Pink Lady is the nickname of a B - 17G Flying Fortress bomber . It is one of the few B - 17s still in flying condition , and the only flying survivor to have seen action in Europe during World War II . Rolled out of the Lockheed - Vega production facility in Burbank , California in December , 1944 , " The Pink Lady " was then only known as a B - 17G - 85 - VE Fortress , serial number 44 - 8846 . On March 1 , 1945 , 44 - 8846 was flown to RAF Polebrook , England , and assigned to the 511th Bomb Squadron , 351st Bomb Group . Since she entered active service so close to the end of the war , 44 - 8846 only flew six missions over Germany , the last one on April 20 , 1945 , when the 351st ended combat operations . She was transferred to the 365th Bomb Squadron , 305th Bomb Group , based at RAF Chelveston , England , when the rest of the 351st returned to the United States . She was featured as the fictional B - 17F " Mother and Country " , in addition to " The Pink Lady " , in the film , " Memphis Belle " , painted on one side to resemble the older B - 17F . " The Pink Lady " was kept at Paris - Orly Airport , France , just to the south of Paris , until its hangar was listed for demolition . In October 2006 she was stored for winter 2006 - 2007 in a hangar in St Yan , ( Saône et Loire ) , France . After , she was based at Melun Villaroche ( LFPM ) , south - est of Paris , where some Dassault ( Mirage , Mystère or Balzac ) have made their first flight in the 80 ' s . She have made some meeting like at Melun in 2008 or Paris Air Show in 2009 . Her last flight from Melun Villaroche ( LFPM ) ( her last base before retirement ) to Cerny - La Ferté Alais ( LFFQ ) ( the airfield of ) was on March 2010 . She is inside a new hangar since 29 October 2011 , and she will wait some years before flying again . Painting schemes and registration numbers . Below is a non - exhaustive chronological list of the " Pink Lady ' s " painting schemes and registration numbers from 1945 – 2006 : Entire Aircraft : Unpainted Aluminum 1945 : s / n 48846 on tail 1945 , March : white J in black Triangle 48846 M on tail ( with red diagonal stripe ) , DS : M on fuselage , M on nose turret 1945 , May : white G in black Triangle 48846 XK : M on fuselage 1954 : Institut Geographique National logo on tail , F - BGSP on fuselage 1965 : IGN , registered as ZS - DXM 1979 : WFU 1985 : 48846 on tail , F - AZDX on fuselage , " Lucky Lady " artwork added to nose for air - show tour Entire Aircraft : Olive Drab upper surfaces , light gray lower surfaces 1989 : Officially registered as F - AZDX , was painted for the movie " Memphis Belle " as : 1993 : large text below pilot and co - pilot side windows : 1998 : 22955 on tail , F - AZDX on fuselage , " Mother and country " artwork on nose 2002 : Triangle - J 48846 M on tail ( with red stripe ) , M - DS on fuselage ( nose turret removed ) The current paint job does not have " The Pink Lady " artwork on right nose , but is otherwise like its 2002 configuration . This aircraft was present at " The Flying Legends " ( Duxford , UK ) air display on 12 & 13 July 2008 . The " Mother and Country " , and " The Pink Lady " artwork was present on the right side nose area .