| Author | Message | ||
     Crusty |
The B-17 In September of 2012, I went down to the Worcester Airport to get a good look at a B-17. I was working seven days a week at that time, but on Saturday and Sunday, we’d come in at 5:00 AM and work eight hours straight and get off at 1:00 PM; which left the whole afternoon open for whatever I wanted to do. I had heard somewhere that some World War 2 planes were going to be in Worcester, and I wanted to see them in person. So I went down, paid my ten bucks and walked out onto the apron to check out the planes. They had a B-17, a B-24 an A-36, an M6 Hellcat and a P-51 on display. It was both educational and fun to learn about the different planes. The A-36 was the immediate predecessor to the P-51 Mustang, but it was built to be a Dive Bomber and not a fighter. The M6 Hellcat was almost identical to the F6 Hellcat, except that it was built by General Motors. The P-51 that was there was a very rare two seater. I didn’t know that there was such a plane. I got in line and got to go through the B-24 and the B-17. The B-17 was a lot smaller and a lot more cramped than I expected. It also didn’t hold nearly as many bombs as I thought it would. All those war movies that I’d watched over the years had misled me (Now, ain’t that a surprise!) Nevertheless, I was really impressed and a bit in awe. I had known an older gentleman who had been a B-17 pilot in the War, and he’d been shot down over Germany and was a POW. He never talked about it though. Being in that plane brought a lot of things home. I also went through the B-24. I learned that the B-24 was built by Ford which really surprised me. It was bigger and roomier than the B-17, and it had an equally impressive resume of achievements. While it also gave me a lot of respect for the men who flew in one during the War, it just didn’t have the same panache as the B-17. It took brass balls to climb in one of those planes knowing that the enemy was going to do everything they could to kill you, and that there was no place to go that was safe until you got back. And if the enemy didn’t kill you, there was always the chance that the plane itself would have some sort of problem (Aircraft Reliability was somewhat spotty back then). As the afternoon wound down and I was getting ready to leave, I heard an announcer on the PA system saying that I (and anyone else who wanted to) could take a flight on the B-17 for only $425.00. I was really tempted to do it. However, I’d been out of work for a year and a half, and I was way behind on my mortgage. I had the classic angel/devil debate raging on my shoulders, but I forced myself to walk away feeling a whole lot of regret. I swore that I would take the flight the next time the B-17 came back. That week, I was talking to Bill, who was out in California. I told him about the show, the planes and the chance to fly in one, and he jumped on it. Bill was my oldest friend; I’d first met him before I even entered Kindergarten. We also brought it up to Ernie, another lifelong friend. I first met Ernie when we started in 9th grade. The three of us had managed to stay friends and in touch throughout our lives. We all agreed that we would take a Flight when the show schedule brought the tour back. Throughout the year, we kept an eye on the Wings of Freedom Tour schedule. The schedule wasn’t determined until just a few months before they appeared, but we were ready. The Flight achieved a “Bucket List” significance; it was something the three of us really had to do as a group. Bill, especially was adamant in pushing it. To be honest, if it all fell apart, I was willing to travel to another stop on the tour and take the flight on my own. In fact, I had made contingency plans to do so. And it almost did fall apart. First, the flight was supposed to happen on Saturday, and Ernie was scheduled to work. He managed to get the afternoon off, but then the flight was changed to Sunday. Then they wanted us to fly in the B-24 instead of the B-17, but we vetoed that idea. Then finally, everything fell into place. We had to be at the Worcester Airport at something like 7:30 on a Sunday morning. The three of us met up at Ernie’s house in Hudson, and we drove over to Worcester. There were about ten passengers scheduled for the flight, and I think we were the first to arrive We got our pre-flight instructions from a crew member, boarded and were off into the Wild Blue Yonder. I can’t adequately describe how I felt on the flight. I got to move about the plane (we all were encouraged to do so) There was an open hatch in the top of the fuselage behind the cockpit, and it was possible and acceptable to stick my head up into the airstream. I could see the huge tail and rudder as well as some scenery as the plane banked, and I could feel the wind. I walked back to the waist gunners positions. There were some dummy 50 caliber machine guns mounted there, I stuck my head into the top gun turret, walked through the bomb bay, and made my way down to the nose and the Bombardier’s station. Being out in that Plexiglas nose was pure bliss. We were only flying two or three thousand feet up, and the view was magnificent. I would dearly love to take a flight in a B-17 and be in the nose for the entire duration. Unfortunately, there were other passengers who wanted to check it out, and I couldn’t be selfish about it, so I left the nose and went back. We weren’t allowed into the tail gunners area (I doubt I would have fit, anyway), or up into the cockpit, but even so, it was truly a Magnificent Experience. The roar of those four radial engines, the slow flowing grace of the plane as it banked and turned, and the sense of History that surrounded and penetrated right into my heart can only be described, at best, inadequately. The flight lasted less than an hour, but my sense of time is skewed as it seemed to be both hours long and just a few short minutes simultaneously in my memory. The plane landed, the flight was over and it left an indelible impression on my soul. It truly was a Bucket List item for the three of us. As fate would have it, Bill died suddenly and unexpectedly of Heart Failure last May. That Flight was the last time the Three Friends were together. I’m glad that our last experience as friends was such a grand and wondrous event. I still miss Bill, though. Here's the three of us during the flight:  | ||
| Pwnzor |
That's freaking awesome. Dude, thanks for sharing that. | ||
| Badlionsfan |
Sorry about the loss of your friend, but what a cool deal. Now post more pics! | ||
| Thumper74 |
Great story. I know a commercial airline pilot who also flies a B25. After being inside that thing, I had a whole new level of respect for the soldiers that fought and died in these planes. It also makes you wonder... If these war machines could talk. | ||
| Xbimmer |
Sorry for your friend, glad you guys got to do something like that together. The B-17 has been my favorite plane since I was a kid. All wing and engines it seems, they're a beautiful aircraft to me. I drew them, built models of them, tore out of the house like I was on fire when I heard the unmistakable sound of one flying over, they were often used as air tankers back then. Finally did the static tour through Sentimental Journey a few years ago, but like you balked at the price of a flight. So far. When I finally take that plunge I think my face will split from massive permagrin! | ||
| Big_island_rider |
First off I am sorry for your loss. Nothing can replace your friend but memories like the one you described will keep him alive in your heart for many years. Second I am happy you got to take that flight and a little jealous. Thanks for sharing. | ||
| Blake |
Great story. Great airplane. The closest I've come to a similar experience was the old steam engine train out of Georgetown, Colorado. That really brought the old west to life. | ||
| Etennuly |
Thanks for sharing that Crusty. Reminds me of things I have yet to do. | ||
| 99savage |
Good story, RIP good friend Couple of decades ago they had an Air Show at The Elmira/Coring Airport and I had (3) B-17's and (1) B-24 in the air over my house, flying so low I could feel the vibrations. Modern aircraft are sleek and beautiful and lethal but these elderly war birds bristling with guns looked just plain mean First and last time I felt sorry for the Germans. Look up, see the sky dark with those machines, feel the ground shake and know there isn't a damn thing you can do about it. Many will fall but most will continue on to deliver they payload then go home to do it again. (Message edited by 99Savage on September 27, 2014) | ||
| Reepicheep |
awesome! I got to fly in a pre wwII biplane (trainer). It was amazing. | ||
| Peeping_jon |
Sorry for loss of friend. Very jealous of going on the flight. I have also toured a B17 at an airshow years ago but have not gone up. My dad who is no longer with us flew I belive 32 missions in the ball turret. I think they were required 24. He was a flight engineer. I know he bailed out once. Guess you saw first hand how crampted the turret was with a 50 cal. on each side of your head. He didnt talk much about it though. Miss dad a lot and wish I could get to here what stories I could get out of him again. BIG THANKS TO ALL THE VETS. | ||
| Dwardo |
It's tough to lose someone suddenly like that. I lost my uncle to heart failure last October. He was like my best friend and my father all rolled into one. I've been in the B17 on one of its tours here in Maryland. It is very interesting that a thing so big on the outside can be so cramped on the inside. I have been fascinated by WW2 airplanes since I was a little kid and have devoted a lot of brain cells to storing useless knowledge about them. One of the most interesting aspects of that is the miserable experience of the bomber crews. Even if they weren't being shot at they were trapped in a freezing cold, noisy tube for 8 hours or more. Some of the stories of badly crippled bombers full of dead and wounded crew coming back are just riveting. On the other hand the Luftwaffe pilots attacking the bomber boxes was no picnic either, especially after the advent of the P51 that could escort the bombers all the way. Wow. August before last my uncle hooked me up with a friend of his and I actually got to fly a Stearman trainer biplane. Man, that was a trip. |
