History makes a bumpy landing: B-17 replica to give the public a feel for World War II aerial combat

by Luke Judge on Saturday, July 31st, 2010 | No Comments

COLONIE — It’s loud at takeoff, it’s bumpy on the ground, it’s hot ... and it’s an experience not to be missed. on Monday, a B-17 Bomber flew into Albany International Airport and received a gray, rainy reception from the sky — an apropos welcome, considering the model’s wartime history.on July 24, the public will have the chance to experience the feel of the illustrious war bird in flight.thanks to the nonprofit organization Liberty Foundation, those with some spare cash will be able to take to the sky and roam around the Liberty Belle, getting a feel for what it was like for any of the 10 crew members who would have manned similar aircrafts.Though this Liberty Belle is not what pilot Bob Hill calls a “combat veteran,” the plane is modeled, in name and façade, after one which soared through 64 missions in World War II before a crash landing ended its flying life, taking the lives of two crew members along with it.“the Liberty Foundation was started by a gentleman, Don Brooks, who wished to find aB-17 and form a foundation to honor World War II veterans and essentially honor his father, who served as a tail gunner on the Liberty Belle in World War II,” volunteer pilot Bob Hill said.Brooks’ dream was to be able to take what Hill calls a “flying museum” out into the public, where they can experience historical flights and tour the area of the cabin to get a feel for what it would have been like to be in combat.Fourteen years of restoration and several millions of dollars invested in that project later, a feel is exactly what you get, on top of indulging all of your other senses, for better or worse.John Ferguson, a fellow volunteer pilot, said that being in a B-17 and feeling what it’s like to fly in one, can make history more tangible.“you can sit in the same spot on the airplane or be in the same spot and then go back and read a (veteran’s) account and say, ‘you know, I was right in that spot and I kind of know what it sounded like and a little bit of what the feeling was,’ ” Ferguson said. “because what this is all about is traveling outreach, and it’s about honoring the veterans in World War II that sacrificed so much to give us the ability to have what we have today.”the temperature of the cabin, according to volunteer pilot Ron Gause, is the same as the outside temperature — again, for better or worse.“when it’s hot, it’s hot in the airplane; when it’s cold, it’s cold in the airplane,” Gause said. “when they flew in combat, between 19,000 and 26,000 feet, it was 40 below (zero) in the aircraft. That’s why you saw the pictures of the fleece suits, it was very cold. They had to fly in arduous situations, to say the least.”Fortunately, the most arduous part of the flight for the public is trying to balance the excitement of what will likely be the most exciting history lesson they’ll ever get, and recognizing the sacrifices made by B-17 crew members.According to Gause, 4,250B-17s were lost in combat. With 10-man crews, that amounts to 42,500 men killed aboard just one type of aircraft during the war.There are, of course, subtle and not so subtle reminders of the history of the B-17: 12 on-board guns are there to be seen, and setting your eyes on the authentic radio and controls brings home the history of such aircraft. Even before you can step into the aircraft you get a taste of history — the names and signatures of hundreds of veterans adorn the inside of the door.

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