By now you are aware that I am an aviation geek. One of my favorite airplanes of all time is the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress. This airplane was one of the most heavily used bombers in World War 2. The B-17 was designed by Boeing in the mid-1930s and introduced for service in 1938. By the time the US entered WW2, the B17 was not a new airplane. There were concerns regarding how the B-17 would stack up in modern warfare. Even by WW2 standards, the B-17 was slow and carried a limited bomb load of 8,000lbs on short missions and 4,500lbs for long missions. For comparison the British Lancaster bomber could carry 14,000lbs of bombs. The B-17 bristled with 13, 50 caliber machine guns. The idea was the Flying Fortress could protect itself from fighters and did not need an escort. This idea proved to be seriously flawed.

I first became familiar with the B-17 from the old television show 12 O’clock High. Later the movie “Memphis Belle” showed the B-17 in all of its glory. The B-17 is a beautiful airplane. The silhouette of the airplane symbolized the US bombing campaign in WW2.  It was also the “every man’s” airplane as the citizen soldiers made their impact on WW2.

In addition to being an aviation enthusiast, I like history. My favorite part of history is when it comes alive by revealing itself through observing and touching artifacts. Encountering items that were present and part of significant historical events stirs my soul. The goal of encountering historical items, especially aircraft, drove me to visit the Lone Star Flight Museum on multiple occasions. The Lone Star Flight Museum is currently located at Ellington Field near Houston. When I began visiting this amazing place, it was located in Galveston.

The Lone Star Flight Museum’s B-17 is named the Thunderbird. It is a gorgeous aircraft and while I had seen it from the outside many times, I longed to crawl inside and look around. The Thunderbird is airworthy, but it never occurred to me to actually go for a flight. Upon reaching a “significant birthday,” my wonderful wife booked me a flight on the Thunderbird.

We went as a family and spent the weekend in Galveston. On the day of the flight as the Thunderbird was trying to start her engines, we heard there was a mechanical issue and that we would not be able fly on that day. I was disappointed, but I learned a long time ago not to argue with a balky airplane.

I rescheduled my flight for a few weeks later and returned to Galveston to try again. This time only my daughter was with me because, I need someone as a witness that I actually flew in a B-17!  I attended a short briefing and boarded the Thunderbird. For the takeoff, I sat in the radio operator’s position. As the Thunderbird started her engines, there was smoke and flames coming out of the exhaust, so cool. The first thing I noticed was how loud the engines were. The entire airplane was vibrating to the rhythm of the 4 Wright/Cyclone radial engines. Another item of note is how thin the skin is on a B-17. It almost seemed like the airplane was wrapped in aluminum foil. My thoughts went to the 10 crew members who were part of every B-17 mission. The B-17 is not pressurized yet still flew at altitudes up to 25,000 feet where the temperature is minus 30 degrees. While riding in the Thunderbird, I could only imagine the fear and discomfort felt by the crew. The idea of experiencing flak and fighters in that thin-skinned airplane is simply terrifying. We could move to different positions in the airplane. I was able to visit the cockpit, waste gunner and bombardier positions. We were not able to visit the tail gunner or ball turret positions. After flying around Galveston for a while we landed back at the airport. For me, this was an amazing, once in a lifetime event.

I read about B-17s for many years but never really connected with the airplane until I took a flight. The history of this airplane came alive as no book or movie could enable. Members of the “Greatest Generation” who selflessly helped save the world from tyranny and oppression are leaving us at a rapid pace. Connecting with this history helped me remember the sacrifice made so that freedom can live.

I realize studying history isn’t for everyone, still, connecting with significant events of the past can provide wisdom and help us in our current world. For me, it is all about connecting with real artifacts, replicas do nothing for me. For viewing authentic artifacts, I highly recommend visiting the Smithsonian in Washington DC. From what I hear, the British Museum is also fabulous and is on my bucket list. I encourage you to actively engage history and allow its lessons to enhance your life!

Make the most of this day!