I had the honor of flying in the Liberty Belle from Greensboro NC to Charleston SC about three years ago. My grandfather was a B-24 pilot during WWII, so it was really a privilege to get a small idea of what it was like flying in those beautiful birds.
We boarded the Belle and I sat in the radio operators seat. The pilot then began turning over those big rotary engines and she came to life!! I sat in my seat and closed my eyes and tried to imagine what it was like 65 years ago and hearing this exact same noise, feeling that exact same vibration, and what it was like to wonder if you were coming back or not.
After all four of the engines were running, we began to taxi down the side of the runway. When we reached the end of the runway the pilot ran up the engines and held the brakes. The whole bird began to shake and seem like she was ready to jump off the ground and into the air in anticipation. After the pilot ran up the engines we turned onto the runway. The pilot then ran up the engines again and let off of the brakes, We took off down the runway with the force of a moden day jet, I was amazed that a plane of that age still had that much power. As we were making our run down the runway I heard one of the engines backfire, but not miss again for the entire trip. After a few seconds on the runway I felt this beautiful silver bird lift off of the ground and take to the air.
After a few minutes in the air the pilot turned around and gave us the "thumbs up" , giving us permission to move around and see all of the different stations while in flight. I started out by walking through the bomb bay, past four 500lb bombs, to behind the pilots. I stood behind the pilots and watched in awe, wondering what it must have been like to fly over Germany and have flak bursting all around you. After watching the pilots for awhile I decided to move to the nose and look at the bombardier, and navigators station. I had to crawl on my belly under the pilots to get to the nose. Once I got there I sat in the bombardiers seat and looked through the Norton Bomb Sight, watching the houses and roads pass through the cross hairs. I was still in awe and was having trouble believing that I was actually flying in a B-17.
After I had looked through the nose of the bird I crawled back under the pilots, through the bomb bay, past the radio operators station to where the ball turret was. Unfortunately the ball turret was off limits, for insurance reasons, so we did not get to get inside it. I then moved back to the waist gunners stations and was able to stand in the waist, holding a .50 Browning Machine gun just as all those fine men did 65 years ago. I tried to imagine what it was like standing in the waist of a very small tin can holding a machine gun , while it was 30-50 degrees below zero getting shot at by a pissed off Nazi fighter, These men were greater men then I.........
After a 1 1/2 hour flight we landed in Charleston SC to a frenzy of TV cameras and reporters. I felt like a movie star as we got off of the bird and had reporters start running towards us. My feelings were horribly hurt as the reporters ran past us and started filming the B-17. I had to remind myself that I just had the privilege of spending and hour with the true star, and she deserved all of the attention...............
I will try to find the video that I took and see if I can post it.
I must work tonight till 1 Am and they plan on departing at 8 am but i may make the effort to go get a start up and departure vid anyway. The EAA "aluminum overcast" b-17 is sched to stop at this airport in late august and you can bet i'll be there to see that one too. Enjoy guys.
