EAA offers rides on historic B-17 "Aluminum Overcast" to public

If someone offered you the chance to fly on a 69-year-old airplane, would you do it? What if that 69-year-old airplane was one of the most iconic airplanes in American military history?

The Experimental Aircraft Association has brought their pride and joy to Montgomery, a B-17G nicknamed “Aluminum Overcast”, to offer tours and flights to the public.

The plane, sponsored by EAA Chapter 822, will be at Dannelly Field from Friday until Sunday, offering rides on the historic plane for EAA members and non-members.

For people who reserve their spot in advance, the price for a flight is $409 for EAA members and $449 for non-members. The organizations do allow walk-ups for the flights, but the price for walk-ups is $435 for EAA members and $475 for non-members.

The “Aluminum Overcast” is one of only eleven B-17s that are considered to be in airworthy condition. Even though the plane never saw combat, the plane escaped the fate of many other WWII aircraft, which were scrapped after the war, and has logged over 1,000,000 miles in the air.

“Aluminum Overcast” carries the colors of the 398th Bomb Group, which was a part of the Eighth Air Force, and commemorates a B-17G that was shot down over France in August, 1944.

Robert Scroggins, a WWII veteran who served as a navigator on a B-17, was at the flight on Friday. When asked what it was like to sit in the iconic Plexiglas nose of the B-17, Scroggins said it was unlike anything else.

“I had a ring side view for everything,” Scroggins said. “I could see for miles.”

The B-17 is a four engine heavy bomber that weighs 65,000 pounds and was designed by the Boeing Aircraft Company in Seattle, WA. There were 12,732 B-17s made before and during the war, with 8,680 of those being the B-17G, which was the most popular model.

The B-17 received the nickname “Flying Fortress” due to the amount of defensive firepower on the plane that includes 13 .50-caliber machine guns. The plane could also take heavy amounts of damage from the enemy and still return back to base.

The B-17 saw some action in the Pacific Theater during WWII, but the majority of action that the plane saw was with the Eighth Air Force in the European Theater against Germany and Italy.

A typical B-17 mission lasted more than eight hours and went deep into enemy territory meaning that the bombers would not have a fighter escort. This is why the B-17 was so heavily armed.

The typical ten person crew of the plane included the pilot, co-pilot, flight chief, navigator, bombardier, radioman, two waist-gunners, ball turret-gunner and a tail-gunner.

Due to the altitude that the bomber flew at, the crew had to wear a special uniform that covered the entire body and was plugged into the plane to keep them warm. If a crew member did not wear the specialized uniform, they could receive severe frostbite.

Of the 12,732 B-17s produced before and during WWII, 4,735 were lost in combat. Nearly 46,000 B-17 crew members were lost during the war.

During the war, the B-17 dropped 640,036 tons of bombs on targets in Europe as compared to the B-24, which dropped 452,508 tons.

If you choose to partake in the flight on “Aluminum Overcast”, you will not be disappointed. After gaining altitude, participants are able to move about the plane and even get a chance to go up into the nose of the plane where the navigator and bombardier sit. Participants can sit in the bombardier seat and look out of the Plexiglas nose cone, which offers a panoramic view of the earth below.

To view more info about the B-17 “Aluminum Overcast” or to donate to help keep the plane flying, visit the EAA website or call them at 920-371-2244.