Flying High

We made our way down the West ramp of AirVenture, Oshkosh 98. It was clear sunny morning on the first day and the crowds were light. The west ramp was lined with aircraft like the F16, Mig 15, Mig 21, B25 Mitchell, DC3, and C141. At the end of the ramp sat the gray B17 called the Aluminum Overcast. We found the trailer and signed up and received our pre-flight briefing.

The seven passengers loaded up in the back of the EAA pickup and were shuttled out to the waiting aircraft on the flight line. We filed into the back door and found an open seat and buckled in as instructed. Randy and I were in the back of the plane near the waist gunner positions just behind the ball gunner turret. The engines wined then roared to life one at a time. The white exhaust rolled over the B17 and into the open hatch above the radio/navigator compartment. The old B17 started to roll. After a short taxi to the end of the field, we turned and lined up on the runway. I was surprised at the accelleration down the runway. The tail rose and we lifted into the air.

We were given the OK and unbuckled. I quickly went to the waist gun position to get a look. The tail gunner position was off limits because its small size and the tail gear mechanism was exposed in the rear of the aircraft. We moved around the ball turret and into the radio/navigator compartment.

The top window was removed. I quickly removed my CAF hat so it wouldn't be sucked out into the 170-mph slipstream. There was an excellent view over the top of the B17 looking out at the tail. When the others moved to the back of the plane, we crossed the narrow walkway through the dark bomb bay to the cockpit.

From the cockpit area you could step up and look out the top turret and see all around the top of the B17. It looked like it was a great view for shooting at high 109's.

But the best was yet to come.

There is a small tunnel between the pilot and co-pilot seat that leads to the bombardier compartment in the nose of the plane. I had to crawl on my hands and knees. It opened up into the most incredible view. Randy was siting forward in front of the glass dome in the bombardier's seat.

Behind him was the most breathtaking view of green fields, trees and lake against the clear blue sky. As I turned to my right, I was looking down the front of the two huge propellers spinning on the big radial engines.

When I had my turn on the bombardier seat in the big glass dome, it looked as if I was just hanging out of the front of the aircraft.

The engine noise was deafening and didn't think anyone would hear my shouts of excitement. Randy said I sounded like Slim Pickens when he rode the bomb. I looked down over the Norden bombsight at the ground moving slowly below. We were just passing from the land to over Lake Winnebago. Incredible is the only way to explain it. My time was up much to quickly and I had to give up my perch to the next guy. After one more quick look out at the roaring radial engines out the side windows, I crawled back through the tunnel.

Our flight was nearing its end and we moved to the back of the bomber to our seats for landing. I spent some time behind the 50 cal guns in the waist gunner positions.

We strapped in for our landing and short taxi to the unloading point. This was an incredible start to five days at AirVenture 98.

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