B-17 Flight :

men who flew in these planes were brave. We can only imagine how confining and scary it must have been to be aboard during an actual combat mission.

Caroline ducks under the no-access barrier to the cockpit and gestures to me to sit in the co-pilot seat next to her. Throttles, trim tabs, pitch controls, countless dials and gauges have been painstakingly restored to working condition. Over 97,000 hours of labor went into bringing this old lady of the skies back to life. Looking out the cockpit window, we see the gigantic B-17 parked on the tarmac. She was formidable and had a certain elegance and grace for such a large machine. There was no mistaking that this was a proud American icon that represented both technological ingenuity and freedom.

MEETING WALTER HUSAK
Second Lieutenant Walter Husak looks great at 84. He's as fit as a fiddle and still fits smartly into his Air Force uniform. Greeting me with a firm handshake, he's the kind of man that you can tell was calm, cool and collected under fire.

He flew 10 combat missions aboard a B-24 Liberator in the Central Pacific. Based out of Sipan, his B-24 was part of the USAF's heavy bombing campaign to soften up the Japanese stronghold on the island of Iwo Jima. The campaign lasted 69 days straight. He logged a little over 1,000 hours in the air. Reminiscing about those days with pride, he confirms that the B-24 was indeed a great airplane. "When the gunners were firing the .50-caliber machine guns, you'd flinch at the controls. The airplane would shake. You never really got used to it."

The aircraft was fitted with the top-secret Norden Bombsight that was like a miniature computer. It compensated for the plane's speed, drift and altitude. Husak had to relinquish control of the airplane on bombing runs. The bombardier flew the plane. "It was a top secret technology and could never be left unattended. An officer carried it out before the mission in a canvas bag and immediately retrieved it upon our return. No pictures were allowed."

Husak was a few hours short of being able to get a job with an airline after the war and is now a retired insurance executive who, in his spare time, is a "Stop Organizer" for the Oxford, CT event. "There are only three of us left now from my crew," he told me. "We still keep in touch after all of these years."

THE FLIGHT
Before we boarded the plane from Sikorsky Memorial Airport for the 20-minute ride to Oxford, each of the passengers helped prevent vapor locks in the massive 1,200 HP Cyclone engines. We rotated each of the 12 propeller blades by hand. One of the kids on the flight thought that part was pretty cool.

We boarded the B-17 Flying Fortress "Nine-O-Nine" through the tail hatch. Our guide instructed us on some safety concerns and encouraged us all to freely move about and explore every inch of the plane once we were airborne. Before takeoff and landing, you must buckle yourself into wooden bench seats that are flush against the fuselage and floor. A quick release strap holds you in place and restricts any view of outside.

The best two seats are up front, just behind the cockpit. Some agility and balance is necessary to negotiate the catwalk between the bomb bays to get there. Take your time and be careful not to bang personal items into anything. Once positioned, it's possible to watch the engine start-up sequence and get a glimpse of the pilot pre-flight takeoff procedures. It also affords the opportunity drop down through the nose hatch gangway quickly. This gains a few extra private moments in the nose section of the airplane. Without delay, the pilot and co-pilot turn the engines over and they spring to life with thunder. It's thrilling! My whole body shook and vibrated from the power.

Taxiing to the end of the runway, the pilot braked to check the control surfaces and bring the engines up to speed before barreling down the runway. During takeoff, his footwork to keep the plane tracking the centerline of the runway was impressive. Once we were airborne, our crew chief signaled to me that it was OK to move about. I scurried through the nose hatch on my hands and knees and was able to catch the first unobstructed views and best experience of the flight. Flying with nothing beneath but the Connecticut River, the floating sensation was dreamlike. The Plexiglas protected me from the elements and afforded me this once in a lifetime experience.

With 74 more feet of airplane to explore, the best stations for viewing were the radio compartment ....