The J6 Journey: Year 3, June 29th, 2018: B17 Ground Tour and a Walk Down Memory Lane

Today we took the whole family to see a fully restored B17 airplane bomber from WWII. It was only $20 for the family. They do take passengers up for a flight, but that costs roughly $450 per person. Most of us genuinely enjoyed seeing it. In fact, Abishai wanted to keep climbing in and out of the plane. It was hard to get through the tight spaces though, and their were a few others who wanted to walk through it. I think he thought it was a gigantic playground or something. The people who restored it were given a grant with a promise, that they fully restore it to when it was shot down, and that they had to use it as a type of living history museum for others. The folks were very kind and helpful. Jared was the one who knew a lot of things and it was almost like he was the tour guide showing us this or that. It was pretty neat.

What a thing of beauty! Jared said that we often saw one on display at the airshows we attended at the old Mt. Comfort airport out east.

Jared explaining how the engine works.

Um, when the kids get bigger than the big airplane tires?

Circa 2007, Benaiah age 5, Justin age 2

Star Wars totally stole this idea, just saying.

They even had the bomb bay open. Actually, it didn't feel like much of a payload but up I'm sure it was big for it's time.

Benaiah, 3 years old, circa 2005. Yes, this little guy turned into that big guy in the picture before this one where you only see the adult sized feet and legs. Yikes!

And this is how you got into the gun turret, probably for the whole mission, just laying there like a sitting duck.

How on earth do you shoot like that?! An easy target for the enemy if they were underneath you.

So incredibly tiny! And they had authentic headphones and oxygen mask and goggles. My goodness!

Looking up into one of the wheel wells. The wheels don't get completely closed in though, so I wonder if they could have been hit by bullets and then you couldn't land properly?

The "bombs." The names correspond to money donors I believe. It took a good chunk of change to restore everything to mint condition, including all the guns.

Typical paint job. I think someone might have said that they left markings or something where the bullets hit, but I'm not sure. Or there is the typical markings of how many missions they flew and how many bombers did they take down, but I didn't find the specific symbols myself.

The bottom front turret.

Then you go up a half level to the main deck.

Sitting in a real seat!

Where the pilot and co pilot sits, and right beneath them, in front of Jared, is the hole to the bottom turret, very, very tight quarters. Obviously they have certain controls that are up to code with FAA regulations, but because it's a flying museum under EAA, Experimental Aviation Aircraft (I think), they have less codes to worry about.

The bomb bay from up above. Imagine if you had to go from one end of the plane to the other while in mid flight and the bomb doors were open! I'm not sure they would do that, but there were no doors either. I wonder if people got sucked out? I think it was cool to see the gears and such that load up and unload the bombs. Then we got to squeeze through between the bombs on that skinny little metal bar.

Well, most air force men were NOT Benaiah's size, lol.

Keturah was afraid to walk across, so she went out the way we came in and met us at the other entrance. It wasn't that much of a drop and there was plenty to hang onto.

Justin's turn.

My turn. Abishai was a bit scared, but he and Daddy made it just fine.

There were plenty of windows, unlike commercial airplanes today, to see the enemy and navigate. And I'm sure there was plenty of chances of those windows being destroyed in a firefight.

Authentic radio equipment.

It's so interesting how bare bones a fighter plane is versus the planes we fly on.

The top of the turret.

Machine gun.

I am so glad I got this picture because it is very similar to one I have of me and the boys way back during the airshow days. Sitting in the jumpseats, circa 2018.

Jumpseats circa 2007; Justin age 2, Benaiah age 5, Melinda weighing a lot less than she does now and 13 years younger.

The way back of the plane where another gunner sat.

Here's that gunner (they have a dummy sitting in there for demonstration).

Checking out how big the guns were.

I know they need to see, but again, how easy it was to be killed back then!

Back of the plane!

We all had stickers saying we paid up. And yes, that's Keturah wearing one of my old Michael W. Smith shirts I picked up through eBay that says, "Friends, '87"

Now I'm on the ground looking up as Abishai and Daddy crossed over in the bomb bay.

Justin, age 2, circa 2007

I made them take these pictures because we have pictures of them when they were little next to propellers of this size. And now look how big they are! Justin, age 13 (almost), circa 2018.

Benaiah, age 3, circa 2005

Benaiah, age 5, circa 2007

He's so big! Benaiah 2018

Sheesh, finally it's my turn to get in a picture!

Family of 4, circa 2007

Jared was explaining how only a little bit of the wing actually houses the engine, and there it is! You can see that box from inside the wheel well.

Justin noticed there were no treads on the tires. You don't need deep treads when you are on a smooth runway.

Touching all the welding spots. Jared had us feel the wings and they are actually made of heavy duty fabric in order to be lighter than metal! Not every part was fabric, but it was so cool to be able to push the wing in a little bit and see that it was flexible.

He also pointed out this color scheme. There was only a bit of green paint on parts of the 4 engines that faced the pilot so that the metal wouldn't blind the pilot! That's ingenious!

Cool shot of us looking up at the engine but reflecting off the big shiny propeller.

Teenager was done being with the family.

Back of the plane markings.

Look at how tall I am!

I heard on the local Facebook groups that they heard the B17 fly over their houses multiple times this weekend. There were about 6 or maybe 8 seats for passengers, depending on if they use the back jumpseats or not. That would be so neat, and I would think a lot of that cost goes to maintaining the plane. It seems like the people there were volunteers, like some older veterans.

I love this little private airport. It's where we took the airport tour last year and where the movie day was held in the hangar. We drive by it constantly on our way to the shops in Greenwood, the mall, and the movie theaters in Greenwood. Thanks for hosting a great event! We had a lot of fun in the hour we were there! And the price was reasonable considering there is 6 of us. $20 for the whole family is a very cheap outing. I'm glad Jared saw it and suggested it. And it wasn't unbearably hot yet, either!

P.S. Just a couple more cute pictures from the airshows in 2005 and 2007. Both shows were at what was then known as the Mt. Comfort Airport, which is 15-20 minutes east of Indianapolis. It is currently owned by BAA, which is the owner of the Indianapolis International Airport and is run as a private jetway. The Greenwood airport is owned by a different company I believe but is the same size and scope as the old Mt. Comfort one. We loved the airshows and went several times. But it was becoming less and less profitable, and eventually was discontinued sometime when we lived in Canada. I'm sure Abishai would have loved it now that he is the same age as the boys were in 2005 and 2007. Time flies, literally!