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Dave Petty takes a look at a B-17 June 1, 2011, after flying on it for the first time in 65 years at Felts Field in Spokane, Wash. Mr. Petty was a B-17 pilot with the Army Air Forces, 4th Air Force, during WWII. The B-17 was also featured at Felt Field's first open house. (Courtesy Photo)
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Felts Field open house displays AMC lineage
Posted 6/15/2011
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by Senior Airman Natasha E. Stannard
92nd Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
6/15/2011 - FAIRCHILD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. (AFNS) -- The Experimental Aviation Association shared a piece of Air Mobility Command history with the local community here recently.
One of 12 flight-capable B-17 Flying Fortresses rumbled through the sky and landed for tours for aviation enthusiasts and two World War II B-17 pilots during Felts Field's first open house June 4.
Two World War II pilots, who flew the B-17 with Military Airlift Command and Strategic Air Command, took part in the flight two days before the open house.
They reminisced about their time in the service during the 1940s when most B-17 flying missions were out of Europe. The Army Air Force's 8th and 15th Air Forces supported strategic bombardment operations, based primarily out of England some were in France, but all conducted bombing raids over Germany. While supporting these missions, B-17 crews had to dodge attacks from German Me-262 Schwalbe fighter aircraft, fragment bombs and flak, said Neil Morrison, an Experimental Aviation Association B-17 pilot.
"For a crew, there was no safe time to fly a B-17," Mr. Morrison said.
Two days before the open house, these WWII pilots took a safe flight down memory lane when they boarded the Flying Fortress and soared above the Northwest, including over Fairchild Air Force Base.
Dave Petty, a retired B-17 pilot from 4th Air Force, said he hadn't flown on a B-17 since his time in the Army Air Corps in 1946 and was excited to get back on the plane.
"I have a lot of nostalgia and love for this airplane," Mr. Petty said. "Since the age of 8, I wanted to fly, so I enlisted at 17, got called at 18 and went into pilot training."
Mr. Petty wasn't flying this time around, but he took his seat just a row away from his 1946 position in the cockpit. The feelings from that time still sat with him.
"During the flight, I was thinking back to how many friends I've lost touch with -- three years and thousands of people, and right offhand I can only think a few I still know," Mr. Petty said.
While the six-man volunteer crew for this B-17 didn't fly with the veterans during the war, operating this plane has afforded them the opportunity to meet and hear stories from WWII B-17 crews like the one Mr. Petty was a part of, which paved the way for AMC today.
"Flying this is a great opportunity to meet old B-17 pilots and their families," Mr. Morrison said. "It's interesting to see the different personalities from those who hated it to those who were carefree. We've heard poignant, sad stories."
One story, he pointed out, brought new perspectives on the war at the time.
"When we were in Seattle, I asked a B-17 pilot about what he did during his time off," Mr. Morrison said. "He told me about his time in London on "flak holiday," where he'd spend time at a resort to catch a breath. Though the losses were tremendous, it wasn't a horrible thing all the time."
Another moment he recalled reminded him why he and the rest of the crew volunteer countless hours to fly, maintain and share the legacy of the B-17 from April to November each year.
"John Carson told the story of one of his combat missions," Mr. Morrison said. "His son was there and said, 'Dad, you never told me that story,' and John said, 'Well, I haven't been near a B-17 in quite a while--moments like this, are the kind of thing I love about this job."'
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