Tulsa World: Historic B-17 tours at Jones Riverside

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Historic B-17 tours at Jones Riverside
"Aluminum Overcast," one of a few B-17s still flying, will be available for flights this weekend.

A World War II Boeing B-17 Bomber sits on the tarmac at Jones Riverside Airport at Jenks on Thursday. The aircraft was restored by the Experimental Aircraft Association. JAMES GIBBARD/Tulsa World

By D.R. STEWART World Staff Writer
Published: 10/30/2009 2:25 AM
Last Modified: 10/30/2009 5:24 AM

Mike Hastings has flown a lot of airplanes, but "Aluminum Overcast" is unique.

"It's incredible. The vibrations, the sound, the smoke from the radial engines," Hastings said. "And it's a piece of history."

Tulsa-area residents will be able to experience that piece of history at Jones Riverside Airport at Jenks from Friday through Sunday.

"Aluminum Overcast," which is owned and operated on behalf of the Experimental Aircraft Association in Oshkosh, Wis., is in the midst of a national tour of 24 cities in 10 states between September and Dec. 11.

It will be offering public flights — at $359 per person for EAA members and $399 for nonmembers — from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday through Sunday.

Walking tours of the B-17 will be available for $5 per person 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. each day, EAA officials said.

"Aluminum Overcast" is one of only 12 B-17s in the world still flying. It was built in 1945, but it was delivered to the Army Air Corps too late to see active service in World War II.

The plane was donated to the EAA Aviation Foundation in 1981 with the provision of being maintained in airworthy condition, EAA officials said.

Hastings, 38, the pilot of "Aluminum Overcast," flies professionally for Continental Airlines.

In his 14-year airline career, he has flown regional jets, Boeing 737s and Boeing 777s.

"The 777 is my favorite of the airliners I have flown," Hastings said. "Airliners are very smooth and quiet and all the

systems take care of themselves."

The B-17, on the other hand, although it is one of the most elegant and indestructible airplanes ever built, is as much of a contrast from modern airliners as driving a semi-trailer truck is from handling a sports car.

"With the B-17, the pilot is responsible for everything — temperature, oil, engine, all the systems," Hastings said. "The thing I try to remember is that we fly the airplane in good temperatures, in good weather."

The B-17, also known as the Flying Fortress, was manufacured in several variations by Boeing, Douglas and Vega, which turned out 12,731 of the bombers between 1935 and 1945.

The plane was designed to bomb long-range targets from high altitude while having lethal firepower to ward off enemy aircraft.

The B-17s were used by the U.S. Eighth Air Force, based in the United Kingdom, to bombard German targets in Europe during daylight hours.

"You get in that plane and wrestle it around, and you think about those (World War II) guys doing it for 10 hours, under freezing conditions at very high altitude where you had to be on oxygen, getting shot at and having to fly in formation with a lot of other planes, which is very difficult," Hastings said.

"And all the time, they knew they might not be coming back. It was a very tough time. It's hard today to put yourself in those shoes. Those guys are proud of what they contributed, and they should be."

B-17G Flying Fortress specifications:

Number built: 8,680 by Boeing, Vega and Douglas.

Wing span: 103 feet, nine inches.

Length: 74 feet, 4 inches.

Height: 19 feet, 1 inch.

Engines: Four supercharged Wright R-1820-97 Cyclones.

Cruising speed: 182 mph.

Ceiling: 35,800 feet.

Range: 3,400 miles.

Fuel load: 3,630 gallons.

Bomb load: 17,600 pounds.

Defensive armament: 13 Browning .50 caliber machine guns.

Crew: 10.

Source: Boeing Co.

D.R. Stewart 581-8451
don.stewart@tulsaworld.com By D.R. STEWART World Staff Writer

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Slatz, Tulsa (10/30/2009 9:57:47 AM)

Flew on a B-24 Liberator about 6 months ago. You cannot believe how loud, vibrating, and spartan the interior of these planes are...you had to be careful or you could get a serious head injury if the plane moved while you were crawling through a tight space - a lot of exposed metal. We only flew at about 2-3000 feet. Still, I wouldn't have traded the experience for anything. I cannot imagine doing this at -40 degrees for 10 hours! I mean, there would also be 'bathroom' and food issues.

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