Bombers loaded with nostalgia Bombers loaded with nostalgia (May 27, 2005)

Flying in the catbird seat of a World War II workhorse

By Allison Gerard

There aren't many left who actually flew World War II bombers into combat, but a ride in one today can quickly turn a cabin full of older men into kids again.

A B-17 Flying Fortress and B-24 Liberator -- the last one flying in the world -- landed at Moffett Field last week to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II as part of the Wings of Freedom Tour.

Veterans, baby boomers, history buffs and curious kids crawled through the planes and imagined what it was like to fly in one, but a lucky few, including this reporter, actually got to ride in them.

The B-17 has Hollywood status due to its appearances in "Twelve O'clock High" and "Memphis Belle," but once inside, the plane feels less glamorous. While I was lucky to be sitting in the equivalent of first-class at the radio operator's seat, my fellow passengers were strapped in on the floor. My pre-flight jitters culminated with the realization that the window overhead was open, which seemed a little unsafe. Plus a passenger was describing how as a kid he had a model of a B-17, but in his teens blew it up, which did nothing to ease the tension.

Once in the air, all doubts faded away while I watched grown men explore and crawl through the tiny crevices of the plane with a look of utter excitement on their faces. Our half-hour flight took us up the Bay and around the Golden Gate Bridge and back.

"This is a life long dream of mine and I can't believe I'm actually getting to fly in one," said Mike Izumi -- the one who, as a teen, blew up his model B-17.

The open window in the roof of the plane proved to be less threatening than it first appeared and was a source of entertainment for some of the passengers on board. But somehow I just wasn't interested in sticking my head into the slipstream to take a picture, as several passengers did with no qualms.

Once safely on the ground, the passengers revealed that most of them were thinking back 60 years ago.

"For me, this was a moving experience because I think of the kids who flew them and of the people who went down with them," said Stuart Silver, whose dad was a ground observer in WWII.

All day long at Moffett, small groups gathered out of the crowd to hear what it was really like to be in the plane during battle.

"The best part is the stories I hear from vets that flew in combat," said Jeffrey Whitesell, a Delta Air Lines captain who volunteers as a pilot for the B-24.

More than 19,000 B-24s were built, but the one on the tour is the sole remaining flyable B-24 in the world.

After the open-window ordeal of the B-17, I thought my B-24 flight would be a piece of cake. Pre-flight instructions proved that theory wrong. The B-24's floor has spring-loaded doors known as the bomb-bay -- off-limits to passengers because the doors may open, resulting in our quick departure. For those wishing to move from front to back, the crew placed a plank across the bomb-bay, but I still wonder if we should be allowed to walk around this area.

I soon forgot about the danger and visited the rear of the plane, near the large open gunner windows. From here I could enjoy the spectacular views of the Golden Gate Bridge and surrounding city and Bay.

Flying at only 1,500 feet allows the passengers breathtaking views of the Bay Area, but the fact that it comes from a B-24 makes the views truly special.

"This was more than I expected," said Pat Reilly. "You really are experiencing a piece of history."

E-mail Allison Gerard at agerard@mv-voice.com

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