B-17 On Display At Niagra Falls Airport, Crew Reunited

History is on display at the Niagra Falls Airport (NY).

And seven out of eight B-17 crew members got an emotional chance to take it up for one more spin around the patch. History shed a tear of remembrance.

The Buffalo News reports EAA Chapter 46 arranged both the fly-in and the reunion of crew members who flew with the late pilot, James T. Glass.

The surviving crew, now all in their 80s, showed up Thursday. "The National Experimental Aviation Association put this reunion together for them and said if they get together they would give them a ride. It was the first time they flew together in 58 years. They were a boisterous group with nicknames like "Sparky' (and) "Pops,' " said EAA Chapter 46 President James Cavanaugh.

The aircraft was piloted by Ray Fowler of Marietta (GA). He said the crew members' emotions ranged from tear-filled eyes to incredible enthusiasm. The seven crew members had a unique chance to relive days of glory, friends lost, danger and ultimate victory almost 60 years ago.

"For World War II veterans, there is a lot of emotion. This was a huge part of their life, and most will be seeing this airplane for the last time in their lives. Veterans bring out their logbooks, and family members who have lost loved ones come out," Fowler told the Buffalo News. He calls the flights "the ultimate experience to see what they saw -- without getting shot at."

Fowler has flown the historic bomber for the past five years. He also flies fighters for the Air National Guard and recently spent 60 days in Iraq.

"I do this for fun. . . . It's wonderful to fly, but it is a little harder. You need a little more muscle because it's all driven by cables and pulleys. Planes today use hydraulic boosters. There's also a tail-dragger wheel in back, which makes it very demanding to land," said Fowler.

Not many pilots have the chance to find out what it takes to fly the Fortress, however. Of the 13,000 built, 5,000 were lost in combat. Most of the others were scrapped. A few were sold. Now, fewer than a dozen Flying Fortresses are still flying, 60 years after the war.

FMI: www.eaa.org