SPOKANE, Wash. -- Dubbed the "Flying Fortress", the B-17 is one of the most storied aircraft of World War II.
The B-17 and its crew flew dangerous missions deep into enemy territory to hit enemy targets with precision. Now, 74 years later, there are only a handful of the bombers in existence that are still able to fly.
"Our foundation is out here to provide education for the younger generations and to provide family members with a way to reattach to their relatives that might be gone,” said Joe Eads with the Liberty Foundation.
Eads said the bomber visiting Felts Field never saw combat, but spent its military career being used for research and development before it was eventually purchased by the Liberty Foundation.
Eads travels to different communities, showing off one of the fewer than a dozen B-17's still flying today to World War II veterans like Joe Delay.
One of the first things you notice is all the guns, hence the nickname the “Flying Fortress.” While the aircraft was a bomber, it is crew manned machine guns stationed all over the aircraft, including the nose and the tail and even on the underside of the aircraft.
For as much success as the is aircraft saw during World War II, more than 47-hundred B-17's were lost in combat. In terms of creature comforts, there are not many. The cabin is not pressurized, it is loud, and it can get extremely cold. But, for the flight on Monday, conditions were perfect and the experience was unforgettable.
Joe Delay served in the 101st Airborne during World War II. During the war he said he typically flew in and jumped out of C-46's and C-47's. But, he did fly in a B-17 once before. Now, 74 years later, he is happy to hitch another ride aboard the “Flying Fortress.”
"It was wonderful, I really enjoyed it," Delay said.
The Madras Maiden will be available to see and even fly in on April 14 and 15 at Felts Field. Flights will take place both on Saturday and Sunday at 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. If you would like more information you can go to their website or you can call them at 918-340-0243
The money raised from the flights help the foundation offset fuel and maintenance costs.