Nearly 11,000 Stearmans were built, but only around 1,000 are still flying. Earlier this week, a handful of these biplanes descended on Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport for a special mission.

Founded in 2011, a charity called Dream Flights provides veterans with the “adventure of a lifetime” flying in a Stearman biplane. The nonprofit organization conducts these flights all around the U.S. free of charge.

• READ MORE: Two Legendary Ace World War II Pilots Return to the Skies

The group’s visit to DFW was even more special, flying its 7,000th participant in 99-year-old WWII veteran Carlyle Hayes, who joined three other senior veterans.

“I’ve never ridden in an open cockpit aircraft, so this will be [the] first time,” U.S. Air Force veteran Jerry Brown told KTVT-TV.

The flights lasted around half an hour, arriving and departing from DFW, which is the world’s third-busiest airport. Both American Airlines and the Allied Pilots Association (APA) sponsored the event.

Editor’s Note: This article first appeared on AirlineGeeks.com.

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Come along as FLYING staff writer and technical editor Meg Godlewski takes one heck of a ride in Doc.

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But fun is only part of the Ercoupe’s formula. When it was designed in the 1930s, it introduced a number of safety features that were, at the time, as futuristic as the Buck Rogers comics of the era. Even today, the Ercoupe enjoys an enthusiastic following.

Design

In the late 1930s and early 1940s, aircraft designers stuck with similar playbooks. For the most part, light general aviation aircraft took the form of fabric-covered taildraggers with tandem seating and control sticks. The formula worked, but stall and spin accidents and ground loops were commonplace, and aerodynamicist Fred Weick began experimenting with aircraft designs that would eliminate them.

In 1936, Weick teamed up with a company called ERCO, which stands for the Engineering and Research Corp. He was tasked with designing a new two-place general aviation airplane and was given the freedom to take an innovative approach that challenged the existing norms.

To increase stability on the ground, he introduced steerable tricycle landing gear. To reduce the number of stall and spin accidents, he combined the aileron and rudder controls and eliminated rudder pedals altogether, making it impossible to fly in an uncoordinated state. The pilot would use the yoke to steer the airplane on the ground as well as in the air. Finally, he packaged it in a sleek aluminum fuselage with twin vertical stabilizers and a clever canopy that could be opened in flight.

The result was an airplane that the Civil Aeronautics Administration—the predecessor to the FAA—proclaimed “characteristically incapable of spinning,” and it earned a reputation as a fun, safe and easy means of getting in the air.

Model History

Ercoupes of various permutations were manufactured by a handful of different companies between 1940 and 1970, but the vast majority were built by ERCO. They built the first 112 examples of the Ercoupe in 1940 and 1941 and called it the 415-C. There was no 415-A or 415-B; the C simply indicated that it was powered by a Continental engine, and the number indicated that the Ercoupe was ERCO’s 415th product.

After a pause in production during World War II, 1946 to 1950 brought mostly minor changes to the airplane, and the various ERCO models (415-C, 415-CD, 415-D, 415-E and 415-G) differed mainly in horsepower and gross weight. In today’s market, the most noteworthy ERCO models are the 415-C and 415-CD. These have a gross weight of 1,260 pounds and are the only Ercoupes that qualify for LSA rules, meaning no standard medical certificate is required to fly them.

From 1958 to 1959, a company called Forney resumed production, renaming the airplanes the F-1 and F-1A Aircoupe. These were equipped with the Continental C-90 engine and had metalized wings. Approximately 25 F-1As were produced by Air Products Co. when the company changed hands. A total of 163 were built.

After another pause, Alon Inc. continued production with the C-90-equipped A-2 Delux. The Alon models utilized a bubble canopy that slid back to provide access to the cockpit, which was slightly wider than previous Ercoupes. All had metalized wings, and some utilized spring-steel main gear legs in place of the traditional trailing-link main gear. A total of 297 examples were built between 1965 and 1967.

The final manufacturer of the Ercoupe family was Mooney, which built 59 examples of the M-10 Cadet between 1969 and 1970. The Cadets are perhaps the easiest variants to pick out of a crowd because they eschewed the original twin-vertical-stabilizer arrangement in favor of the trademark Mooney vertical stabilizer with traditional rudder pedals.

Check Out More: Approachable Aircraft

Market Snapshop

A survey of Ercoupes listed for sale at the time of this writing found 15 examples ranging in price from $15,500 to $30,000, with a median price of $22,250. The median airframe time was a relatively low 2,259 hours.

The vast majority of examples on the market were 1946 to 1948 models built by ERCO, and most were equipped with the 85-horsepower Continental C-85. Because Ercoupe listings are scattered among all the various manufacturers that built them over the years, it’s important to scan through the listings and search for those names. Doing so can reveal a handful of Alon-, Forney- and Mooney-built Ercoupes cataloged separately from the more commonplace ERCOs.

Flight Characteristics

An Ercoupe’s distinctive design makes it stand apart from most other airplanes parked on a ramp, and unique features become apparent as you climb into the cockpit. Instead of doors, the Ercoupe has two flexible plexiglass windows that are pulled up from each side to meet in the middle in a manner similar to the cover on a roll-top desk. To enter, simply pull down one of the windows, hop in, and then pull it back up to the center position over your head. The airplane can be flown with both windows down at any speed, giving it the feel of an open-cockpit airplane.

At approximately 39 inches wide, the cabin has just a bit more space than comparable two-place aircraft of the era, and the lack of rudder pedals provides quite a bit more legroom. It’s still a small airplane with cozy accommodations, though, and the baggage area behind the seats is relatively shallow. Extended trips require careful packing.

While the earliest Ercoupes lack electrical systems and, therefore, must be hand-propped, the vast majority are fully equipped, and the startup process is no different from any other airplane equipped with a small Continental engine.

Taxiing, however, is very different. Because the aileron and rudder controls are interconnected, one simply steers the yoke in the desired direction and uses the single foot pedal to apply the brakes. No differential braking is available, but steering on the ground is easy and precise.

At gross weight from sea level in standard conditions, the 415-E requires 2,100 feet to clear a 50-foot obstacle, and with most Ercoupes weighing around 900 pounds empty, the full-fuel payload can be modest in the LSA-compliant models.

Cruise speeds vary by engine, but 100 to 105 mph is common. One owner upgraded his C-85 engine with an O-200 crank to achieve a relatively brisk 117 mph cruise speed while burning about 5 gallons per hour.

In flight, the Ercoupe’s handling is well-mannered and unremarkable. Steep turns are easily performed, and the ball stays perfectly centered throughout the maneuver. While power-on stalls occur with a mild break, power-off stalls have no break at all and amount to a high sink rate with noticeable buffeting. Positive roll control is maintained throughout slow flight and into stalls.

The stall and spin resistances of pre-E-model Ercoupes are achieved in part by limited upward elevator travel, so it’s important to maintain speed on final in those models. This will ensure the elevator has sufficient authority to arrest the rate of descent and properly flare.

The 415-G manual calls for an approach speed of 72 mph, and landing is simply a matter of reducing power, leveling off a foot or two above the ground, and allowing the airplane to settle onto the runway.

Crosswind landings are surprisingly unremarkable given the lack of rudder pedals. The Ercoupe’s landing gear was engineered to touch down in a crab, and doing so doesn’t generate the harsh side loads one might expect. Instead, the trailing-link main gear simply nudges the nose into alignment with the runway, and the airplane settles onto the ground without complaint. The small size of the vertical stabilizers greatly reduces the airplane’s tendency to weather-vane.

A number of Ercoupes have been modified with rudder pedals to replicate the controls of a traditional airplane. While this might sound appealing to pilots who prefer traditional controls, owners report that the modification lacks rudder authority and effectiveness.

Ownership

Provided an Ercoupe’s airframe has absolutely no corrosion, it can be an easy airplane to own and maintain. Because a reasonable number were built, parts are plentiful. Univair owns the type certificate and produces new parts, and usedercoupeparts.com is a highly regarded source for used parts.

There are 26 airworthiness directives that apply to Ercoupes of all types, viewable on Univair’s website. Approximately eight are recurring, and these are considered to be relatively simple and easily addressed by an A&P.

Corrosion is the most significant concern, however, and any prospective owner should ensure a mechanic familiar with Ercoupes thoroughly inspects the wing spar with a borescope to confirm that no corrosion exists. A wealth of information and support is available from the Ercoupe Owners Club.

When evaluating various types of aircraft for purchase, most of us tend to take a technical approach. We collect metrics, assess performance figures, and carefully calculate the precise operating costs inherent to each type in an effort to determine which is most perfectly suited to our needs.

The Ercoupe is unique in that some of its most significant strengths aren’t easily quantifiable and won’t show up in spreadsheets. The 1930s-era retro-futuristic look, the relaxed confidence of sure-footed crosswind landings, and the feeling of resting your arm out the window as the scent of freshly cut hayfields swirls through the open cockpit on a summer afternoon make it truly special.

For the pilot who values these sorts of qualities and has less need for cruising speed, payload and short-field capability, the Ercoupe delivers on the dream of aircraft ownership in spades.

This story appeared in the April/May 2021 issue of Flying Magazine

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Each July, the WWII Airborne Demonstration Team (ADT) conducts its annual Summer Jump School in Frederick, Oklahoma, at the site of the former WWII Frederick Army Air Field (FAAF). ADT has restored the sole remaining massive 79-year-old hangar where they house their Douglas C-47 and C-49, and train students who come to attend the 8-day immersive parachute school that is based on the WWII airborne training regimen. The students come from all walks of life, with or without prior military or parachuting experience and, by the end of the week, they have five round-canopy parachute jumps from a C-47 under their belts, weather permitting.

During this year’s jump school, the ADT was privileged to have as an honored guest, Lt. Col. Dave Hamilton (USAF Ret.). Hamilton was there to celebrate his 99th birthday on July 20, and he would do so by flying the ADT C-47 Boogie Baby during a morning flight to drop 20 parachutists over the ADT drop zone a mile west of FAAF. ADT pilots Bob Prater and Paul Rasys, flew Boogie Baby to 1,500 feet where Rasys switched right seat positions with Hamilton, allowing him to fly several minutes during the flight. Hamilton was all smiles in the cramped C-47 cockpit. The birthday flight was very special to Hamilton and the team. Having this WWII veteran at the controls of the team’s C-47 bridged 77 years back in time to a frightful night in 1944.

Hamilton is very familiar with the C-47 having logged many hours in them, including combat time. As a 21-year-old, 1st Lt. Hamilton piloted aircraft number 14 of the 20 C-47s that took off late the evening of June 5, 1944, carrying 82nd Airborne Pathfinders to drop them into France behind German lines. Hamilton dropped his Pathfinders around 1:00 a.m. on June 6. The mission of the Pathfinders was to set up electronic homing equipment to help guide the more than 800 C-47s in the aerial armada that was already crossing the English Channel an hour behind Hamilton’s flight. On those aircraft were 13,000 paratroopers that would drop into the dark of night at the start of the invasion of Europe in the Normandy region of France.

Hamilton recalled that after dropping his pathfinders at around 800 feet, he dove down to about 100-150 feet and pushed his C-47 as fast as he could, wanting to get out of Normandy and over the English Channel on his way home to his base in England at RAF North Witham. As he was making for the French coast, his aircraft was taking anti-aircraft and small arms fire. On their return to England, more than 200 holes were counted in his C-47. Now, 77 years later, Hamilton is the last surviving Pathfinder pilot of that fateful 20-ship mission.

Hamilton also dropped Pathfinders during Operation Dragoon in August 1944. Operation Dragoon was the invasion of southern France. In September 1944, he flew five missions during Operation Market Garden in the Netherlands. The Allies received a bloody nose in the ill-fated operation and had to withdraw to fight another day. In December 1944, he led several C-47s to Bastogne to airdrop supplies to the surrounded 101st Airborne during the Battle of the Bulge. Several aircraft were lost on that mission. Hamilton was awarded four Air Medals for his service in WWII.

Hamilton left the US Army Air Force when World War II ended and flew C-47s, Douglas C-54s and Lockheed Constellations for American Overseas Airline. In 1950, he was recalled into the US Air Force to serve in the Korean War and flew 51 combat missions in the Douglas B-26. Hamilton would be awarded an additional five Air Medals and the Distinguished Flying Cross for his service in Korea. After the Korean War, and throughout the 1950s, he flew various jets including the F-86D. Dave retired from the US Air Force in 1963 as a Lt. Colonel serving in defense intelligence.

Having an American hero visit ADT and fly its C-47 was a high honor for the team. Hamilton spent several days at the Summer Jump School and was treated like royalty. He enjoyed recalling his wartime experiences to the rapt attention of the students and team members during his visit. He is already making plans for his 100th birthday flight on July 20, 2022! Thank you for your service Lt. Col. Hamilton…and Happy Birthday!

Learn more about the WWII Airborne Demonstration Team at: wwiiadt.org and facebook.com/wwiiairbornedemonstrationteam

The post D-Day Pilot Celebrates His 99th Birthday Flying a C-47 appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Is there any way to thank a friend for inviting you to ride in a Boeing B-29 Superfortress—and even in the “candy” bombardier’s seat?

After realigning my dropped jaw and babbling, “Oh, gosh, yes,” I blathered on with: “Really? You’re sure? You’re not kidding? But, David, how can I even begin to thank you?” And then I hung up and began obsessing about what to wear (yes, really) and what I could do to even remotely show my appreciation.

So, I unearthed an old jumpsuit and some aviator-style jodhpurs and then baked my best sourdough bread.

The already famous Doc was delivered to the US Army in 1945, five months before another B-29, Enola Gay, dropped the atom bomb on Hiroshima, Japan. The terrible death toll from the Hiroshima and Nagasaki missions was acknowledged as necessary to accelerate the Japanese surrender, saving many more lives and ending World War II.

For the next 10 years, Doc and a few sister B-29s—the Seven Dwarf squadron—flew military radar-calibration flights and towed gunnery targets. Then Doc was parked in the desert at China Lake, California, destined for an ignoble end as a target for naval-aviator bomb training.

Fortunately, the aspiring naval aviators weren’t all that great at hitting their target because, although wounded and forlorn, Doc survived.

Then, 32 years later, a man named Tony Mazzolini found the airplane in the Mojave and spent 10 years working through government red tape to rescue the distressed old bomber. When the deal was finally done, Mazzolini and his team realized that it would be impossible fly it out because of its “war wounds” and having sat, abandoned, for 42 years in the desert.

It took a couple of years for volunteers to disassemble and put sections of Doc on flatbed trailers, but by 1988, it was back home in Wichita, Kansas, in the same hangar from which it first rolled off the Boeing assembly line more than 50 years before. Then began the daunting process of restoration—repairing, rebuilding and reassembly.

The project got a welcome boost in 2013, when a group of Wichita aviation enthusiasts and business leaders, led by retired Spirit AeroSystems CEO Jeff Turner, formed Doc’s Friends, a nonprofit group with enough volunteers and money to see the project through to completion. It first flew in 2018, and by the following year, Doc—one of only two surviving airworthy B-29s—was touring the country from its Wichita base.

I can’t begin to describe the thrill of flying in Doc—the sound of those Wright 3350s (I removed my headset on takeoff to get the full impact of that glorious roar), the view from that bombardier’s seat in the nose, and the chill of peering through the Norden bombsight with my finger on the bomb release button. I “took out” a dam on the Ohio River while thinking of the 1945 bombardier, sitting in that seat and peering through that bombsight.

We had another “virtual passenger” on board—Cincinnatian Herb Heilbrun, who would soon celebrate his 100th birthday. Herb piloted 35 B-17 combat missions with the 15th Air Force in Foggia, Italy, and the Cincinnati Warbirds have celebrated their honorary member by sending his US flag aloft with its special logbook showing time in everything from a B-17 to the F-22 Raptor and now the B-29. Herb’s WWII bomber missions were accompanied by a P-51 squadron of Tuskegee Airmen, and famously, he met one of these “Red Tail” squadron pilots at a 1997 reunion in Cincinnati. They became friends and, comparing logbooks, found that John Leahr, had indeed accompanied Herb on at least two missions. Incredibly, they learned they had attended the same grade school and found a photo of themselves in the same third grade class—but segregated.

After the glorious 30-minute flight, we landed and taxied to the ramp where another group of 11 was waiting to board for the second flight. These, I learned, were all Cincinnati police officers.

Read More from Martha Lunken: Unusual Attitudes

When Doc was scheduled to come through Cincinnati, on the way to the Arsenal of Democracy flight in Washington, D.C., David Wiser and his wife, Elizabeth, bought all the seats on two flights. It costs $3,600 an hour to operate this magnificent and rare warbird; here’s David’s reply when I asked him about this incredibly generous gift:

“Martha, I come from a family of Chicago police officers and firemen—uncles, cousins, you name it. I’ve seen firsthand what they do and how they do it, and I have tremendous respect and admiration for who they are. These men and women in blue and their families, across the country, sacrifice a great deal every day so the rest of us can feel safe in our homes and on the streets.

“So, Elizabeth and I wanted to do something to show our respect, our admiration and our undying gratitude for the men and women who wear the badge every day, for us. We wanted to let them know there are people out here…who know what they do and truly value them.

“Why the Doc B-29 experience? Well, first, with only two operating B-29s left, there are very few who can experience this flight, which makes it so special, and special people deserve special experiences. Second, as a pilot, I know when you are in the air, you can leave behind—if only for 30 minutes—the craziness that exists 3,000 or 35,000 feet below. These officers have earned some time where they can put the craziness aside. Third, when we talk about loving or honoring someone, we talk about ‘lifting them up.’ There’s no better way to honor ‘blue’ than to ask our friends at Doc to lift up 11 of our officers inside the aircraft that literally won the war for the US exactly 75 years ago. And last, the 18-, 19- and 20-year-old young men who flew these B-29s on bombing runs in the Pacific and the far east in 1945 were among the most courageous human beings the United States has produced in our 244-year history. And we think those serving in law enforcement are cut from the same cloth as our war heroes and veterans.”

Doc left the next day for the Arsenal of Democracy flyover in Washington, D.C., commemorating the 75th anniversary of the end of WWII. Unfortunately, weather grounded the planned flight of 100 WWII airplanes over the National Mall. But somehow, Doc succeeded in getting honorary air boss Lieutenant Colonel Bob Vaucher, 101 years old, on board for a marvelous flight over Manassas, Virginia.

Mission accomplished.

This story appeared in the January-February 2021 issue of Flying Magazine

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Now that millions of people in the US are being vaccinated against the coronavirus each week, the country is inching towards some sort of return to normalcy. For warbird fans, the announcement from the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) that their B-17 bomber Aluminum Overcast is returning to a 2021 national tour is welcome news—and takes the aviation community one step closer to finally putting the COVID-19 pandemic at our six.

The upcoming B-17 public flights on the current Aluminum Overcast 2021 Tour Schedule include a stop in Lawrenceville, Georgia, before heading to Florida for stops in Lake City, Lakeland, Punta Gorda, Vero Beach, and Ocala. The B-17 will next make two North Carolina stops in Oak Island and Charlotte, followed by a stop in Wichita, Kansas, before returning to home base in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, from July 26 to August 1 during EAA AirVenture.

EAA flew their “Flying Fortress” on a few Midwest shake-down missions late last year to develop safety protocols allowing the B-17 to again fly members of the public. Like those flights, the new tour stops for 2021 will not allow ground tours, and the aircraft interior will be disinfected following each passenger flight. In addition, masks will be required for all passengers during their flights. EAA said these protocols are subject to change as conditions allow.

“We developed a full protocol for B-17 operations based on the procedures used by the airlines as far as sanitization and passenger rules, following the CDC data that showed that properly masked passengers present an extremely low risk of transmission,” said Sean Elliott, EAA’s vice president of advocacy and safety, who leads the organization’s aircraft operations team. “We also minimized touchpoints in the aircraft by eliminating ground tours of the airplane’s interior at this time. As far as aircraft maintenance, in addition to the detailed inspections required, we completely rebuilt the airplane’s tailgunner section and did other restoration work to keep the aircraft in authentic and top flying condition.”

Aluminum Overcast was built in 1945, but was delivered to the Army Air Corps too late to see active service in World War II. The B-17 was donated to the EAA Aviation Foundation in 1981 with the provision of the aircraft being maintained in airworthy condition. After being displayed at the EAA Aviation Museum in Oshkosh for a decade, the airplane made its national tour debut in the spring of 1994.

“We truly missed bringing this piece of flying history to aviation fans throughout the country last year and we’re very excited to be going back on tour,” said Jack Pelton, EAA’s CEO and chairman of the board. “These B-17 tour stops are more than flights of a historic aircraft—it is an emotional connection to the men and women who were part of the ‘The Greatest Generation’ and the sacrifices they made to benefit us in subsequent generations.”

Mission Flights in the B-17 are $409 for EAA Members and $449 for nonmembers when purchased online in advance, with “walk-up” prices of $435 for members and $475 for nonmembers.

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This spring, in Xenia, Ohio, a very special mission is planned to honor and celebrate the centennial birthday of Jim “Pee Wee” Martin. The Inland Empire Wing of the Commemorative Air Force in Riverside, California, has committed to flying its C-53D, D-Day Doll, to Xenia for the event on April 23 to 25, 2021, joined by That’s All Brother!, from the CAF Central Texas Wing based in San Marcos, Texas.

Pee Wee’s 100th Birthday Jump Fest is a tribute to one of the hailed 101st Airborne Division “Screaming Eagles,” who are among those credited with the liberation of Europe during World War II, expressly for freeing European citizens from Nazi Germany. “Pee Wee,” nicknamed for his small stature during training, parachuted into Normandy on June 6, 1944—known as D-Day—and Operation Market Garden in the Netherlands, and he survived the Battle of the Bulge. Pee Wee served with G Company, 3rd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment (PIR), of the 101st Airborne Division. “We are honored to be part of Jim “Pee Wee” Martin’s 100th birthday celebration in Ohio this April,” said Captain Stephen Rose of D-Day Doll. “Pee Wee and veterans like him are deserving of our respect and gratitude for their war-time service to the United States of America.”

Those who remain of the World War II “Screaming Eagles” plan to attend the event, including Bob Izumi (aged 97), Tom Rice (aged 99), Dan McBride (aged 97), Dick Klein (aged 98) and Vincent J. Speranza (aged 96). “This may be the last time the WWII ‘Screaming Eagles’ will be together due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, and we intend to honor them while they’re still with us,” said Dave Krasner, founder of the W and R Vets 501(c)(3) organization, which is hosting the event.

D-Day Doll is a specialized C-53D model of the Douglas DC-3 used to transport paratroops and cargo during WWII. D-Day Doll was rolled off of the Douglas Aircraft Company production line on July 6, 1943, in Santa Monica, California. Of the 380 C-53 variants built, she was number 138 of only 159 “D” models. D-Day Doll carried troops and gliders on D-Day during Operation Overlord.

The event organizers have made a call for assistance funding D-Day Doll’s journey from California to Xenia, Ohio—which is Pee Wee’s hometown: the “All For Doll” campaign. CJ Machado—veteran advocate, Homeland magazine’s photojournalist, award-winning filmmaker and producer of the “Libertas” documentary—is leading the campaign. “Our hope is to support those organizations that honor our veterans,” said Machado. “D-Day Doll has served our country, our veterans and its citizens for over 75 years. We want to make certain she continues her tremendous work in preserving our history for generations to come.” The “All for Doll” campaign features commemorative watches from “The Lost Watch of D-Day” series honoring D-Day Doll’s service and Pee Wee’s 100th birthday, collector pinup art, and variety of items related to D-Day Doll’s historical contributions. Pilots and enthusiasts can support the “All For Doll” campaign by shopping online For more information on “The Lost Watch of D-Day,” which Rice lost during his trip out of the aircraft door on that fateful day, visit praesidus.com.

Participants who would like to register as a parachutist or attend Pee Wee’s 100th Birthday Jump Fest should visit the site. The event will be free to the public, but VIP packages and sponsorship are available. The organizers confirm that they will be following COVID-19 guidelines, and all WWII guests have been encouraged to receive vaccinations prior to attending.

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Just like so many events and public spaces that have experienced closures and cancellations this year, the Experimental Aircraft Association was forced to pull the plug on the popular national tour of their beautiful restored B-17 bomber Aluminum Overcast earlier in 2020 because of health concerns arising from the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, with new safety measures in place, EAA has resumed public tour stops of the B-17 Flying Fortress, limited for now to missions that can be conducted out and back from the association’s headquarters in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.

B-17 tour organizers explained that for now, the Aluminum Overcast tour stops are for flights only, with no ground tours allowed. The downtime between public flights will give the tour crew time for additional sanitizing of the aircraft between flights using a COVID-19 ionizing fogger. All ground and flight crew plus media and passengers are also required to wear face coverings.

There is not currently a formal tour planned. A stop in partnership with EAA Chapter 33 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on October 23 to 25 saw 109 prospective riders pre-book, with the B-17 making 14 total flights, despite tricky weather. Aluminum Overcast was scheduled to visit at the University of Illinois-Willard airport in Champaign, Illinois, this past weekend. Further stops are being developed at this time, and EAA advises interested passengers to visit their B-17 web page for updates and information.

The Flight Operations team at EAA had spent seven months communicating with chapters, prospective airport hosts, and other operators, and during that time developed the new out-and-back tour stop model to ensure Aluminum Overcast could continue operating in a safe manner.

“COVID-19 was a non-issue in Cedar Rapids because our volunteers and guests treated each other with respect,” EAA manager of air tours Kristy Busse said. “The entire public from small children up to our oldest visitor self-regulated within CDC guidance. We had no issues with riders as a result of COVID-19 related changes and, in fact, the weather was a bigger factor on the weekend than anything pandemic related. We have to continue to learn because every location, airport, and host has its own unique differences and challenges, but I am confident in saying this past weekend was a safe, successful, and excellent event taking a big step in the right direction towards getting EAA’s touring aircraft back out to the public. We will continue to work with other operators and subject matter experts to evolve our procedures to best protect our visitors, local hosts, and crew.”

Even with more safety precautions in place, Busse added that the experience of flying on Aluminum Overcast has not changed. “I can tell you that the unseasonably cold temperatures, in the 30s each day, did not deter our visitors from coming off of the airplane smiling ear-to-ear. Many of our visitors brought family stories and memories showcasing their direct connection to World War II, the B-17, and the Greatest Generation. It was an honor to spend time with each of them and feel the importance of their connection to this aircraft and flight experience,” she said.

EAA’s vice president of advocacy and safety, Sean Elliott, was in the B-17′s left seat for the stop in Champaign and explained the process the association went through to again bring Aluminum Overcast out to the public. “We wanted to get the B-17 out before the end of the year, as people have been asking when we would return to touring the aircraft. We also understood that we could not operate under the same procedures as in the past because of the current COVID situation. Our Flight Operations team spent a lot of time planning how we would accomplish it. As we planned, we used the latest CDC guidance, input from local health officials, and studied best practices such as what the airlines are doing right now. We also worked with local EAA chapters as potential hosts, determining what the public health and confidence levels were in their communities. All of these elements needed to work together to be successful. To have this opportunity late this year gives us a jump start on things we can do as we plan the 2021 tour,” Elliott said.

Aluminum Overcast represents the iconic B-17 bomber family well. Originally delivered in 1945, the B-17G is powered by four 1,200-horsepower, nine-cylinder Wright Cyclone Model R-1820-97 engines spinning three-bladed Hamilton Standard propellers that are 11 feet, 7 inches in diameter. With a gross wartime weight of 65,500 lbs and ability to tanker 1,700 gallons of fuel, the B-17G had a range of 1,850 nm in its standard configuration. That range could be considerably extended when the airplane carried 3,630 gallons of fuel using auxiliary “Tokyo Tanks.”

According to an EAA fact sheet on Aluminum Overcast, a little-known fact about the B-17G’s armaments is that while the 13 Browning M-2 .50 caliber machine guns could fire at a rate of approximately 13 rounds per second, no gun onboard carried more than one minute’s supply of ammunition.

EAA says “Aluminum Overcast is more than just an airplane. It is a living tribute to the brave individuals who served, sacrificed, and, in many cases gave up their lives defending freedom during World War II.” To help keep their B-17 flying for future generations, EAA asks that anyone interested in donating visit this page.

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