What a weekend for us to remember.  We were blessed to get to a chance to fly in this plane along the beautiful coast of So Cal on Saturday afternoon.

The forward fuselage and the # 3 engine.

We were really looking forward to taking flight in this Flying Fortress.

The “Nine O Nine”

Quite a crowd gathered to watch the planes.

Here she is racing down the runway for takeoff!

We arrived a couple of hours before our flight such that we could watch the mighty  take flight.

Here’s the P-51 Mustang AKA “Betty Jane” speeding for takeoff!

Hey Betty Jane!  Nice of you to flyby!

I had the privilege of visiting with this retired pilot of the B-24.  He was stationed in Africa, then England and flying the B-24 at the early age of 22.  His daughter brought him out to watch his baby fly.  This warmed my heart.

Note:  This is the only restored flying B-24 in the world.

The B-24

B – 24 – The “Big Guns”

B-24 – Heading for the runway!

Look OUT!  Incoming B – 17!

Here we are (hubby and his buddy from work) getting ready to board!  There were a total of 8 passengers on our flight.

Fasten those seat-belts!  We’re in for the ride of our lives!

All set.

I’m ready as ever.

Earplugs going in.  Thanks to hubby’s buddy for bringing some for us too.

The crew “up front” giving the hand-signal that it’s time to get up off the floor and explore!  Woo Hoo, let’s go!

The Port Waist Gun – My seat (on the floor) was just below this terminator.

Starboard Waist Gun

My hubby on “The Catwalk”

Our Pilot and Co-Pilot at the Controls

We crawled down below the pilots and into the Nose Turret!  That’s the Bombadier’s Seat.  This was the place to be!  I even got a kiss in here.  🙂

I tried to imagine what it must have been like to be in one of these planes fighting for freedom and our lives.

Nose Turret, Gun and Ammo

Nose Turret Ammo

The view was simply amazing up here!

Hubby sitting in the Bombadier’s Seat

Engines

Horizontal Bombs in vertical racks – I don’t want a piece of you!

Having the Best Bad Hair Day of my life!  In the Upper Turret.

Hubby has the Starboard Waist Gun under control!

His buddy gives hubby a rest.

Got Ammo?

Ammo, got ya covered!

Port Waist Gun – Heading back to the airport.

What a treat!

We truly had the time of our lives.

A silhouette of hubby taking a picture of the B-17 after we landed.

What an amazing day, a day we will never forget.

There aren’t enough words or pictures to express the high we were all on long after this flight.   Let’s just say, we hope to do this again one day.

Blessings – Debbie