Famous World War II B-17 Bomber, the Flying Fortress, pays a visit to Redding Municipal Airport for one day on Tuesday, September 15th.
The Redding Chapter 157 of the Experimental Aircraft Association will be bringing to Redding, for one day only, the historic B-17 bomber which was dubbed “the Flying Fortress” and was a major factor in the victory in Europe in World War II. This magnificent aircraft, owned by the national EAA in Oskosh, Wisconsin is on a west coast tour and will be at the Redding Jet Center at Redding Municipal Airport on Tuesday, September 15th for rides and ground tours. Anyone interested in taking a flight can make a reservation at www.B17.org or by calling 1-800-359-6217. Flights in this historic aircraft are advance price $409 for EAA members and $449 for non-members. Flights will be available from 10 AM to 1 PM and ground tours will take place from 2 to 5 PM. Ground tours are $10 each, $20 for a family, children under 8 are free with a paying adult. Ground tours are free for veterans and active duty military personnel.
Over 12,700 B-17 bombers were built to fight the war in Europe and the Pacific. The Flying Fortress carried a crew of 10 and earned a reputation for being almost indestructible in battle. It was a potent, high-flying, long-range bomber that was able to defend itself, and to return home despite extensive battle damage. In spite of its reputation over 5000 aircraft and crews were lost during the war. There are only 10 airworthy B-17 bombers in existence today and this aircraft, the “Aluminum Overcast” is a great example of one of them. Take a flight and relive a piece of history. For more information on the visit of this historical aircraft, please call Jim Bremer, president of the Redding EAA chapter, at (530) 524-5744 or email him at kk6mm@aol.com.
