EAA AVIATION CENTER, OSHKOSH, Wis. – (June 16, 2010) – At least
\nfour of the remaining airworthy Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress" aircraft
\nwill be on hand to commemorate the legendary World War II bomber’s 75th
\nanniversary during EAA AirVenture 2010. "The World’s Greatest Aviation
\nCelebration" will be held July 26-August 1 at Wittman Regional Airport
\nin Oshkosh.<\/p>\n
Only about a dozen of the iconic aircraft remain airworthy
\nanywhere in the world, including EAA’s "Aluminum Overcast" that brings
\naviation history to the public through national tours. Already confirmed
\nto join it at AirVenture for the week-long "Salute to Veterans" is
\n"Texas Raiders," "Thunderbird," and "Yankee Lady" to honor the exact
\n75th-anniversary date of the B-17’s first flight – July 28, 1935.
\nNumerous events throughout the week will celebrate the B-17’s legacy in
\naviation.<\/p>\n
"These magnificent warbirds gathering in one place will mark
\nthis special occasion in a memorable way," said Tom Poberezny, EAA
\nchairman\/president and AirVenture chairman. "As we celebrate the B-17’s
\n75th anniversary, we honor these living links with aviation’s past and a
\nreminder of the sacrifices of the young men who flew them."<\/p>\n
"Texas Raiders," scheduled to arrive Tuesday, July 27 and depart
\nSunday, August 1, recently emerged from an intensive eight-year
\nrestoration at Houston’s Hobby Airport. The warbird, which is maintained
\nand flown by the Commemorative Air Force’s Gulf Coast Wing, was one of
\nthe last B-17s built by Douglas and was delivered to the U.S. Army Air
\nForces on July 12, 1945.<\/p>\n
"Thunderbird," scheduled to arrive Sunday, July 25 and depart
\nMonday, August 2, flew 116 missions with the 303rd Bomb Group in World
\nWar II. The warbird, which is housed at the Lonestar Flight Museum in
\nGalveston, Texas, will be featured at the "Warbirds in Review" program
\non Wednesday, July 28, at 1 p.m.<\/p>\n
"Yankee Lady," scheduled to arrive Thursday, July 29 and depart
\nSunday, August 1, was built by Lockhead (Vega) and delivered on to the
\nU.S. Army Air Forces on July 16, 1945. The following year, the warbird
\nwas transferred to the U.S. Coast Guard until its military retirement on
\nMay 11, 1959. "Yankee Lady," owned by Yankee Air Force and housed at
\nYankee Air Museum in Belleville, Mich., was featured in the movie "Tora,
\nTora, Tora" in 1969.<\/p>\n
The B-17’s 75th anniversary will be celebrated through several
\nevents coinciding with the week-long "Salute to Veterans" festivities
\nhonoring America’s veterans, including a planned "Missing Man" formation
\nby four B-17s.<\/p>\n
At Theater in the Woods on Wednesday, July 28 at 8 p.m., retired
\nU.S. Army Air Forces Col. Harold "Hal" Weekley (EAA #169329\/Warbirds
\n#2651) and former volunteer pilot for "Aluminum Overcast," will recount
\nhis experiences flying on bombing missions over Germany. Weekley, one of
\nthe last B-17 aircraft commanders from World War II still flying, made
\nhis last B-17 flight at EAA AirVenture 2001, a week after his 80th
\nbirthday.<\/p>\n
The B-17, which first saw combat in 1941 when the British Royal
\nAir Force took delivery of several B-17s for high-altitude missions, was
\nthe first Boeing military aircraft with a flight deck instead of an open
\ncockpit, and was armed with bombs and five .30-caliber machine guns
\nmounted in clear "blisters."<\/p>\n
Boeing plants built a total of 6,981 B-17s in various models,
\nand another 5,745 were built under a nationwide collaborative effort by
\nDouglas and Lockheed (Vega). Most B-17s were scrapped at the end of
\nWorld War II. Some of the last Flying Fortresses met their end as target
\ndrones in the 1960s – destroyed by Boeing-built military missiles. EAA’s
\n"Aluminum Overcast," fortunately, was saved from the scrap heap when it
\nwas originally purchased as surplus for $750 in the mid-1940s.<\/p>\n
EAA AIRVENTURE OSHKOSH is The World’s Greatest Aviation
\nCelebration and EAA’s yearly membership convention. Additional EAA
\nAirVenture information, including advance ticket and camping purchase,
\nis available online at www.airventure.org. EAA members receive lowest
\nprices on admission rates. For more information on EAA and its programs,
\ncall 1-800-JOIN-EAA (1-800-564-6322) or visit www.eaa.org. Immediate
\nnews is available at http:\/\/twitter.com\/EAAupdate.<\/p>\n