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To many
avid fans of World War Two "heavy" bombers, the restoration of this
particular airplane during the winter of 2006 and spring of 2007 was
watched with eager anticipation.
As far as
was possible in just a few short months, what had been the worlds
oldest airworthy passenger aircraft was transformed back into it's
original World War Two bomber configuration. Newly installed gun
positions and bomb rack, accompanied by a new paint scheme and nose
art are the most obvious signs of the many hundreds of hours work
that has gone into this restoration project.
Out on tour in it's new guise as
"Ol'927", this airplane was at the top of my list of bombers to
try and get a ride
in this year. The Wings Over Houston Airshow offered just such an
opportunity.
To me, standing at the waist gunners
crew position, looking out over the hand held .50 calibre machine
gun, I realised just how vulnerable the crews were in combat. The
thin aluminium outer skin would offer no protection from fighters or
flak. How on earth did men fly 25 missions exposed to such danger ?
And shouldn't we be glad that, at a time when the freedom of the
whole world was at stake, men did find that courage.
The restoration of aircraft such as
"Ol'927" serves to allow us and future generations to touch and
experience living history for ourselves. We owe a big thanks to the
dedicated people who spend countless hours bringing these gallant
airplanes back to airworthy condition for us to enjoy.
The crew for this flight was made up
of pilots Ken Hyman and Ole Nygren, with Don Obrieter and Lyn Flite.
Between them, they operated this newly restored big airplane with
skill and precision. I know that if I get another
opportunity, I shall have to fly with them again ! Thanks guys ..... |
