Paul Meacham
Aluminum Overcast in flight
Aircraft and aviation have always fascinated me. I have attended numerous air shows, enraptured by the aerial maneuvers of stunt performers and the jaw-dropping precision of formations executed by expert flight teams. I have toured vintage aircraft and visited them in museums. I’ve also had the great pleasure of being able to share through my work the history and stories of some of these historic craft. I’m not sure when I first fell in love with the B-17 “Flying Fortress.” It might have been at one of those air shows when I learned the history of the WWII bomber and saw her up close or it may have been when I saw the movie Memphis Belle and could imagine the challenges faced by her young pilots and crew members. Either way, it’s undisputed that I have an affinity for this vintage bomber. When the Liberty Belle visited St. Simons Island in 2010, I toured her with my enthralled then 7-year old son in tow. Sadly, the following year, Liberty Belle crashed and burned in a field in Illinois. Fortunately, some of her fuselage has been salvaged and there are restoration efforts underway.
When restored B-17G Aluminum Overcast made a stop here in 2014, I saw her flying above and from afar on the ground when I’d pass the airport, but never got the chance to visit. At the Wings Over Golden Isles airshow in 2017, I indulged my plane fix by checking out a B-25 and a C-130 in the static display and enjoying the shows put on above by the Raptor and old war bird Panchito, as well as the US Navy’s pride and joy, the Blue Angels. So when I learned Aluminum Overcast would be visiting the island again this past fall, I was looking forward to having another opportunity to see the old girl. Much to my surprise and delight, I was invited to join a media flight. We would also be joined by Jim Russell, a WWII veteran who had served as a bomber pilot, and would have a chance to talk with him and fellow veteran David Blackshear, Sr. about their experiences. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Paul Meacham
Aluminum Overcast art
The B-17 was designed by Boeing Aircraft Company in response to a 1934 Army Air Corps specification calling for a four-engined bomber at a time when two engines were the norm. It was intended to attack strategic targets by precision daylight bombing, penetrating deep into enemy territory by flying above the effective range of antiaircraft artillery. Turbo-supercharged radial engines would enable the necessary high-altitude performance, and heavy defensive armament would provide protection against attacking fighters. A Norden bombsight (developed in great secrecy during the 1930s) would ensure accuracy. The B-17 entered small-scale production in 1937 and by the time the U.S. entered the war in 1941, the modified plane was equipped with turrets in the upper fuselage, belly, and tail. All but the tail turret were power-operated and mounted with a pair of machine guns. The B-17G later added a “chin” turret under the nose. This level of firepower made the B-17 a formidable opponent for enemy fighters, especially when flying in tightly stacked defensive formations for mutual protection.
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Aluminum Overcast on the runway
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Aluminum Overcast props and nose
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Aluminum Overcast Tail
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Aluminum Overcast Tail gunner
The plane was operated by a crew of 10, including pilot, copilot, navigator-radioman, bombardier, and gunners. The plane generally flew at 25,000-35,000 feet (depending on the bomb load), putting it above the worst of the German antiaircraft artillery. In the face of determined fighter opposition, however, squadrons of B-17s proved unable to fight their way unescorted to targets deep inside Germany without incurring excessive losses. Deep raids were called off in mid-October 1943 and were not resumed until February 1944, when long-range escort fighters such as the P-51 Mustang became available. A 4,000 pound bomb load was typical for long missions. For shorter distances at lower altitudes, a B-17 could carry up to 8,000 pounds, plus more on external racks beneath the wings. Increased bomb loads were extremely effective in attacks on German aircraft and oil industries before the Normandy Invasion and in later “carpet-bombing” raids to support the troops. They were a critical part of the Allied victory in World War II.
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Aluminum Overcast Bomb Bay
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Aluminum Overcast interior Top of Ball Turret
Today, of the nearly 13,000 B-17s made, only nine are presently airworthy, and there are fewer than 50 complete surviving airframes in existence. Aluminum Overcast, which never saw combat, is owned by Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA), and the overhaul and restoration of the airframe took more than 10 years and thousands of hours by staff and volunteers. She is used today for tours and flight experiences to keep the history of the Greatest Generation alive for current and future generations. The staff and volunteers who man the tour and pilot the plane are wonderful and are extremely dedicated to keeping this piece of history alive.
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Aluminum Overcast in flight chin turret
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Aluminum Overcast crew in flight
To quote Mr. Blackshear, who was a bomber crew navigator, flying conditions for the bombers were (and are) “Primitive. There were no stewardesses or in-flight drink service. The seats aren’t padded.” When you’re inside the plane and you see the thin metal frame, it really is like an aluminum can hurling through the skies. It’s easy to imagine how frightening that must have been high above enemy territory with the constant threat of attack. Mr. Russell and Mr. Blackshear also both stressed how young the crews of these planes were. The pilots might have been in their 20s as they required more years of training and were likely in the service longer, but many of the bomber crew members were still in their teens. If you were short and had a smaller build, you were needed to fit in the tiny tail gun turret or ball turret. Seeing them up-close, and the doors that access them, you wonder how anyone could fit! Experiencing the bombardier’s-eye perspective from the seat in the “chin” turret, I was first struck by what an incredible view they had, flying above the earth, almost entirely surrounded by glass — and how vulnerable that must feel when you are the target. No wonder these crew members bonded as brothers and have such a strong connection with other men who also did what they did. Both Mr. Russell and Mr. Blackshear said, “We lost so many.” They remember. We all should remember.
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WWII Veteran Jim Russell
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WWII Veteran David Blackshear
The EAA keeps the memories and this history alive by preserving vintage aircraft like Aluminum Overcast and offering these flight experiences. The World War II Home Front Museum on St. Simons Island does the same through exhibits detailing wartime experiences with recorded recollections, and by inviting veterans to share their stories with others on the second Tuesday of the month, from 10:00 a.m. to noon. We owe it to the Greatest Generation to keep their courageous feats and fighting spirit alive.
Special thanks to Leslie Faulkenberry and the St. Simons Airport for arranging the media flight with EAA and to Paul Meacham of iHeart Radio for generously acting as my impromptu photographer. Thank you to Julie Rowland of PillowGrace who insisted on providing me with special gifts to give to Mr. Russell and Mr. Blackshear to thank them for their service when she learned I would be meeting two WWII veterans the day we flew. This community is truly wonderful.
I’m sad to share that Mr. Russell passed away on Saturday, January 25th. I’m truly appreciative of the opportunity to hear his stories on this day and to have shared them here. The experience is one I will treasure. Gen. George S. Patton, Jr. said, “It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather, we should thank God that such men lived.” Indeed we do. Godspeed, Jim Russell.
