(New Cumberland) -- One of only 14 B-17 Flying Fortress's still flying is making a stop in the midstate through tomorrow.
The engines of the plane known as "Aluminum Overcast" spring to life as it taxis down the Capital City Airport's runway in New Cumberland. In one of the seats is 89-year-old Will Ketner of Colonial Park, Dauphin County. He's a World War II veteran, who's smiling from ear-to-ear. After the half hour flight, the former B-17 pilot says it brought back a lot of memories. "When you're up there now, your remember when you flew formation and the other plane was about 25 or 50 feet away from the wing tip. You had to see it there and there was another one on this side of you," he says. "Then in the morning you takeoff and you'd see vapor trails for miles. A thousand planes in the air. It was hard to believe."
Ketner flew a B-17 over the Atlantic when he was 20 or 21 years old and jokes about how long his part in the war in Europe lasted. "I flew five missions," he says. "The Germans quit, because they heard I was coming."
The Aluminum Overcast's appearance in Cumberland County is part of the Experimental Aircraft Association's 2011 Salute to Veterans tour. Ground Tours and flights are to the public available through tomorrow. To book a flight, call 1-800-359-6217. The cost is up to $465. The ground tours are from 2:00 p.m to 5:00 p.m. at the Capital City Airport.
Click on the photo below to view a photo gallery of the B-17 Flying Fortress!
Below, watch a video of a WWII B-17 pilot riding on the restored Bomber over Central PA.
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I don't recall a story about a search for two WWII airplanes, but NPR has this story about a search for two WWII warships:
http://www.npr.org/2011/09/27/140816037/how-psychology-solved-a-wwii-shipwreck-mystery
Hope this helps.
--Craig
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