Thursday, October 29, 2009

B-24 Taking Off from SHD

On to Lynchburg...

B-24 Liberator
The Liberator is the last plane to take off as the historic aircraft continue their tour.

The first thing you notice upon entering the aircraft is how tight things are. Making our way through the bombers we try to imagine what it was like for the young men who flew in them.

The crews were made up of pretty young men. 25 was an old man in this crowd! Many came from America's heartland and were tough men, used to hard work. But what did it feel like to slip down into that ball turret and defend your craft from attackers? If only those old aircraft could talk...

B-17 Flying Fortress
B-17 Flying Fortress.

B-24 Liberator
B-24 cockpit.

B-24 Liberator
Ball turret.

I used to have breakfast in the old Crozet Pool Room when I lived on the other side of the mountain. One of the 'regulars' was a gentleman who had been the radio operator on a B-24 liberator. He told some hair-raising stories! When I saw his station in the aircraft it looked pretty much as I imagined...

Radio
The plane's radio.

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