A Throwback Saturday / B-17 Plane Visit

This week on the local Salisbury news station they featured a story about a restored B-17 bomber that would be visiting the Salisbury Airport.  My grandfather, Leroy Pusey, flew on a B-17 as a tail gunner during WWII.  So, when these planes are nearby, my family often takes a day trip to see them. We have been to the Dover Air Force Base museum a couple of time to see the one there.  But this particular aircraft that was coming could be toured inside as well as out, and N. had never done that.  Since N. is trying to rack up some driving hours on his permit, and I like to try and teach him a bit of family history, off we went to Salisbury this morning.  

My Pop Pop,  S/Sgt Leroy E. Pusey, bottom row extreme right
posing with a B-17 bomber at 487th Bomb Group Lavingham Station  England 1944

Here what Tangier looked like this morning as we left...

A beautiful but extremely hot day, especially for September

It took us about 45 minutes after arriving in Crisfield to get to the airport in Salisbury.  I have never seen a B-17 in flight, so I was hoping to catch them doing one of their ride along flights (which at $450 a head was too expensive for me though I would have loved it, but then again I'm not too keen on flying in general). As luck would have it, just as we pulled up to turn into the airport staging area, they fired up her engines and began to prepare for takeoff.  I had to hurry and shoot a few shots through the fence since we had not yet entered the compound.  Both N. and I were excited that we would get to see her in flight.

The tail gunner position, they have a mannequin that sits back there to show the crew position.

We waited for the plane to finish her ride along flight, and to open up for tours.  She came in and taxied right by us...

and parked at the staging area.  

In the pics below we are preparing to tour.  At this point the weather has gotten close to 90 degrees. Which will help explain why I didn't take any inside shots.  It was all I could do to not pass out.  Seriously, inside that big plane it is very small with close quarters, and an aluminum tube sitting in the sun generates a lot of heat.

The one part of the plane you were not allowed to go during the tour is the tail, just where we wanted to see.  It is very difficult to access the tail gunner position, you have to crawl around the rear wheel assembly and down into a very narrow space.  I assume insurance and potential injury have caused them to block this off.  You could peek over the safety netting but couldn't see much.  I told N. that I was going to ask one of the flight operations crew if he could just try to go back there just a little ways.  I found a crewman as we were taking pictures preparing to leave.  

I explained about Pop Pop and how much we had wanted to see his tail gunner position.  He took N. aside and told him he was going to do something special for him if we would wait til the crowd thinned out.  He explained he could not take down the safety barrier but he could get him a closer look.  The tail gunner had a very small bail out panel that they could remove near the tail position if they could not crawl back forward because of damage or lack of time to bail out the side door or open bomb bays. The flight operator opened up the panel for N. so that he could stand up and stick his head and upper body in through the hatch and look into the tail position.  I took a peek too but it was way too small for me. We are talking a very small opening.  How Pop Pop got out of there with a parchute pack on I'll never know.  Pop Pop was shot down on (I believe) his 13th mission, bailed out and was held as a prisoner of war.  I didn't take any pictures because we were trying not to attract attention, but both N. and I were amazed. Thank you Sentimental Journey Flight Operations Crew.  N. actually agreed to pose for a picture before we left.

Here we were standing under the belly of the plane looking at the open bomb bay doors.  They let B-17 veterans who visit the plane sign the door panels.  We were looking to see if anyone had signed from the 487th.

After this we had a delicious lunch at Longhorn Steakhouse. May I suggest their lunch pairing of a half shaved prime rib sandwich and french onion soup?  Yummy!  Then a little Walmart and Food Lion shopping, and back down to Crisfield by 4pm to catch the boat back home.

Pulling in and ready to go home.  Air conditioning here I come!

And I will leave you with this another picture of Pop Pop and his crew.  Oh how young many of them were.  I can't believe he was only about two years older than Noah is now.  Thank you Pop Pop for your service.

The crew of B-17 "Paddlefoot" after a few missions.  Pop Pop at top right.  He was shot down in February, so this may be just before then since it is winter.  They all look like they have aged from that first picture, even in a few short months.  I think that's sad...