In history’s cockpit
Published 9:00 pm Sunday, June 25, 2006
EVERETT – The B-17 Flying Fortress and the B-24 Liberator, two planes that helped win World War II, aren’t just American history to the Lodholz family of Everett. They’re like family.
Steve Lodholz’s father, Clarence, served on both planes during the war. He was an Air Force technical sergeant and radio operator on the B-17.
Two of the planes that are still flying are visiting Paine Field as part of an ongoing national tour. Those who came out to see the planes were allowed to climb aboard.
“I got to sit where he would sit,” said John Lodholz, 17, of his grandfather, who passed away in 1993.
The restored planes are taken around the United States on a “Wings of Freedom” tour for 10 months every year by the Collings Foundation, a nonprofit historic preservation organization based in Stow, Mass. The planes first toured in 1989, leading up to the 50th anniversary of the end of World War II in 1995.
About 150 people visited the planes at Paine Field from Friday through Sunday, coordinator Jim Harley said.
Over the weekend, six 30- to 40-minute rides on the planes were purchased for $425 each. Proceeds from the rides, admission fees, and sales of T-shirts and memorabilia are used to keep the tour going, Harley said.
“It’s a good way to keep history alive and keep the airplanes flying. That’s what’s most important,” he said.
Mechanics tuned up the planes as they sat on the Paine Field tarmac.
“They certainly are in incredible condition,” said Dan Davids of Woodinville, a pilot who keeps a plane at Paine Field. He brought his son, Sam, to see the World War II bombers.
More than 12,000 B-17 bombers were built during the war, and only eight are currently flying, according to the foundation. The B-17 on the tour was built by the Douglas Aircraft Co. in Long Beach, Calif., toward the end of the war and was not used in combat. It’s named after another B-17, the “Nine-O-Nine,” which flew 140 missions and shot down three German planes.
The most famous B-17, the Memphis Belle, flew 25 combat missions over Germany and France while escaping several close calls. Two movies have been made about the plane and its battles: “Memphis Belle: A Story of a Flying Fortress,” a 1944 documentary, and the 1990 feature “Memphis Belle.”
The B-24 bomber is the only Liberator in flying condition today. It was restored in 1985 by Robert Collings, who started the foundation. The plane on the tour was built by the Consolidated Aircraft Co. in Fort Worth, Texas. It was used by the British Royal Air Force and stored in India until Collings bought it. It’s been named Witchcraft in honor of a B-24 that flew 130 successful missions over Europe.
Those who climbed aboard the planes quickly noticed how cramped it was inside.
“It was really cool, but really tight,” John Lodholz said. “It’s compact in there.”
Todd Gibbons of Everett and his wife, Kerry, came to see the B-24 after seeing a B-17 at the Arlington Airport two years ago.
“It provides a context to all those things you’ve read,” Todd Gibbons said. “It provides a physical example of history.”
The B-17 and B-24 World War II bombers can still be seen from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. today at Paine Field before they move to Seattle’s Boeing Field for the Fourth of July weekend.
For more information, call 978-562-9182 or 800-568-8924, or go to www.CFDN.org.
