I have soooo much to write about this week but so little time. (1) I have some camping stories to finish telling (2) it’s Mark and my 20th anniversary! (3) I was a passenger on a B-25 Mitchell bomber (!) and lived to tell the tale.
Today I am going with #3 and the others will have to wait. :)
Some backstory: The B-25 Mitchell “Maid in the Shade,” is in Gatineau at the Aero Gatineau-Ottawa airport until August 12 as part of its Summer Flying Legends of Victory Tour across the U.S. and Canada.
The aircraft was used in America’s first large-scale bombing offensive in the Philippines and is one of the most iconic airplanes from World War II. In fact, the B-25 is an exceptionally rare aircraft and this one is one of 34 in the world that is still flying.
Mark drove me to the airport as part of a media event. We waited a long time for its arrival. It was stinking hot and it was making me feel woozy. I was also a bit anxious about the whole thing. We waited and waited, I paced around in a field with a handful of other media people, and then suddenly, there it was. I could hear it before I saw it. As I watched it land, taxi down the runway and finally arrive, I had the biggest grin on my face. THIS WAS GOING TO BE COOL.
I should say that this tour, made possible by the volunteers of the non-profit 501(c)3 Arizona Commemorative Air Force Museum, features three restored WWII combat aircraft: C-47/DC-3 Combat Legend “Old Number 30;” B-17 Bomber “Sentimental Journey;” and B-25 Bomber “Maid in the Shade.” These warbirds and their crews will follow separate tour routes across the U.S. and Canada and visit approximately 50 cities from May through October 2018 to fulfill their mission of educating all generations about the role of aviation in combat.
Lucky me, I was invited to climb aboard for a short flight. Here’s a short video of my journey, just to give you a feel for what it was like. (Ha. Watch me climb out at the end!)
I was very nervous going up, but I can’t honestly say why. The rational side of me knew I was going to be ok, but I was anxious anyway. Here is a bit of the breathtaking view I had from my seat:
I’ve had a few people ask me if my flight was enjoyable. I can’t honestly describe it in those terms. The B-25 was not made for comfort, it was made for war. Without a doubt, my 20-minute flight was certainly interesting and educational and it gave me a slightly better perspective on what it must have been like up there during a mission. It was hot, sickly hot, and I was sweating buckets the whole time. Everything vibrated and shook. Afterwards I jokingly described my time up there as being trapped in a hot tin can… a very LOUD tin can at that. I don’t think that description is too far off. I was happy to go up there and equally happy to return to solid ground again.
I thought about the people who flew in it. They must have felt everything I did and a whole more: Exhaustion, worry, fear. It is remarkable, really. This is a piece of history that’s important to see and know.
You can tour this remarkable piece of history during its stop in Gatineau or reserve a seat for a flight. To book, or for more info, visit . For more information about the Flying Legends of Victory Tour, visit www.flyinglegendstour.com.
