Sunday November 11th is Veterans Day and I have much love and respect for those who serve and have served in the military. My father served in Vietnam and my grandfather served during the Cold War. Hearing them tell their war stories allowed my mind to wander as I envisioned their lives on the line every day.

On Thursday I got the experience of a lifetime and actually went aboard an actual B17 G Bomber that actually fought in WWII. We spoke with Captain John Bode to get more information on the fighter plane and the rich history it's been a part of.

Here are some awesome facts we learned while talking to Captain John Bode.

  • The B17 G is a historic World War II bomber aircraft
  • It was used for strategic daylight bombing
  • Over the course of four years they built almost 13,000 of these war planes
  • A lot of them were built by women because the boys were out to war
  • Only about 7 are currently operating in the United States
  • The guns you see on the plane were added on because Germans learned they could attack the plane head on
  • Over 400 changes were made over time to these planes

This weekend you can do the exact same thing! Tyler Pounds Regional Airport will be the site to this beautiful war machine hosted by the Historic Aviation Memorial Museum EAA. You can experience ground tours and even have your own flight experience aboard the historical plane - only one of seven in the United States.

Come on out and experience history firsthand on Saturday and Sunday.

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