Some mixed emotions in evidence in this article, ex-servicemen sharing their experiences flying the B17 when given the opportunity to take to the skies in one again over Buchanan Field, Concord...
http://www.insidebayarea.com/news/ci_18000900
One thing I will always fondly remember from being around Big Bad Bonnie & Sally B was overhearing and talking with several veterans who flew in these birds, some would have tears in their eyes as they remembered their fallen friends & comrades, others shared funny and often heartwarming stories.
The number of veterans maybe declining but their stories will live on forever with these birds, whether they are flying examples or statics in museums.
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There is an art, or rather a knack to flying. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss.
~ Douglas Adams, Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy