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Pilot Loves Flying WWII Plane, Visiting with Vets

Pilot Loves Flying WWII Plane, Visiting with Vets
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By Bill Hughes
Jul. 31, 2014 | PADUCAH, KY
By Bill Hughes Jul. 31, 2014 | 11:51 PM | PADUCAH, KY

Matt McCauley knows the people who come to the Wings of Freedom tour at airports across America aren't there to see him. But he's glad to see them, because it means people appreciate these World War II planes, and the men who flew in them.

"You can see the turnout here has been good today. We're getting a lot of veterans and their families now that are starting to come out, and the kids and great-grandkids taking interest in the planes, and in what they did," McCauley said Wednesday afternoon at Barkley Regional Airport.

As the pilot of the B-17 "Nine-O-Nine" Flying Fortress, Matt uses his ability to allow people to see a piece of military history in action. McCauley hails from Seal Beach, CA, and for 16 years has been the primary pilot. He said the bomber is one of only six B-17s flying in the world. "It's a very stable airplane, a very honest airplane, it's really heavy on the controls. It's a lot like driving a cement truck on a go-cart track - it's really heavy, and you've got to stay way ahead of it. Other than that, she has very little bad habits, and is a real good, fun airplane to fly."

The plane was equipped with twelve .50 caliber machine guns, because everyone except the pilot, co-pilot and radio operator usually had a gun in their hand. It also carried 8,000 pounds of bombs, typically weighing 500 pounds each.

The "Nine-O-Nine" is named in honor of the original plane with the same name, in the 91st Bomb Group, 323rd Squadron. It flew 140 missions without having to abort, including 18 trips to Berlin, Germany. Because it never lost a crewman, McCauley said soldiers were fighting to serve on that plane.  

Typical flights on the B-17 for paying customers are at about 1,500 - 2,000 feet, and travel at about 150 mph. The reality for crewmen was long trips at 30,000 feet, with below-zero temperatures, unless they were flying a mission. Then they were so busy they had no time to worry about flak or anti-aircraft fire ripping through the shell of the plane at lower altitudes.  

McCauley said 12,731 B-17 bombers were built, and about one-third were lost during WWII. That includes approximately 10,000 crew members who died during the war. McCauley said, "There were more people lost in the 8th Air Force - in pilots and crew - than in all the Marines in the Pacific in World War II." He said most people are in awe when they see the plane up close and get to crawl inside. "People can't realize how small it is inside. Usually, when they see it on TV, like some of the movies, that's a sound stage, so when they see how small the compartments were that the people had to stay in, they're amazed. And then they can't believe how big it is on the outside. This airplane was designed in 1934-35, and it was one of the biggest things in the air back then."

McCauley said maintenance costs about $5,000 for every hour the plane spends in the air, and he's glad to see so many people paying admission to climb inside. He's even happier to see the WWII veterans who come to see a familiar plane and share their stories. McCauley said, "We're losing so many veterans now because they're all in their late 80s or early 90s. But they're the greatest people to have around. That's the reason I stay out and do this as much as I do, just listen to them, talk to them, listen to their stories. They have great stories."

The Wings of Freedom Tour will be in Paducah until about noon Friday, then the B-17 and B-24 bombers will depart with the P-51 Mustang fighter plane. They're headed to Smyrna, TN, with stops later this month in Bowling Green and Lexington.

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