Just after lunch Wednesday, Missoulians got to hear the rumble of the last flying B-24 Liberator bomber as it lumbered into the valley. A few hours later, a B-17 Flying Fortress and a B-25 Mitchell roared by in formation. All three are among the last of their breed, and all are on public display through Thursday at the Museum of Mountain Flying.
A lucky few got to make the hourlong flight from Spokane to Missoula on Wednesday morning. For museum special events coordinator John Gisselbrecht, it was time for the “perma-grin.”
They won't give commercial airlines much competition, though. There are seats for just two passengers besides the pilot and co-pilot. Everyone else (the B-24 usually has a crew of 10) straps in to seat belts bolted to the floor.
The passageway between the front and rear crew areas is a catwalk just 8 inches wide, which would typically have several thousand pounds of explosives hanging on either side. The bomb-bay doors were designed to be flimsy so a malfunctioning bomb could be dropped through them without opening.
A clumsy crew member could suffer the same fate, pilot Jim Goolsby warned.
The three planes belong to the Collings Foundation, a Massachusetts-based organization that renovates and restores historic aircraft. They have been on tour for months, visiting air shows and museums nationwide.
“The B-17 got all the glory, but the B-24 did all the work,” said co-pilot Larry Abston.
Flight crews dismissed the bulky bomber as “the box the B-17 came in,” he said. But their pilots loved their reliability and stable handling. They also flew higher, faster and farther than either the B-17 or B-25.
Nevertheless, the B-17 got noticed for its large payload (almost 30,000 pounds), while the B-25 became forever famous as the plane Col. James Doolittle picked for his surprise attack on Tokyo shortly after Pearl Harbor.
Wednesday's flight included Kasey Joyce, a Missoula television reporter whose grandfather, Richard Joyce, piloted the 10th B-25 in Doolittle's raid. Although she'd been around bombers many times before, this was the first time she'd flown in one.
“My two brothers are working on their pilot's licenses and my dad is finishing his commercial license, so it sort of runs in the family,” Joyce said. “It's always something I've been interested in, and now I'm looking into ground school.”
They built B-24s tough for warfare, but there are some surprisingly delicate parts. Exposed wire cables control the wings and tail instead of hydraulics. To get to the bombsight in the nose, you have to crawl on your hands and knees. The cover for the nose wheel is so light, crew members could bail out of the plane just by stepping on it.
The bomber burned about 200 gallons of aviation fuel during its flight from Spokane to Missoula. It was a drafty journey. The side guns fired through large open doors, so you can't pressurize a B-24. But there are oxygen bottles all over for high-altitude flying. Fortunately, Wednesday's flight never got above 7,500 feet.
Several hundred people were waiting at the museum, next door to Missoula International Airport, when the planes landed. They will be on display for tours and rides Thursday before heading to Wyoming for another rumbling appearance.
On Missoulian.com
For a video report of Rob Chaney's flight in a B-24 Liberator, click here.
Fly away
The Museum of Mountain Flying will have three restored World War II bombers outside its parking lot through Thursday. Tours cost $10 for adults and $5 for children. The bombers will be open for visits from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The museum will be open free of charge Thursday. It features seven historic planes and one helicopter, as well as extensive exhibits of smokejumping, aircraft development and the challenges of flying in the Rocky Mountains.
The museum's regular hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., seven days a week. Admission is $3 for adults, $2 for senior citizens or members of the military, and $1 for children. For tours or group activities, call 721-3644.
To reach the museum, turn into the main entrance to Missoula International Airport and take a quick left on the frontage road. Then just follow the signs.
Reporter Rob Chaney can be reached at 523-5382 or at rchaney@missoulian.com.
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