History lovers will get the chance to take flight from Gwinnett County on a World World II bomber.
Chapter 690 of the Experimental Aircraft Association, an international organization of aviation enthusiasts, will host a historic Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress aircraft March 15-21 at the Gwinnett County Airport at Briscoe Field in Lawrenceville.
Part of the association’s Aluminum Overcast tour, the public can schedule flights on the airplane March 19-21 from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Ground tours of the aircraft will not be available due to lack of space needed for social distancing.
Public flights cost $425 per person, and the Lawrenceville chapter will use the proceeds to fund its Young Aviation program. The program matches licensed pilot mentors with youth ages 14 and older, helping them learn the ins and outs of building planes.
Mostly used in Europe, the B-17 was used in daylight bombing campaigns over Germany during World War II, usually from bases in England. Formations of B-17s often flew into battle with no fighter escort, relying on their own defensive capabilities.
The planes, among the most modern the U.S. used during the war, were later cut up for scrap, used in U.S. Air Force research or sold on the surplus market after advances in technology made them obsolete. The EAA received its B-17 from a donation in 1983, spending nearly 10 years restoring and preserving it.
Lawrenceville’s EAA chapter has more than 250 members, and offers a range of aviation-related activities on a regular basis.
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