LAWRENCEVILLE World War II bomber to take flight in Lawrenceville

Aviation buffs can book a trip on the famed B-17 Flying Fortress.

History lovers will get the chance to take flight from Gwinnett County on a World War II bomber.

Chapter 690of the Experimental Aircraft Association, an international organization of aviation enthusiasts, will host a historic Boeingb-17 Flying Fortress aircraft Monday-march 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. Go to eaa.org for more information.

Public flights cost $425 per person, and the Lawrenceville chapter will use the proceeds to fund its Young Aviationprogram. 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 as 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.

COURTESY OF EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION The public is invited to fly on a restored World War II B-17 Flying Fortress bomber from the Gwinnett County Airport at Briscoe Field in Lawrenceville on March 19-21.