AVIATION

today’s generation.”

Flights on the Madras Maiden will be offered to the public every hour on the hour from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at Bolton Field airport. A 45- minute flight costs $ 410 for Liberty Foundation members and $450 for nonmembers. The aircraft can fit up to 11 passengers with three crew members.

For those who prefer to stay on the ground, free tours of the plane are scheduled from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. each day. Bolton Field is at 2000 Norton Road on the Far West Side.

Though the takeoff and landing of the Madras Maiden are fairly smooth, this is not your traditional plane ride. During takeoff, passengers are able to hear the engines rev up one-byone before taking to the air. Once up, passengers have an aerial view of Columbus and central Ohio for miles. The sound of the wind is so loud, the crews use Morse code to communicate. Space is tight on the B- 17 so visitors should mind their heads when roaming around the aircraft during the flight.

For Jon Eads, a mechanic for Liberty Foundation, based in Claremore, Oklahoma, it is an honor seeing World War II veterans come out for a flight.

“They get really emotional around the airplane because the memories of their friends come back really fast and strong,” Eads said Monday during a media introduction to the plane. “A lot of these guys you meet and they couldn’t tell you what they had for breakfast, but they can tell you what happened 74 years ago on a flight that was just etched into their memory.”

Eads recalled meeting one World War II veteran who lost his left arm while flying during combat.

“He came out 69 years to the day of losing his left arm and went for a ride,” Eads said. “For 69 years he

[JOSHUA A. BICKEL/DISPATCH PHOTOS] Those who take the 45- minute flight on the Madras Maiden will get a good view of Columbus. The plane can seat 11 passengers and three crew members during a flight.

Pilots Bob Hill, left, and Bud Sittig start the engines on the Madras Maiden Boeing B- 17 bomber during a media tour Monday.