By Howard M. Wedgle
What amazing opportunities I had yesterday! I was privileged to fly in a B-17 at Centennial Airport. As we have heard plenty of times, it was a perfect day for flying. Finally we had gorgeous weather in the metro area.
Wings over the Rockies museum has embarked on an ambitious program to build an education and technology center on 15 acres on the south side of Centennial Airport. Exploration of Flight, as it will be called, will be an interactive learning facility, from actual flight operations over Denver to simulated flight. They chose Mother’s Day weekend to make this announcement, called Blue Star Weekend, honoring veterans and mothers of veterans.
Wings brought in a B-17 for people to view or possibly ride in. If you have the opportunity, not only to look inside this “Aluminum Overcast” as well as take a ride in it, you will not be disappointed.
The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress was a four-engine heavy bomber aircraft produced from 1935-1943. The B-17 was primarily used by the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) during World War II against Germany’s industrial and military targets. It was a potent, high-flying, long-range bomber that was able to defend itself. A crew of 10 staffed the airplane, including 6 gunners. One of those gunners lives in the Denver metro area.
The other opportunity I had was to speak with Staff Sergeant Len Estrin, originally from the Chicago area, who was a ball turret gunner. He has more than 2000 flight hours in the B-17. Now 91, with 7 grandchildren and 6 great-grandchildren, he remembers vividly his first mission. He just missed the Battle of the Bulge (December 16, 1944 through January 25, 1945), due to weather, but his first ride on a B-17 was to ferry one from Topeka, KS, where is was manufactured, to England. There, it was armed. As a ball turret gunner, Len was housed near the nose of the plane. Each mission carried 6000 lbs. of bombs, which weighed 500 lbs. each. That amounts to 12 bombs. Len has several medals, one of which is for good conduct. Len volunteers at the Wings Over The Museum and it was such a privilege to talk with him. Try and catch him at the museum and try to go to the Blue Star Weekend.
