LEON:..A
SYMBOL OF FREEDOM FROM THE
GREATEST GENERATION LANDED ON
THE TARMAC AT MUSKEGON COUNTY
AIRPORT TODAY.A BOMBER FROM
WORLD WAR II... KNOWN AS THE
FLYING FORTRESS... STOPPED BY
TO GIVE GUESTS A FIRSTHAND
LOOK AT THIS VITAL PART OF THE
WAR EFFORT.NEWS 8'S JOHN DOMOL
TAKES US ON-BOARD THIS
HISTORIC AIRCRAFT.
3
3
JOHN:..
3
JOHN:..AMERICA WAS ABOUT TO
BECOME A WORLD POWER... AND
THIS BOMBER PLAYED A PIVOTAL
ROLE IN THE SKIES OVER WESTERN
EUROPE.KEVIN WALSH; EXEC.
DIRECTOR, YANKEE AIR MUSEUM
50:08 "THE TARGETS THERE WERE
MANUFACTURING FACILITIES.
INFRASTRUCTURE LIKE RAILWAYS,
BRIDGES, THINGS LIKE THAT.
THAT'S WHAT WE HAD TO DO IS WE
HAD TO TAKE OUT THOSE TYPES OF
CAPABILITIES OF THE ENEMY IN
ORDER TO WIN THE WAR."AND THE
B-17 WASN'T A LUXURY AIRCRAFT.
KEVIN WALSH; EXEC. DIRECTOR,
YANKEE AIR MUSEUMYANKEE AIR
MUSEUM51:13 "THERE'S NO
PRESSURIZATION, THERE'S NO
HEATING, THERE'S NO COOLING,
THE SKIN IS THE THICKNESS OF A
QUARTER. THIS IS A DIFFERENT
KIND OF FLYING THAN WHAT YOU
DO WHEN YOU GET ON A DELTA
AIRLINE."CONDITIONS WERE
CRAMPED. AND WITH COVID-19 OUT
THERE... THE YANKEE AIR MUSEUM
IS ALLOWING FEWER GUESTS ON
FLIGHTS, REQUIRES MASKS, AND
WIPES EVERY BIT OF THE
CLOSE-QUARTERS CABIN.JON RULE;
PILOT56:12 "IT'S JUST WASTED
SPACE IF YOU HAVE IT
CONVENIENT AND COMFORTABLE. AS
YOU CAN SEE, SOME OF OUR
POSITIONS IN THE AIRCRAFT ARE
VERY TIGHT. YOU DON'T WASTE
SPACE IN WAR MACHINES. YOU
CAN'T AFFORD IT."EACH FLYING
FORTRESS HAD A CREW OF 10
MEN... AND THE DAYTIME BOMBING
RAIDS OVER GERMANY COST MANY
AMERICAN LIVES.KEVIN WALSH;
EXEC. DIRECTOR, YANKEE AIR
MUSEUM53:18 "THE CHANCES OF
SURVIVAL WERE LESS THAN 50
PERCENT. SO, YOU IMAGINE GOING
TO YOUR JOB EVERY IMAGINE
GOING TO YOUR JOB EVERY DAY
AND YOUR CHANCES WERE LESS
THAN 50 PERCENT YOU'D ACTUALLY
COME HOME."AND AMONG THE
CROWD... WAS A MAN WHO TOOK
THOSE ODDS.JOHN PYLMAN; WWII
VETERAN, B-17 NAVIGATOR18:47
"THE EXPERIENCES--THEY WERE
YOURS AND YOU DID THE BEST YOU
COULD WITH THEM. WE HAD SOME
NEAR MISSES, BUT WE SURVIVED.
ALL OF US HAD A JOB TO DO AND
WE DID IT. AND WE WERE PROUD
OF IT."HE WAS BARELY 20 YEARS
OLD.AND GIVES ALL THE CREDIT
TO THE B-17.JOHN PYLMAN; WWII
VETERAN, B-17 NAVIGATOR18:20
"THE PLANE DESERVES IT. I'M
NOT SO SURE I DO, BUT THE
PLANE DESERVES IT."JOHN DOMOL
THERE WERE MORE THAN 12,000
B-17S BUILT DURING WWII. AND
AT THE END OF THE DAY, FOR THE
YANKEE AIR MUSEUM, THE WHOLE
POINT OF THIS EXPERIENCE IS TO
KEEP THE MEMORIES OF THE
GREATEST GENERATION ALIVE.
KEVIN WALSH; EXEC. DIRECTOR,
YANKEE AIR MUSEUM54:23
"WHATEVER SPARKS SOME
INSPIRATION IN A YOUNG CHILD
OR AN ADULT TODAY, YOU KNOW,
THE BOTTOM LINE'S RIGHT THERE.
WE HOPE WE INSPIRE PEOPLE."
REPORTING IN MUSKEGON, JOHN
DOMOL NEWS 8.
