Passengers get ready to board the B-17 bomber on June 30, 2023. (Photo Courtesy Chris Brown)

By Chris Brown

B-17 bomber flight like a trip back in time: passenger

Jun 30, 2023 | 3:12 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – If you looked to the sky above Medicine Hat this morning and this afternoon you may have seen a piece of history flying high.

Marco Jansen was one of those on board the Second World War B-17 bomber and says for him it was a trip back in time.

“This is cool, this is nice, it’s beautiful scenery, Medicine Hat’s a lovely city to see from the air. But to put yourself in the mindset of those young men that actually went to war in this thing,” he says.

“Like these things, in our safety briefing they talked about this isn’t WestJet. These are not comfy seats, this was not meant to carry passengers. It was meant for one thing and one thing only. And to imagine you’re in this thing with a couple of hundred other ones around you, you’re being shot at and you’re trying to drop bombs and come home alive.”

BREAKING

Medicine Hat's Mustard Seed adding new shelter spaces at Alberta government's request

53m ago

HOLIDAYS

Medicine Hat Kiwanis hosting Christmas dinner, applications due Friday

3h ago

IN THE COMMUNITY

'Compassionate Friends' offer peer support for bereaved in Medicine Hat

18h ago

The plane is here at the Medicine Hat Family, Fun and Flight from Commemorative Air Force Airbase Arizona on the Flying Legends of Victory Tour.

The B-17 Flying Fortress named Sentimental Journey is a high-flying long-range bomber that was built in 1944. There are only a few of these B-17s still flying out of the 13,000 that were produced between 1936 and 1945.

Jansen’s interest in taking a flight is sparked by many of his interests. He recently retired as a flight service specialist at the Medicine Hat Regional Airport, has been involved with air cadets for years, has earned his pilot’s licence and is a military buff.

But he says even if you’re not as into aviation and military history like he is you should still check out the plane while it’s here.

“You can come here and just do a walking tour around the aircraft for $15 a person. Look into the bomb bay,” he says. “There are autographs from people that served on B-17s through the war. Some of them one-and-a-half missions, they got shot down and were POWs. Another was a tail gunner for 30 missions. And their signatures are inside. Again that’s so amazing to see that kind of stuff.”

The bomber is here until Sunday and rides and tours are still available and there is all kinds of memorabilia for sale.

For more on the B-17 bomber and the Medicine Hat event visit the Family, Fun and Flight Facebook page.