A relic of World War II is flying over Tucson this week, as a restored B-17 bomber has been brought to town to let Tucsonans climb in and experience a piece of history. On Monday, September 22^nd, I was lucky enough to take a ride.

The B-17, also known as the Flying Fortress, brings back memories for veterans like Dewayne Bennett. As an Air Corps Captain, Bennett flew a B-17 over Germany for 31 missions, and he isn’t afraid to admit that he was scared. “When we were instructed to fly at 5,000 feet, I flew at 5,000 feet praying I didn’t make a little mistake that would kill 9 guys,” he says.

You can imagine the trip over Tucson inside the Liberty Belle was a little more relaxed. The Liberty Belle is one of just a dozen B-17’s still flying, and from inside we saw the same perspective the airmen had over Germany more than 65 years ago.

The Liberty Belle is still equipped with the guns that fired 50-caliber ammo at the enemy. The ride was quite a rush, as I got to sit where the front gunners sat in war missions.

As for the former pilots and gunners, it was a reflective flight over memory lane. “I’m going to be 89 years old tomorrow, and this is a beautiful birthday present,” says Bennett.