Can you imagine, leaving England in a B-17 back in 1943, and knowing there is a big chance your not coming back. Brave men, all of them.

I was a 8 year old and looked at a hundred of them flying over my hometown in holland toward germany.Will never forget that sight

After setting down in a cornfield with engine trouble an lost to a fire. She's being rebuilt from the ground up, before my mom passed away. She gave me a birthday present a ride on the liberty bell aircraft when it came to Bakersfield California back in the day. The photos I took during the flight were priceless a chance of a lifetime mom thank you mom. Your son Scott Phillips

To any WWII Allied vets out there: I have the utmost respect for you. Thank you for your service.

Really cant imagine a thousand of these babies in formation over germany, what a sight that must have been.

As I watch this video, with headphones, I think about how I were a WW2 airman how utterly terrified I would be if I flew missions, my hat truly comes off to all who served

Love how there’s a Garmin 430 in the cockpit. Can you imagine if our boys would’ve had that thing back in the day! All-time queen of the skies.

My uncle Red flew these over the hump from Burma against the Japanese. He was shot down several times and Mia twice. He lived until 1995.

My mother was a B-17 mechanic at Nellis in '45. After working on altimeter and tachometer she and the guys would take it up for a test ride.. They'd strap themselves in tight and open the bomb bay doors to look down at Nevada. Ma!

Absolutely amazing. These babies would come back from missions shot to pieces but still flying. God bless America!

I flew in the Sentimental Journey and will never forget that day. Love the B-17!

I’ll never get to see or board this beautiful and historic aircraft but when I watch this video, I’ll feel that I’m there. Thanks for sharing 🙏🏾

Thank you for your words on here Sir. My Grandma worked in the assembly factory in Washington. She always loved telling the story, one day someone realized they left a wrench inside a wing after they assembled the cover panels on. They found my Grandma who was the smallest person there to climb inside this small hole and crawl through the wing to find the wrench.

Truly amazing to get a glimpse on what those crewmen saw 70 years ago. Great video. Thanks!

My uncle flew as tail gunner over Germany. He said the flak was so thick and sitting thru it with no protection was the scariest experience one could imagine!! He would do anything to get out of it,,,One day they asked for volunteers for new project..Not even knowing what it was he jumped up...They were losing so many fighter pilots they would waive the glasses he wore and he became a "90 day wonder" P-51 pilot!!! He was shot down over Germany and became POW. HERO for sure!!!

My son and I went up in this plane last year. It was the ride of our life. DO IT IF YOU CAN...

Man oh man, the sound of those radials all in sync is waaaaaay cool.

R.I.P. Liberty Belle

I was lucky to have seen this plane in flight twice,both times in my home state of Maine

One of coolest videos i've seen !

GREAT VIDEO THANKS FOR SHARING...I GET GOOSE BUMPS EVERY TIME I SEE THE B-17 AT AIR SHOWS HERE ON LONG ISLAND NY.

She always loved telling the stories, and of her friend Porky who started training in his P38. He would buzz over the city and she would say Porkys back in town!. He later got lost in Holland and his aircraft was just recently found. My Grandad served in the pacific servicing mainly Hellcats and SB2Cs, I miss them both very much, they would take me to the Air Force Museum when I was a kid, once I had got to climb inside and walk the B17 there. Id love to hear your stories and talk in person Sir!

How damn cool was that!!? Several years ago my partner and I went to a local airshow, rumor had it a B1 bomber was to make a showing, and we found ourselves taking refuge from the sun under the wing of a B 17. Quite a gorgeous plane as far as an antique killing machine is concerned. The B1 didn't appear before we had to leave but midway thru the parking lot as we were headed to our car, we saw it coming in for a pass by and as it screamed overhead it set off countless car security alarms!!

Exactly right. I used to help pull through propeller blades on big radial engines to circulate the oil. It was an 'all-hands-to-the-pump' chore on Warbird flight lines.

What a fabulous aircraft... and fabulous video too! Thanks for posting this!

I actually used to have a resturant called the Liberty Belle, and it was a very popular place to eat, we were so upset when they closed it down and tore it down later on......

Thank you for your service, sir.

My great uncle was a gunner on one of these in WWII. He and his entire crew were reported missing (MIA) after being shot down on a mission in the area of northern Germany. Witnesses stated that no one got out of the plane as it went down. Finally, in the mid-70's he and his crew were officially declared dead and listed as KIA's. I was fortunate enough to get to take a ride on the Liberty Bell a few months before she crashed landed and burned. She was a beautiful plane and an awesome ride.

@Gandyware These ol' war machines deserve all the respect and attention they can get these days. There is a definite grace and solidity to them even decades later. (This, of course, also applies to the men who flew them.)

A beautiful video. Nothing compares with these radial-engine beauties. It was a sad day when Liberty Belle crashed, but the crew did a superb job bringing her down and getting everyone off safely. Top professionalism all around. Another B-17 is being rebuilt from scraps of several crashed fire bombers at the the Champaign Air Museum, Urbana, OH. Nose Art for "Champaign Lady" has already been applied, but the rebuilding will take years. Liberty Belle was a similar example of sheer determination and expertise. The people who rebuild, fly, and maintain these gallant birds are indeed a special breed. Thank you for your excellent photography.

Such an awesome aircraft. Thanks for sharing.

I have a friend that flew the B-17, and the B-24 over Europe.

Thanks for the ride.

Absolutely beautiful aircraft.

I rode on her in May 2011. Great experience and i will never forget it. It is quite a shame she is gone now.

Great footage. Even the outside views despite some viewers not being so happy. Love the shot of the plane in it's own "sunball" shadow across the treetops.

I flew aboard her in August, 2009 over Charlotte, NC. Sat in the waist gunner's area on takeoff & landing and crawled into the nose bubble over Charlotte. We did not have to sing "Oh, Danny Boy" on landing. A once-in-a-lifetime experience.

AWSOME ! Beautiful immersive footage; takes you inside a flying museum with all of its ordinance in pristine condition. Rumble takes viewer back to former missions in WW2.

Ever since I can remember I have always been fascinated by how brave and courageous those who flew the big bomber was. Sadly, many men lost their lives fighting against a terrible threat to humanity. Thankfully we had enough airplanes and enough people to stand up to the German threat of world domination. Many were lost but enough got through and did terrible damage to Germany. When it was over, cities lay in ruin, ships were sunk, aircraft were shot down, and 5.3 million Germans perished. Those brave American men and the courageous RAF flyers together smashed and pounded until there was nothing left of the 3rd Reich. I am forever thankful to all who fought for freedom. I salute you all.

Great video. Must have been a hell of an experience.

Got a ride on this plane in Kissimmee FL. Once in a lifetime experience.

So cool to see, the best America could do, its like flying art.. she's like a flying Harley Davidson chopper with machine guns. The B24 was a bit more economical, but the B17 was a fine sexy ship. Thank you for letting us experience being in her, as a kid I made many models of this plane.

Very nice work - thanks for sharing this video!

only if i could just get a 1-3 hour flight in that i would be so HAPPY!!! my favourite plane ever made and i mean IT!

GOD BLESS U AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE

Great film, thank you for posting

Thank you for your service sir.

very nice thanks for the ride.

love the sound of those engines...!

Fantastic! Thank you very much for sharing, appreciate it a lot. Greets from the Netherlands, T.

Wow! Great video!!

Great video gentlemen, thank you for KZfaq upload.

very nice footage! it must have been an awesome ride.

Some cool shots,

When I was a journalist I was allowed to take a short flight in this glorious aircraft. It was amazing but I was really scared because there was no roof in the center of the fuselage! I was sure I'd be pitched out and then I'd never make my deadline! She was gorgeous!

This was very cool to see.

this was real good thanks Lee

I've flown in one, pretty awesome experience.

I flew in the B-17 when it came to Barrie Canada in August 2016 just an amazing flight I will always remember it

beautiful!

Great Video, great Plane!

Such a Good sounding airplane.

This is a nice video and, as far as amateur vids go, is better than most if you ask me, shows many different views. I especially liked the one at 4:44 out the dome. My Dad was a navigator in one of these late in the war, he left behind a lot of pics he took both during training and on missions over Germany, many from some cool vantage points, but none like that view looking back at the pilots!

Great vid

You don't relise how big the B17 is until you see one at an air show. Those things are huge and the wing width is amazing. hell of a plane

Simply outstanding video!!! It's crash landing and demise today is such a tragedy. I know the people that restored and operated her must be sick beyond words. Thank you for sharing this awesome video, this is one of the best I've seen of a B-17.

That vid is incredible! Enjoyed it very much! Thank you for plain awesomeness, sufsupusa!

I just learned why this bomber was so awesome. It was all in the highly advanced turbo-super charger that allowed this aircraft to fly much higher then previous models

Great video! I would love to go up in one these birds sometime.

I love this old planes so much its just sad that they aren't in use anymore

I met one of the guys that is rebuilding this plane, at least he said it was Liberty Belle, I didn't see nose art but still he's and a partner are building her piece by piece.

incredible airplane!!

I took a ride in this plane about a year before it crashed and burned. It was a super awesome experience. Sad to know of its ending.

Awesome video! I'd love to be in the co-pilot's seat! One incredible plane!

Lucky you, that must have been a nice experience!

wow awesome video.....

Magnifique video bravo 👍

Dang it camera guy!! If i wanted to see what america looks like i'd have gone on google earth! i wanted to see a walkthrough of the b-17 as it's flying, i.e from front to back, all the turrets etc and how it looks like when flying..

Very cool, well done :)

incredible

Beatiful picture of this important, Boeing, bomber plane whith Wright engines

Excelente video👌

Yea! Ron 💪🏼

I can't imagine how brave those young men were with German planes all around shooting at you,wow incredible

My father served in ww2.. I remember him telling me how classified the bomb sights were.. I thought that was amazing.. Beautiful plane

Why hand spin propellers on the B-17? Radial engines cylinders are mounted in a circle around the engine case. Imagine the face of a clock with it's numbers 1,2,3,4,5,6 etc. If a cylinder would be located at the number 6 position as in a dial face #6, that cylinder, because of gravity, could allow oil to seep past the rings of the piston within the cylinder causing serious damage if a start was attempted w/o clearing by hand cranking because of what is termed "hydraulicking" The normal air/fuel mixture is compressed when the engine rotates but oil isn't compressible. Trying to start a radial with oil accumulated in a cylinder head likely means serious damage to the internal parts of the engine. Cylinders at the bottom of the engine have raised skirts to dam oil from entering the cylinder but hand turning the engine through to be sure no oil has seeped into the bottom cylinders is always accomplished with a radial or round engine as a precaution. Common practice with any radial engine, not just the -17. Lesson over.

Very nice video. Great resolution and you had some really interesting shots (like from the bombadeer's blister toward the windshield. I think that's the Collings Foundation B-17, no? It comes out here to the Pacific Northwest every now and then.

Nice!

now thats pretty cool

amazing

Amazing plane. I can see why it's called the Flying Fortress.

Wow. Look at the wear on the throttles.

Gran video. es la unica forma en que creo,podré conocer uno verdadero. UN SUEÑO..felicitaciones al camarografo.

What a beast! Loaded to its take off limit almost every mission, those powerful radials had all they could do to heave that monster into the air with a full load of bombs, 50 cal ammo, full fuel tanks and a ten man crew. An engine misfire or an improperly set mixture control either meant a crash on take off or a return to base. Both of which could and were deadly to most if not all of the crew members. Returning to base meant landing an overloaded bomber full of high octane fuel and all its bombs. Many of the pilots and co pilots were inexperienced, very young men in their late teens or early twenties possibly on their first or second mission with a minimum number of flight hours. The B-17 had no way to jettison its enormous fuel load. You either had a maximum fuel load at take off with no way to dump it or you returned from a mission with just enough fuel to Return to base, if the plane had sustained no critical damage from flak or fighters. B-17s fell out of the sky by the hundreds and subsequently were built by the thousands. Many were built by car and truck manufacturers with no knowledge of aircraft construction. This fact had to account for build flaws that might only show up when the plane was over its target swimming through a sea of flak or being attacked by German fighter planes. The crews and aircraft were expendable.

R.I.P Great Warrior :´(

I think that the B-17 was a great looking plane I would love to have a ride in one.

I JUST saw a video on KZfaq saying this very plane crashed in June 2011! It didn't specify what caused the accident, but there was fire and smoke shortly after take-off, and she crashed in a corn field in Illinois 5mi from the airfield. All 7 aboard escaped, but the "Liberty Belle" herself was a total loss. So sad to hear that. This would have been an awesome experience!

OUTSTANDING!!!!

great machine

This was a fine video and told a story. I don't understand the criticism. Have to show land below to get an idea of what things are like flying in it, to have idea of the experience.