By Sharon Rostovich
Airport Manager
Draughon-Miller Central Texas Regional Airport
What a weekend we had at our little airport in Temple on August 18-19, 2001! With the arrival of the “Texas Raiders”, a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress, and a PBJ1J, which was the version of the B-25 Mitchell medium bomber that the U.S. Marine Corps flew over the Pacific in World War II, 36 folks (some WWII veterans) took a ride in this 57-year-old B-17 beauty! You can imagine the memories that this event brought back to our WWII fighting men in attendance, who took the ride. Men like J. B. Young, 85, from Wimberley, who was then a young, flight engineer and top turret gunner during the war said, “… this ride was a lot better than when people were shooting at you.” Young went on to recall, “… they [enemy] followed me home one night, dropping bombs down the runway behind us.”
This gem of an airplane is the oldest, continuous Flying B-17 in existence and is based at Ellington Field in Houston. The Texas Raiders is authentically painted in the colors of the 38th Bombardment Group of the U.S. 8th Air Force and was built in 1945. The restored aircraft flies annually at various airshows in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Crew members are volunteers and members of the Confederate Air Force (CAF) and pilots, professional aviators with commercial air transport experience.
There were about 5,000 attendees, who flew, drove or walked to this event and were treated to a vintage T-6 Trainer, a beautiful formation flight of RV-6s, a fly-by of outstanding biplanes, including an aerobatic pilot who decided to show off his aviation skills! Our police helicopter and our ARFF truck gave some folks the thrill ride of their lives as well. Temple Aero provided Fun Flights to 85 future aviators and our Civil Air Patrol kept the crowd going with delicious food and beverages during both afternoons.
The most memorable part of this two-day event was meeting so many of our honorable WWII veterans! And, the emotional reminder that this unique aircraft and its crew members fly today as a tribute to the generations, who have served our country to preserve our freedom in the United States.