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B-17 ‘Madras Maiden’ To Offer Flights Over St. Louis June 2-3
The Liberty Foundations 2018 Salute to Veterans tour will be arriving in St. Louis on Monday, May 28 at noon for media opportunities. On display will be the famous Boeing B-17 “Madras Maiden” celebrating 73 years since the end of WWII.
The aircraft will be open to the public and available for flights and ground tours on Saturday & Sunday June 2-3 from 10-5 each day at Spirit of St. Louis Airport in Chesterfield
As the B-17 flies around town these next two weekends, its famous silhouette and unique sound should a great deal of attention allow people to know where to come out to see and experience this ultimate history lesson.
The World War II Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress “Madras Maiden” will take to the skies over St. Louis. Public flights will begin in the morning with ground tours in the afternoon.
The Liberty Foundation’s B-17 “Madras Maiden” is one of only 12 B-17’s that still fly today. The B-17 dubbed the “Flying Fortress” as a result of her defensive fire power saw action in every theater of operation during WWII. The majority of all WWII B-17’s were operated by the 8th Airforce in Europe and participated in countless missions from bases in England deep into enemy territory.
There were 12,732 B-17s produced between 1935 and 1945, of these 4,735 were lost in combat. Following WWII, the B-17 saw combat in three more wars, B-17s saw service in Korea, Israel used them in the war of 1948 and they were even used during Vietnam.
“Madras Maiden” was built toward the end of the war and never saw any combat. It is painted in the colors of the 381st Bomb Group. The 381st BG flew 297 operational missions during the war, dropping 22,000 tons of bombs. During this time they lost 131 B-17’s and downed over 223 enemy aircraft.
During flight operations, there will be a designated, secure area for those who would like to watch the aircraft flights at no charge. The B-17 flight experience takes 45 minutes with approximately half hour in flight. B-17 Flights are $410 for Liberty Foundation members and $450 for non-members.
Passengers can become a Liberty Foundation Member for $40 and receive the member discount for family and friends. While the cost to take a flight sounds expensive, it must be put into perspective when compared to the B-17’s operating cost. A Flying Fortress cost is over $5,000 per flight hour. The Liberty Foundation spends over $1,500,000 annually to keep the B-17 airworthy and out on tour.
