The Experimental Aircraft Association‘s B-17 “Aluminum Overcast” is officially back in action after a successful stop in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, the last weekend in October. Working in partnership with EAA Chapter 33, the B-17 had 14 flights on the weekend of Oct. 24, 2020, with 109 prospective riders pre-booked.
“I can tell you that the unseasonably cold temperatures, in the 30°s each day, did not deter our visitors from coming off of the airplane smiling ear to ear from their recent experience,” EAA Manager of Air Tours Kristy Busse said. “Many of our visitors brought family stories and memories showcasing their direct connection to World War II, the B-17, and the Greatest Generation. It was an honor to spend time with each of them and feel the importance of their connection to this aircraft and flight experience.”
The Air Tours team at EAA had spent seven months communicating with chapters, prospective airport hosts, and other operators, and during that time developed the new out and back tour stop model to ensure “Aluminum Overcast” could continue operating in a safe manner, according to EAA officials. An ionizing fogger used between flights sanitizes the B-17, and volunteers, crewmembers, and riders wear masks.
“COVID-19 was a non-issue in Cedar Rapids because our volunteers and guests treated each other with respect,” Kristy said. “The entire public from small children up to our oldest visitor self-regulated within CDC guidance. We had no issues with riders as a result of COVID-19 related changes and, in fact, the weather was a bigger factor on the weekend than anything pandemic related.”
Aluminum Overcast followed its stop in Iowa with a stop in Champaign, Illinois, Oct. 30-Nov. 1 at the University of Illinois-Willard Airport.
For more information on the B-17 Aluminum Overcast tour and to book a flight, visit EAA.org/B17.