michaelharadon wrote:
I flew in Sentimental Journey twice in the early '90's when I was doing air show photography. When I was in the radio room and waist, it struck me how limited visibility was. And taking my clothes off in public (don't worry, ain't gonna happen) wouldn't make me feel more naked than I felt in the nose.
In both places, the noise was UNBELIEVABLE. I've wondered on occasion since how many lives were lost to reflexes dulled by the incessant noise and the cold of altitude.
Ever compare the relative sizes of a fifty cal and a twenty millimeter bullet? Imagine that in the back of your mind as you went to work surrounded by bombs, ammunition, oxygen tanks and hydraulic fluid. Those crews were brave beyond my ability to understand bravery...
In May 1990, I worked for a TV station in Victorville, CA, and wangled the chance to ride Sentimental Journey from Camarillo to Apple Valley. They gave me the best seat in the house for takeoff and landing - the bombadier's seat in the nose. I wound up making a half-hour documentary about the flight, the aircraft, and the people who keep her flying. Michael is right - one feels quite naked in the nose. The young wartime crewmembers were expected to fly into the face of enemy fighters and ack-ack surrounded only by a thin layer of aluminum and plexiglass. It must have been terrifying.
Regarding the noise - Sentimental Journey produced its share. But a few years later, I had the chance to fly on Collings' B-24, then in its "All-American" livery. As loud as SJ was, it could not compete with AA. The noise aboard a Liberator, especially behind the engines, is a physical force that beats down on you. My flight on SJ was enlightening and sobering, but still quite exhilarating. The flight on AA, on the other hand, left me worn out and exhausted. Bottom line: Any man who completed 25 or more missions in either aircraft has earned my eternal respect.
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