BY VINCENT F. SAFUTO A World War II-era B-17G Flying Fortress owned by the Experimental Aircraft Association is coming to the region for tours and flights in November. From Friday to Sunday, the "Aluminum Overcast" will be parked at the south ramp of the Charlotte County Airport. On Nov. 13 and 14, the plane will be at a site yet to be determined at Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport.. According to the EAA's Web site, this B-17G was delivered to the United States Army Air Forces on May 18, 1945, too late for action in World War II. It was bought as surplus in 1946 for $750, and saw service as a cargo plane and aerial mapper, and in pest control and forest dusting. Of the 12,732 B-17s built, about a dozen are still flying, the EAA said on its Web site. The EAA acquired this airplane in 1983 and restored it. "Aluminum Overcast" wears the identification of the 398th Bomb Group, and it commemorates a B-17G that was shot down on its 34th combat mission over Le Manior, France, on Aug. 13, 1944. Veterans of the bomb group helped pay for the restoration, which included re-equipping the plane with the bombsight, guns and other gear it would have carried on war missions. Ground tours will be available at both sites for $6 per person for ages 18 and up, $10 per family and $5 per student. Thirty-minute flights aboard "Aluminum Overcast" are available. The price is $399 for non-EAA members if booked online, and $425 if booked on-site. Flights can be booked at http://www.b17.org, by phone at (800) 359-6217 or by e-mail at b17reservations@eaa.org.
