B-17 Sentimental Journey Airbase Arizona

An icon of World War II, the mighty B-17 earned the nickname “Flying Fortress” for its heavy defensive armament. The B-17G model carried up to 13 .50 caliber machine guns on long-range missions over Europe, striking key industrial targets of the Nazi war machine. Sentimental Journey was built and delivered to the U.S. Army Air Forces in 1945 and assigned to the Pacific Theater near the end of the war, though it did not see combat. After the war, it served in training, testing, and air-sea rescue roles before being sold as surplus and later used as a fire bomber. In 1978, the aircraft was donated to the Commemorative Air Force. She was meticulously restored and is today maintained in tip-top condition and operated by all-volunteer crews from the CAF Airbase Arizona membership. Today, it continues to fly across the country as a living piece of history as part of the "Flying Legends of Victory Tour."

A true icon of World War II, the mighty B-17 earned the nickname “Flying Fortress” owing to its considerable defensive armament. A quick look at the airplane, and it is clear how the B-17 earned its name. The G model bristled with 13 .50 caliber guns for use during long missions into Germany, where the aircraft bombed industrial targets essential to the Nazi war machine.