Crawl through a B-24 Bomber IN FLIGHT! 

I love what the Collings Foundation is all about keeping these airplanes flying so we can enjoy a piece of history. Unfortunately on October 2, 2019 the B-17 in this video crashed in Connecticut and lives where lost. Thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends of the victims.

My father did 22 missions in the B 24 “Jodey”. My dad and the plane survived. Pops is 99 now, still going strong. Bless the B24 or I wouldn’t be here lol.

I love seeing professionals doing professional stuff in t-shirts.

I understand for safety reasons you couldn't, but if you could've opened those bomb bay doors that would be been an ace view

My Dad flew in a B24 Liberator during his years serving in WWII. My Dad is 94 and still doing good today. What I wouldn't give to let my Dad go up in the B24 Liberator Bomber once again.

Really appreciate you keeping the memory of this great airplane alive! My Dad was also a B-24J pilot, with 30 missions over Europe. He was shot down over Calais, France, and his crew managed to return to the UK, to crash land at Hawkinge RAF fighter base. With over 400 holes in the airframe and three engines out, this crew did what was aeronautically impossible with a B-24. Not a single man of the 10 man crew received so much as a scratch! His crew joked with him later telling him they thought it was one of his better landings. Dad was part of the 446th Bomb Group, for which there is an excellent memorial at the Pima Air Museum in Tucson, Arizona, a very worthwhile stop for any aviation enthusiast.

My father flew 33 missions in 24's as part of the 450th BG. He was shot down over Toulon in March '43 and then spent the next 2 years and 3 months as a POW. Arrived back in St. Louis in late July, 1945. These aircrews were very gutsy guys, to say the least. Thanks, Steveo1.

My Dad was a gunner on the B -24. He use to affectionately call it " The Whistling Shit- house" I wish I could hear his B-24 stories just one more time.😔

‘Murica

well done you managed to not ruin it with tons of music like so many others.

Anyone else get anxiety watching him crawl so close to that rapidly spinning front gear?

I'm 71 . Used to watch T.V. " 12 o'clock high" . Very good show about WW2 flying. 😊

Steve, thank you for sharing. My grandfather served with 15th Air Force, 485th bomber group, 830th bomber squadron as a nose gunner on the b-24 out of north Africa. They were shot down in early 1945, POW in Germany till April 1945. We were blessed that everyone survived and the POW camp was liberated by General Patton. We were able to get some of his stories recorded before he passed away a little over 2 years ago in Vero Beach. Seeing this video really brings to light what conditions our brave soldiers endured during WWII. Thanks again and keep producing great content.

I taxied behind that B24 at KFXE that same day. Was incredible.

Dad was a Navigator '42 - 43 in the Central Pacific. Wish I had seen this video - and could have shown him before he passed. Thanks for the Tour. I can understand better the few things he mentioned about the plane and his time in combat.

I'm part of the group of Civil Air Patrol members who each year in October in Westminster, MD comes together to welcome The Collings Foundation as they bring these remarkable aircraft to Carroll County Regional Airport! To hear the sound of "Witchcraft's" giant radial engines or the brakes squeal on Nine-O-Nine in person is always fantastic, and to hear Betty Jane P-51 engine start up, there's nothing like it in the world, brings back memories of old school flying! This year will be my 8th year taking part in this spectacular event!

My grandfather was a navigator for B24s in the 15th in Italy and Central Europe. He flew missions over Linz, Austria, and even Ploesti later in the war. He even saw a 262 near the end of the war, but luckily wasn't engaged. I still have his dress uniform, medals, and bomber jacket.

Between the ice cold conditions, noise and constant worry of danger, young brave men went out in these machines as often as needed or until they met their end. May we never forget the sacrifice of these brave souls. God bless them and their loved ones.

A guy I used to work with many years ago, Robert Salmon, was part of a B-24's crew. He was shot down and had to bailout somewhere over Austria and was captured. He was seriously injured but told me that he got excellent medical treatment from the Germans.

Short pants, tee shirts, warm breezes, low altitude and friendly skies- must be peacetime. Thank you veterans!!!

I was lucky enough to shoot the same story as a photog at WFSB TV in Hartford years ago. My reporter and I were in a B24 and we were flying in formation with a B17 over the city. Walking through the bomb bay in flight is just a thrill. Thanks for bringing back the memories!

Heres to all the great guys who never made it back!!!!!!!!!

"Hey, Stretch, isn't your brother in the Big Red One?" Somebody better get this

Did anyone else have flashbacks to Call of Duty 2: Big Red One and the bomber mission in it that had you in this very same plane?? They got the inside done real well!!

Here before this gets 1 million views

With the exception of flying with my father, this was the best flight I have ever been on! Steveo nice to see you got to experience it. As I watched I got the same goosebumps I got during my flight. My grandfather was a co-pilot of one stationed out of Shipdham England in 44. POW after being shot down and survived the war to tell the stories later on in life.

Wow awesome video. My grandpa flew 53 combat missions in WW2 front gunner B-24. I always wanted to see the inside of one of these.

I did this a few years ago w my Dad. Was an incredible experience. My Grandfather flew in b-24s in WWII.

That's right, those airplanes shouldn't be in museum. Having them fly and let people experience it first hand is the best way (although quite expensive)

WOW!!! what a treat Steve. My grandfathers brother flew in one of the RAAF Libs in Papua New Guinea campaign. My grandfather was stationed with the army near the base at Lae. He heard them take off one night, but his brothers plane never returned. God Bless all those young men who gave their lives so we could enjoy the lives we have now.

My uncle Willis Steburg was a ball turret gunner on Liberators, with the 8th air force, 44th Bomb Group, RAF Shipdahm. Flew 22 missions.He Was shot down over France in april, 1944 near the Swiss border during a raid against a railroad locomotive shop. Only three crewmen got out, with my uncle being the last to bail. The bomber exploded as he jumped. He parachuted down, but had some serious burns. The tail gunner landed first, and as soon as he slipped out of his chute, he sprinted into a forest, where he eventually was smuggled back to England. the 2nd gunner broke his ankle on landing, and with my uncle's injuries, both men sat and waited as German troops closed in. They were both taken to a Luftwaffe hospital to recover from thier injuries. They were then sent to a POW camp in Poland where they would spend the rest of the war. They were liberated by US troops in May, 1945. He returned to his wife in Portsmouth, Ohio, and raised a daughter. He also helped raise me in my early childhood years. My uncle Willie seldom spoke of his war experiences, I guess like many, he didn't want to. The citations in his den spoke for him. He passed away in 1996. Some day I will fly in a Liberator in his honor.

Visited this tour a few times while in Ft. Myers, Fl. Was always blown away by everything involved with this celebration of history. At 6'1", 225, it was not easy to get around these planes. I can't fathom what it was like with bullets rattling around, bombs being deployed, and so many other planes crossing paths during runs in the war. I hope the spirits of those lost, plus those who survived but have passed on, sense just how much pride and thanks many of us have for what they did. This show is a true celebration of sacrifice and courage. Spread your wings and continue to fly, boys!

She is a beautiful aircraft. Thank you for keeping this old Warbird flying.

Now we can see why you "tap" the brakes during "gear up" GREAT experience.

My dad was 96, and just passed in March 2021. He was a tail gunner on a B-24 in the South Pacific, serving on Morotai, Leyte and Okinawa. He took a ride in this B-24 when it was called the Dragon and Its Tail back in the early 2000s. My mom, my daughter and I went to watch the flight. The sound of that plane was distinctive, and you knew you had trouble coming your way when you heard it. He flew some really long missions in the B-24 and said it was really cold up at the altitude they flew at. Most of his missions were night bombing raids on shipping and other targets. He was in the 13th Air Force, 868th Bomb Squadron, the 'Snoopers'.. His group was one of the first to have radar. He did not talk much about his service, but we later found a diary he kept,and his gunners log. He always said that he was grateful that he went to the Pacific because the loss rate was so high for the B-24 crews in Europe.

My favorite honor was getting to talk to a B24 Liberator Pilot at his home a few years ago before he passed, such a brave man. Sadly on his first combat mission flying the B24 a handful of Japanese Zeros killed his tail gunner and badly wounded his waste gunners and they were out for almost a year he said! Thank you for this video how cool seeing it from this perspective

Dude great footage. Btw, amazing this plane was able to lift up during the war due to weight of the crew's balls

My Grandpa was a Navigator Bombardier on a B24 during WWII. Thank you for the in flight tour SteveO

Thanks Steveo, this is one of my favorite pieces. As a member of the Commemorative Airforce and former A&P working on "the other" Flying B-24 today (Diamond Lil) I can really appreciate this film. I did the work as a volunteer to commemorate the uncle I never got to meet who was the pilot of a B-24, the Battering Ram, flying out of San Pancrazio, Italy to bomb Austrian targets where he was ultimately shot down and perished with 6 of his crew on May 29, 1944. He is still considered MIA.

I wish this had been a B-24J with a Top Gunner on it. My dad flew 63 missions in the Pacific as a Sgt-Major and was a top gunner with dual 50's. He never talked about what happened until he was near death. Bravest men in history. Love those B-24s!

I've just about all of Steveo's vids and this one takes it to the next level. Voice-over work and music were excellent and appropriate, too. That was the quickest 20 minutes of my life!

14:57 Nice to see that the WWII tail gunner mounted his GoPro for some nice POV gunner VLOGS! (JK... nice video, Cheers)!

That weird frame-rate vs propeller effect always messes with my head; looks so surreal.

When i was fresh out of High School, (early 70's), there were still plenty of War 2 veterans in the work force. I worked with a guy who was a crewman on B24's, he said it was really like a flying pig when loaded down with fuel and bombs, but once you burned off enough of the gas/bombs you didn't have to fight it so much. This is really a powerful tribute to those who served in those days, its hard to comprehend that 100,000+ allied airmen died in the skies over Europe, or that those little black clouds,(flak), in the distance were probably killing your friends, and would be waiting for you too ! The part of their story that we should remember is that they faced this day after day until they flew 25 missions. That doesn't sound like much, BUT the Army only expected them to fly 5-12 missions before being shot down or disabled !! And when they came home, they became "just the guy next door", but they weren't ,they were the best dam thing that ever happened to America.

Thanks for sharing this Stevo. My uncle Nicky, who I never got to meet, was a tailgunner in a B-24, and was lost over the island of Morotai in the Phillipines, after his bomber ran out gas, coming back from a bombing run. Cool to see what his vantage point must have looked like....

I flew on that same B24 a few years ago from San Diego to John Wayne! First rule was don't crawl on the bomb bay doors! Greatest 1-hour flight experience of my life! Nothing like it in the world! Great vid Stevo!

I also had the pleasure of a joyride on the Witchcraft out of Long Beach in 2015 for $500. (or 2014, I can't be sure.) One thing I recall clearly, being a commercial pilot myself, was their pilot's care in not over-stressing this great old war bird which, I was told, was the last flying Liberator on earth that actually saw action in world War ll. When I stood behind them mid-way during the half hour flight I never saw the airspeed exceed 160 Knots -- very slow for a four engine empty bomber. The flight was worth every dime ...a flight I will never forget.

This is nothing short of incredible. You can really feel what it’s like after watching this.

Love the cameo voice-appearance of Captain Mindy! Another great video Steveo!

To answer your question, Stevo, I *have* wondered what it would be like to crawl through a B-24 bomber in flight. Thanks for sharing this!

It’s such an amazing aircraft, amazing of them too keep it alive all this time, so much respect too the boys that flew it back when

Such a beautiful craft. I'm glad to see it in good hands that care greatly for it but still want it to be experienced by people today.

My Father was an MP in England, and was a security guard..protecting B -17s..got bombed many times and survived to come home and raise 6 children.

Love this beauty! ... raw metal! The gunner turrets are freaking amazing

So awesome to see. I just read a book by a B-24 pilot and it was great to be able to see a lot of what he talked about brought to life.

Wow such a wonderful salute to the Brave Air Crews from the Greatest Generation!!! It is great to see the B-24, B-17 and B-29 still flying today!!! Thank you for posting this great video!!!

You've certainly outdone yourself this time. Fabulous video and, might I add, major props to the pilot for that exceptional intro to the aircraft. I've crawled through Witchcraft while on the ground but in the air must have been incredible!

Love this - father led the 8th Air Force D Day Invasion with B24 - have his original flight plan! enjoyed! thank you

Great immersive vid and big thanks! Thanks too to all those who served and now to everyone involved in keeping these memories alive through their tireless efforts. I still have a B-24 hanging from my childhood bedroom ceiling, all those years ago. Really enjoyed this one and cheers from Sydney, Aust - Dave

Steveo, this is outstanding. Thank you so much for putting this video together. Very informative.

man, this video was an experience. Thanks for bringing history to life!

That cockpit view is INCREDIBLE!!

Spectacular. We got to see these two aircraft about 15 years ago in CA and was just amazed at how small they were inside and the amount of courage those men back in WWII to fly these into the jaws of war without hesitation. We met one of the crewmembers back in 2001 who flew in one of these back in WWII. He told us big guys were not comfortable in them and they preferred men 5'8" or shorter.

Thanks for the video. My grandfather worked in the Willow Run, MI B-24 plant during the war. He talked about once seeing Henry Ford there and how they employed "little people" to work inside the wings. I still have a hand book of the plant he gave me!

Amazing, props to the past airmen whom flew this, dealing with the tight quarters in the plane and how cold it must have been.

Thank you for sharing this! - Super interesting. Makes me want to work on getting my commercial ratting then go vintage.

Great video...I’ve been on this plane twice, once in Houston and once in Austin. My dad flew B-24’s based in Italy, he was a top turret/flight engineer.

Love this stuff....Had an Uncle...Fathers side...was a pilot of a bomber during WW 2....Pop had to do a bit of a hospital stay and his brother thought it was a good idea to low fly...Buzz...the hospital...lol..Pop ask him when he walked into the hospital looking all the part of a Bomber pilot..." Aren't you afraid of what they might do to you ? " Tom said... " What are they going to do send me to war to get killed !" ...He was already there....he made it thru and lived a long and great life...He did learn after the war not to fly a rented Cessna inverted over our house in Saugus , Calif....seems the fuel pump is not so good that way...he did save it before ground contact ...his sailboat days off Mexico in the 60's should have been so lucky..but then again he was not on the helm...lol...

My Dad did 33 missions in a B-17 and a B-24 during WWII he was a flight engineer. It still amazes me today how they would go up in those aircraft with people shooting at you from all different directions. Never mind temperatures of 30 below zero and have to wear an oxygen mask. But they did it

13:55 I've dreamed of being in that position when I get stuck in slow freeway traffic.

the chatter on the radio always fascinated me, it’s like a whole different language

Perhaps one of the best videos RU-vid has to offer. What a precious moments. Thank you.

Thanks for this Steveo - great job w the video and editing, per usual. We all owe so much to the greatest generation!! THANK GOD for their sacrifice - and to all who still do today.

I liked the narration by Steve O! It was different and awesome! Nice plane and nice video!

My dad was a Captain/Navigator in a B-17 flying with the 350th. Amazing to see this flying.

I have had the honor of a flight in Witchcraft a few years back when the group stopped at the same airport where I learned to fly. It was a flight I will never forget. I was surprised at how much the plane decelerated when the main gear touched the runway. I guess it takes a good bit of energy to get the large wheels turning. I was assigned the number one seat and still have my sticker with Witchcraft and #1 written on it. Thanks for the video, I enjoyed seeing the inside of a B24 again while in flight!

This was awesome. Our great-grandfather was a flight engineer in a B-24J during WWII (and a POW at Stalag XVII-B), so this video was great.

Thank You......My Dad was a Bombadier in the war in a B-24. He didn't talk about it Much, But Now I Know!!!!!! Thank You again.

Rad! Got to fly with these guys in Sacramento. Glad to have the chance to relive it. Good footage and planning with the cameras. So grateful that there are people devoted to preserving these things from a very different time period in our history.

This is the plane that was the king of the skies in WW2....and these pilots and crew were second to none!!!! God Bless them...because of them the world is a better place!

Very cool SteveO! I’ve got to see Witchcraft briefly at GYI when they were in Tx.

Thanks for this video. My grandfather was a radio operator that flew 25 missions over Germany during ww2 in a B24. Told me some crazy stories.. so much respect for that generation.

Thanks very much for that , really enjoyed seeing the inside. Always thought the B-24 was a beautiful aircraft, along with the Lancaster.

My grandfather flew B24's in WW2, this was awesome to watch, thank you!

Awesome airplane! Personally my favorite is the B-17 but it’s big sister is just as cool!

That was a kick-ass video, felt like being on-board right there with you.

I wish my father in law was still alive to see this. He was a B-24 pilot in WWII and flew many missions over Europe and Ploesti. One of his instructors was at that time LTC James (Jimmy) Stewart. We have check off sheets signed by him. Capt. James Leighton passed at 49 years old from Mesothelioma. The doctors thought he might have contracted it from the asbestos in the cockpit. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and Silver Star. One of his turret gunners was shot out of the aircraft. The aircraft landed safely from that flight.

My grandfather was a gunner on a B-24. 491st BG [H] "The Ringmasters" - 855th BS. I had the opportunity to fly on this 24 back when it was called The Dragon and His Tail. It was an amazing experience. So many of my grandfather's stories fit into place and made sense. It wasn't just learning history; it was experiencing history.

Sweet video! Love what you do and how you do it.

I like the "flight engineer", in the works....nice! Lol 😂

Incredible video. Thanks to everyone who made this possible.

Came here after reading Unbroken. Thank you so much for this amazing video of this beautiful plane!

I'm always amazed that people actually flew those machines into battle.

Thank you for an excellent video experience. My father sat in that seat in the tail for a lot of missions. Never would talk about it until one night opened up and the whole story of getting shot down , losing one of his buddies, breaking his arm, getting captured and going to prison camp came out.

This is really neat! Thank you for sharing this video with us!!!

Very cool! Witchcraft was visiting San Antonio back in Feb on the Wings of Freedom tour along with the B-17, B-25, and a P-51. I didn't take the flight they offered because I was paying for my 182's annual at the time; so it's great you took the time to go up and share it with us. Thanks Steveo!!

May the crew of 9 o 9 Rest In Peace, so glad I flew on the 17 before she crashed so sad to see history burn up..

Incredible 💜 Thank you for sharing 👍

Grandpa bailed out through the open Bombay’s doors over Vienna, Austria, spent the rest of the war as a pow. 11 crew (one extra) 5 survived the rest died. Rip grandpa who died at 96 years old.

Love the B24, my favourite WW2 bomber. Over here in England we have only a few flying examples, one B17 (Memphis Belle) and one Avro Lancaster. It’s great to see these old birds airborne again.