A view of the cockpit of the B-17 Flying Fortress “Ye Olde Pub” through the bomb bay. Pilot Shawn Mulligan said crews would often spend 10 hours flying combat missions in the plane, frequently at high altitude without cabin pressurization or heat, and were required to wear oxygen masks and even heated suits.
June 21, 2022
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Ye Olde Pub
Flying fortress highlights innovation and rigors of warplanes
MOSES LAKE — There’s a rather famous story behind the name painted on the side of the B-17 Flying Fortress bomber, “Ye Olde Pub,” that sat on a runway at Grant County International Airport for the Moses Lake Airshow on Saturday. “The crew of the airplane, they were on a bombing run over Germany,” said Shawn Mulligan, a professional pilot who flies the elderly bomber in his spare time for air shows. “The aircraft was so badly damaged from anti-aircraft fire, and I think some fighters were after it at one point. They ended up struggling to return to England.” ...