If you heard a roar over the Chippewa Valley Tuesday and saw a large airplane, you might have been wondering what it was.

The Experimental Aircraft Association's restored B-17 Flying Fortress was in town to honor veterans, and give people a chance to see an airplane that many said won the war over the skies of Germany.

According to the EAA, there are only about 12 still left flying in the U.S., but it only takes one to take your mind back to a time when thousands were built to win a war in the air, at a high price.

Pilots say the Boeing B-17 was cutting edge technology when it was designed in the mid 30's.

And today, more than 60-years after the war ended, the sight of this plane, for many veterans, stirs memories, and emotions.

"When your time comes, it comes. And I figured my time wasn't ready yet," says Doug Ward. In 1944 he was assigned to his B-17 as a ball turret gunner, a job he admits was a dangerous one.

His job was to pick out German fighters.

"I shot at a lot of them, but God only knows if I got 'em or not."

And many of Ward's friends didn't make it home.
Of the more than 12,000 B-17s that were built, more than 4,700 were lost in combat. That means as many as 47,000 men may have died.

Which makes Ward lucky, "they figured if you made three missions, survived three missions, you were lucky."
He survived 32 missions.

But all these years later, Doug Ward and others are getting the chance to fly one more mission, aboard a Flying Fortress.

This B-17, nicknamed "Aluminum Overcast" was restored and is owned by the EAA based in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
And the pilots say this too, has a mission.

George Daubner, the B-17 Bomber pilot says, "we're remembering the people from World War II, kind of the generation that saved the world. Um, that's what this tour is all about, you know saluting the veterans."

With almost 5,000 horsepower, Aluminum Overcast plows its way off the runway and into the air, giving people a glimpse of what life inside the flying fortress was like.

From the waist gunner position, you can see the memories come flooding back, and over the roar of the engines, Doug Ward even shares with us what he remembers about the bumpy weather over Germany.

From the bomb bay, to the cockpit, you get a sense of how 10 men worked together to accomplish a mission, and save each other's lives.

And the most spectacular view is from the bombardier's chair, looking out over fields, through a massive glass bubble.

It's these experiences and memories that pilots like George Daubner, want these vets to remember, and share, "all of a sudden, you start putting two and two together, the airplane the people the war and what it all meant to them, the country."

And you can see inside Aluminum Overcast, and maybe even go for a flight.

The rides happen Wednesday, July 1, from 10:15 a.m. to 1:15 p.m.

The rides cost $385 for EAA members, and $425 for non-members.
You can call 1-800-359-6217 for more information and to sign up or you can register at the airport.

You can also tour the bomber on the ground for $5, or $15 per family.
Veterans and active military members can tour the plane for free.