On April 16, 1942, when Lt. Colonel James Doolittle led 16 North American B-25 Mitchell bombers off of the carrier USS Hornet's flight deck on the famous Doolittle Raid, the twin engine B-25 bomber's place in history was cemented. The raid came just months after the Japanese surprise attack on the United States' Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor, and it provided a huge morale boost for Americans as the nation geared itself to win World War II.

Air show visit

For the past two years, the B-25J Panchito, a later model of the B-25 Mitchell bomber, has visited the Lehigh Valley Air Show, participating in the static ground display and flying simulated attack runs, to the delight of the tens of thousands of spectators who attend the air show.

Half hour trips in the venerable aircraft are also available.

This year, under a blue sky with white puffy clouds, I took a ride in Panchito the morning of Aug. 24, hoping to experience a taste of what those Doolittle Raiders felt, do some aerial photography of the Bethlehem area, and experience what it may have been like for my late father when he flew during World War II as a tail gunner in a PB4Y2 US Navy patrol bomber in the Pacific Theater.

Off we go

I booked a seat in the waist which was near the starboard portal that would give me the clearest photographic views as we flew over Bethlehem. After receiving emergency landing instructions and guidance for moving about in the plane's confined spaces, I climbed up a ladder and through the small rear opening to find my seat right in front of the 50 caliber waist guns. There were five passengers and a crew of three including Panchito's owner and pilot Larry Kelley, his co-pilot Joe Broker and crew member Chris Burton who sat near me.

I fastened my seat belt and Burton explained that our seats had been installed for passengers in place of the drop down canvas benches used by B-25 crews. In our location there would have been a waist gunner and bombardier/radio operator operating in very tight quarters. I realized that the Doolittle Raiders airmen must have been slighter in stature than I am. It must have been uncomfortable flying for the many hours it took to reach Japan.

Engine roar

Although we had been issued headphones to protect our hearing from engine noise, I took mine off as the twin Wright R-2600 14 cylinder 1700 horsepower engines revved immediately prior to takeoff. I wanted to hear exactly what it had sounded like as those 16 B-25s readied for takeoff from the Hornet's flight deck. It was one of the most impressive sounds I've ever heard and one I will never forget.

As we sped down the runway I was astonished to realize that these planes had been able to launch from a much shorter aircraft carrier deck in the rolling Pacific Ocean, a testament to the skill of Doolittle and the other 15 pilots back in 1942.

About the views

Once airborne, we were allowed to move around in the back of the plane. I sat on the floor next to the opening where I would do my photography, being careful to keep my camera lens inside so that the air stream rushing over the plane would not rip it off my neck and out the circular 18-inch hole through which I was shooting.

The views of my hometown which were unfolding beneath us were stunning, and I shot away capturing city neighborhoods, my alma mater Liberty HS, the former Bethlehem Steel Plant, the former Homer Research Center on South Mountain, the Sands Bethlehem Casino Resort, downtown, Martin Tower and more.

Wearing headphones

We made two passes over Bethlehem during our flight and then two passes over the Lehigh Valley International Airport so I could capture aerial images of the air show. While shooting out the starboard opening I wore headphones to communicate with Pilot Larry Kelley who would alert me to upcoming passes and views.

Midway through our flight another passenger and I switched our positions for a few minutes so he could capture a few photos with his phone camera and I could take in the sights from the tail gunner's position. It's an even tighter space surrounded mostly by a Plexiglas canopy, and all I could think of was my father flying in this position in his PB4Y2 as American forces island hopped their way across the Pacific toward the eventual conclusion of World War II. Now his son had at least experienced a small taste of what he had known.

After about five minutes in the tail, I went back to my initial photography position to finish out the flight and later returned to my seat to buckle in for the landing.

Once again I took off my headphones so I could hear those engines as we landed at LVIA.

After flying in Panchito, I've come to realize just how difficult it must have been for our U.S. air crews who flew missions in the Second World War. The conditions under which they operated contrast mightily with the creature comforts we enjoy in commercial air travel today, and when they were flying the enemy was usually trying to shoot them out of the sky.

Plane a reminder

There are only 36 B-25s still air worthy in the world today. They are a reminder of a world conflict in which bravery, guts, skill and luck carried the day. These aircraft played an important role in the defeat of the Axis powers during some very dark days in history.

People like Panchito owner Larry Kelley and organizations like the Delaware Aviation Museum Foundation (the non-profit that supports the restoration and preservation of historic aircraft like Panchito) allow the descendents of World War II service people to learn more about our military history and about the generation who served our nation with sacrifice and distinction.

This truly was a "living history flight experience," one I'm glad I made and will always remember.