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MILITARY
Published

'Just for the love of aviation': Volunteer force keeps aging WWII planes flying

Associated Press
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    Retired World War II bombardier Robert Scroggins, 92, stands in front of a B-17 bomber “Aluminum Overcast,” Thursday, Oct. 30, 2014, in Montgomery, Ala. Keeping the old warbirds in the air is an unusual challenge for crews who maintain the planes that are currently touring the Southeast. "I'm excited to fly in a plane where I'm not being shot at," Scroggins said. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson) (The Associated Press)

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    Retired World War II bombardier Robert Scroggins, 92, sits in the cockpit as he prepares to fly in a B-17 bomber “Aluminum Overcast,” for the first time since the war, Thursday, Oct. 30, 2014, in Montgomery, Ala. Keeping the old warbirds in the air is an unusual challenge for crews who maintain the planes that are currently touring the Southeast. "I'm excited to fly in a plane where I'm not being shot at," Scroggins said. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson) (The Associated Press)

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    Crew chief member, Meredith Whillock, checks the propellers of the plane after he stops the B-17 bomber “Aluminum Overcast,” before takeoff, Thursday, Oct. 30, 2014, in Montgomery, Ala. Whillock and the crew work to figure out the oil pressure indication problem by bleeding out the system. Keeping the old warbirds in the air is an unusual challenge for crews who maintain the planes that are currently touring the Southeast. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson) (The Associated Press)

MONTGOMERY, Ala. – World War II veterans are aging, and so are their airplanes.

Keeping the old warbirds flying is a challenge for crews who maintain planes including the B-17 bomber "Aluminum Overcast."

Only a handful of World War II airplanes still fly, and volunteers such as Terry Tucker and Meredith Whitlock keep them going.

The two retirees were busy when the 69-year-old Aluminum Overcast had engine problems during a stop in Montgomery, Alabama.

The plane attempted to take off on a flight for World War II veterans, but it couldn't because of an oil pressure problem.

Tucker and Whitlock worked long hours to fix it, and the next day veterans got a chance to fly in the plane.

The Experimental Aircraft Association has a warehouse full of parts to fix the B-17.