B-17 Photo Pass

B-17G making a photo pass at the annual Mankato Airfest in Mankato, MN. A photo pass is where the pilot tips the plane up into a high bank to allow the folks on the ground to photograph the plane as if it were an air-to-air shot. That gives the illusion that we are slightly above the Flying Fortress.

This B-17G is owned by the Collings Foundation. They are a group dedicated to keeping significant historic airplanes in the air and flying in front of people, as opposed to being permanently grounded in a museum. The B-17 tours extensively with another WWII bomber, the B-24, and rides are available in both of these bombers. The B-17 is one of 11 Flying Fortresses that are still active, and the B-24 is one of only two still active.