The International Sanicole Airshow, which takes place on the weekend of September 21-22, is set to celebrate Belgium's liberation 80th anniversary in 2024 with some exceptional warbird displays. The first of these displays to be announced is the Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress 'Sally-B'.

During the Second World War, Allied bombers played a crucial role in weakening the enemy's industry and infrastructure. The B-17G Flying Fortress was one of the most critical aircraft used in Allied air operations during the war. The Sally B Foundation has been keeping this iconic aircraft airworthy for over 45 years, making it the last airworthy B-17 in Europe. The plane is based in Duxford, United Kingdom, and it is named after Ellie Sallingboe, who is still the driving force behind the foundation.

The B-17 was a massive four-engine bomber that carried a crew of 10 during their daring missions over continental Europe as part of the US 8th Air Force. It was armed to the teeth for self-defence against enemy fighters. Without the legendary heroism and incredible sacrifices of the B-17 crews, the Liberation of Europe might not have been possible.

The Sally B Foundation aims to honour the memories of the young aircrews by presenting the B-17 during air shows in Europe. This requires enormous financial resources that must be continuously raised to keep this piece of living history accessible. The foundation wants to keep the legacy of the Allied Liberation alive by presenting the B-17 during air shows in Europe.

In 2024, the area around Sanicole Airport will celebrate the 80th anniversary of the Allied Liberation, and there is no better way to commemorate this event than with an iconic historic aircraft that played such an important role in Allied air operations during the war. The Sally B Foundation's efforts to keep the B-17 airworthy is a testament to the importance of preserving history and honouring the sacrifices of those who served.

If you're interested in attending the event, you can visit sanicole.com to learn more about it and purchase your tickets.

Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress

The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress is a legendary heavy bomber aircraft with four engines that was developed for the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) in the 1930s. The B-17 was designed to be a fast and high-flying bomber of its time and it proved to be a vital asset in the European Theater of Operations during World War II. With its impressive capabilities, the B-17 dropped more bombs than any other aircraft during the war, making it a crucial aircraft in the Allied arsenal. It is the third-most produced bomber of all time, after the American Consolidated B-24 Liberator and the German Junkers Ju 88.

Apart from its primary use as a bomber, the B-17 was also employed as a transport, anti-submarine aircraft, drone controller, and search-and-rescue aircraft. Interestingly, the B-17's prototype Model 299/XB-17 outperformed two other entries in a USAAC competition but unfortunately crashed, losing the initial 200-bomber contract to the Douglas B-18 Bolo. Nonetheless, the Air Corps ordered 13 more B-17s for further evaluation, and these were introduced into service in 1938.

Over time, the B-17 underwent numerous design advances, but from its inception, the USAAC (from 1941 the United States Army Air Forces, USAAF) promoted the aircraft as a strategic weapon. It was a relatively fast, high-flying, long-range bomber with heavy defensive armament at the expense of bombload. The B-17 also developed a reputation for toughness based on stories and photos of badly damaged B-17s safely returning to base.

The B-17 saw early action in the Pacific War, where it conducted raids against Japanese shipping and airfields. But it was primarily employed by the USAAF in the daylight component of the Allied strategic bombing campaign over Europe, complementing RAF Bomber Command's night bombers in attacking German industrial, military, and civilian targets. Of the roughly 1.5 million tons of bombs dropped on Nazi Germany and its occupied territories by Allied aircraft, over 640,000 tons (42.6%) were dropped from B-17s. This shows the significant role played by this aircraft in the war and underscores its importance in military aviation history.

Sally B

Sally B is the name of a Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress built in 1945 that is still airworthy at 78 years old. It is the only B-17 that can fly in Europe and one of three preserved in the United Kingdom. The aircraft is currently located at the Imperial War Museum Duxford in eastern England and serves as an airborne memorial to the American soldiers who lost their lives in the European theatre during World War II. Sally B flies at airshows in the UK and across Europe.

The plane was delivered to the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) on 19 June 1945 as 44-85784, but it did not see active service in the war. After being converted to both a TB-17G training variant and then an EB-17G, it was decommissioned in 1954. In 1954, the Institut Géographique National in France bought the plane for use as a survey aircraft. In 1975, it moved to England and was registered with the CAA as G-BEDF to be restored to wartime condition.

Sally B was first fitted with accurate gun turrets and other much-needed additions for her role as Ginger Rogers, a B-17 bomber of the fictitious bomber unit featured in the 1981 LWT series We'll Meet Again. During the winter of 1983–84, Sally B was painted in an olive drab and neutral grey colour scheme to protect the airframe from the damp UK weather. At the same time, it received the markings of the 447th Bomb Group.

Sally B was used in the 1990 film Memphis Belle as one of five flying B-17s needed for various film scenes, and it was used to replicate the real Memphis Belle in one scene. Half of the aircraft is still in the Memphis Belle livery, following restoration of the Sally B nose art and the black and yellow checkerboard pattern on the cowling of the starboard inner (no 3) engine, carried as a tribute to Elly Sallingboe's companion Ted White, whose Harvard aircraft had the same pattern on its cowling. Sally B was reworked to B-17F configuration for filming.

Since 1985, Sally B has been operated by Elly Sallingboe's B-17 Preservation Ltd and maintained by Chief Engineer Peter Brown and a team of volunteers. The aircraft is flown by volunteer, experienced professional pilots. The B17 Charitable Trust exists to raise funds to keep the plane flying. In 2008, Elly Sallingboe was awarded the Transport Trust 'Lifetime Achievement Award' for dedicating over thirty years to the preservation and operation of Britain's only airworthy Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress as a flying memorial for the tens of thousands of American aircrew who lost their lives in her sister aircraft during the Second World War.

One of the significant events in Sally B's flying calendar is an annual tribute flypast following the Memorial Day service at the American Military Cemetery at Madingley, Cambridge. This takes place over the May Bank Holiday weekend. Flypasts over former Eighth Air Force bases are also carried out whenever possible during the summer months.