Forward view on to the Flight Deck/Cockpit of the Commemorative Air Force's (Mesa, AZ) B-17G 'Flying Fortress' a WW-II heavy bomber on display this week at the Fargo Air Museum.

Your assignment to the B-17 airplane mean's that you are no longer just a pilot. You are now an airplane commander, charged with all the duties and responsibilities of a command post. You are now flying a 10-man weapon. It is your airplane, and your crew. You are responsible for the safety and efficiency of the crew at all timesÑnot just when you are flying and fighting, but for the full 24 hours of every day while you are in command. Your crew is made up of specialists. Each manÑwhether he is the navigator, bombardier, engineer, radio operator, or one of the gunners Ñis an expert in his line. But how well he does his job, and how efficiently he plays his part as a member of your combat team, will depend to a great extent on how well you play your own part as the airplane commander. -manual