Anyone know how to move a B-17?
by John Ostrem
EAA Chapter 54

That is a tough one! But there is a small group of a dozen volunteers at AirVenture that are entrusted with moving these rare, priceless, huge warbirds and there is a connection right here in Minnesota at EAA Chapter # 237 from the Anoka County Airport.

Veteran EAA members Alex Weinandt, Chuck Jasicki and Greg Crow have been with the group for nearly a decade. While there are 6,000 volunteers needed to pull off the week-long air show, this specially trained group is at work long before the show starts in late July and they stay late to finish the task. They are experienced and accomplished in the process and have graduated from the EAA training classes on tug operation, wing walking, and tail watching.

The whole process starts a month early with air compressors to pump up tires, many after removing wheel pants and there is usually a struggle with bad valves, leaky tubes and tires. The first job to move aircraft that are “stuffed” into the four large vendor buildings A,B,C and D. Next time in Oshkosh look at the large doors that allow planes to be moved into the space.

Once the show is over this becomes the storage home for all manner of aircraft, especially the older non-airworthy fighter jets. They are moved into their locations on the field and tied down. Also before the crew can start, they go on a scavenger hunt for a collection of equally rare tow bars that are always missing from where they should be.

Crow reported that the Navy, Air Force and Marines are very sneaky at “stealing” tow bars for their warbird collections. For each plane the crew needs to know if they pull forward, backward or strap the wheels on specially made carts, so it requires some skill and experience.

Headquarters for this important task is at the Kermit Weeks Hangar on the North side of the airport. Weeks, a several time US Aerobatic Champion, has a large hangar and all the competition aerobatic pilots keep their planes in his facility. Weeks is the wealthy owner of an aviation museum in Florida and owns the largest civilian collection of planes, numbering 150. But that’s another story.  With his hangar and international reputation a “calling card,” all the VIP’s hang out with the group at the Week’s Hangar so it's a fun place to be.

A work plan for each day’s plane movement is designed by John Hopkins on the EAA staff. A large part of the process is to relocate the EAA collection stored on Pioneer Field near the headquarters museum to make room for the helicopter fleet that gives rides throughout the show. Many of these are treasured antiques from the 1920s and '30s that are difficult to move to their show locations. Tug operation is especially difficult because some small aircraft only need a small powered tug while the C-47 Gooney Bird, the B-17 and B-25 class planes require large powerful all-wheel drive tugs. Most of these aircraft are donated to the EAA and may not be airworthy but are treasured display examples. These larger aircraft are difficult to move around the field because the gates, particularly the pedestrian gates and the relatively narrow streets don’t work very well with a C-47 in tow. Radios are used when the airplanes are near or cross the runways at KOSH. Crow noted that for very large aircraft they have even removed the two display radial engines at the main gate into the airshow. And if getting the aircraft all moved isn’t enough of a challenge just think about the mad scramble when the weather forecast is worrisome. The crew is “all hands on deck” if the winds or the rains are severe. Several times this crew has been called on to jack the planes out of mud puddles and put steel mats under the tires to keep them from sinking in. That is difficult work for these trained veterans.

The group likes to say they are just normal volunteers, but it is easy to disagree with that assessment. This crew of airplane movers are a hugely important part of making AirVenture such a success and one that you might not have known about. So the next time you need your B-17 moved to another spot on your airfield, help is not far away. Just contact EAA #237 in Anoka and the team can show up and give you a hand!