Originally Posted by
etudiant
Think the only way to keep them flying is by carrying paying passengers. It is not cheap to keep those antiques airworthy.
The pilots age was not a factor
afaik.
etudiant,
Not here in the UK they don't. With the exception of the BBMF they are kept flying by the indulgence of fabulously wealthy owners/sponsors, many of whom actually fly them as well.
I accept that the crew age may not be a factor in this case, but I am the same age as that co-pilot (71) and, though I flew RAF Fast jets in my youth, now I would not trust the speed nor the correctness of my reactions in an emergency, as for the 76 year old Captain...
And a B-17 is a bomber, it was never built to carry passengers.