B-17 Tour Information for EAA Chapters

Online Application Form | Printable PDF Application Form

The deadline for the 2009 chapter application is now over. Thank you for your application. We will begin processing the information soon and will have the Spring tour schedule ready in early 2009.

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Since 1994, EAA's B-17 Aluminum Overcast has made an annual tour around the USA promoting interest in aviation, preserving the memory of WW2 and giving many thousands of people unique access to an important historic artifact through flight experiences and tours. It has been one of EAA's biggest success stories of the past decade.

EAA Chapters have been a vital part of this, and will be important to the continuing success of the B-17 tour. If your EAA Chapter is interested in hosting Aluminum Overcast on its 2010 Tour, this is your chance to get involved!

All EAA Chapters in good standing are eligible to apply to host a tour stop. This document will give you some useful background information about how the B-17 Tour works and how Chapters play a part. There is a simple application form to fill out and return if you are interested in being a host Chapter.

What do Chapters do?
We ask EAA Chapters to assist with the preparation, planning and execution of each stop. Our methods have been gradually refined since we started touring the airplane in 1994, and we have now reached a pretty smooth system.

EAA takes care of many of the "big issues" like crewing and maintaining the airplane, flight operations related issues, all bookings of airplane rides (both in advance and when the airplane is in town), overall marketing of the tour, local area mailings etc. Six people travel on tour with the airplane to each location, consisting: 2 pilots, 2 maintenance, 2 tour coordinators.

What we really need help with are things that need local input - like local knowledge and extra bodies to help with the smooth running of the tour stop.

Each Chapter is asked to provide two key volunteers:

Promotions Chairman
This volunteer will work directly with the EAA Headquarters Marketing Staff.
Merchandise, Ground Tour & Equipment Chairmen
Works with the Senior Tour Coordinator after the B-17 arrives.

The Chapter is provided with a step-by-step tour stop manual that outlines their duties and provides guidance based on our past experience.

What are the benefits?
There are benefits to all the work involved in hosting the B-17! The B-17 program always brings positive media coverage to your airport and Chapter and projects a positive message about aviation in your local community. At every tour stop we make at least one, sometimes two free flights full of local media representatives. Each tour stop generates an average of about 20 new EAA members (and potential new recruits for your Chapter).

There are financial benefits too. Chapters receive a commission on seats, merchandise and ground tour sales. Proceeds average about $3,000 per Chapter.

The application process
The purpose of our application process is to help us decide the best locations for the B-17 to visit, and to give every EAA Chapter the opportunity to be considered for the B-17 program. If you are interested, please complete the application form and return to us by October 1st. Every applicant will receive a positive or negative response by mail once the schedule is set. We ask everyone to understand that constructing the final tour schedule is a complex task involving factors such as travel and maintenance logistics, past performance, geography, demography, and proximity to other tour stops. Please bear in mind that we receive more requests than we can fulfill in a given year. We do our best, but we can't go everywhere.

Another important thing to mention is that we find it almost impossible to plan for the B-17 to be at your airport on a particular date (for example an annual air show or fly-in). However we do warmly encourage Chapters to arrange extra activities (which often include food and Young Eagles flying) to coincide with the B-17's visit to their community.

If you have any questions please contact the B-17 Program Coordinator @ 920-426-6840 or b17@eaa.org.

Completed Applications should be returned to:

B-17 Programs Coordinator
EAA Aviation Center
PO Box 3065
Oshkosh WI 54903-9976