I have had the opportunity to ride in two 40's model military air craft now. I have read so many books on the people who flew these planes and the missions they were on that I really wanted to see as much of what they had to deal with as I could. It was a monumental learning experience for me. The B24 that I rode in this year was sort of set up for public rides. No it was not a passenger plane but it was way different than the war machines. It had a open door with steps to get in and out. the bomb bay was opened up with a walkway of sorts. the war plane has a 17 inch walk way between the bombs in the belly. can you imagine trying to get a shoot and a man through there with that plane spinning out of control? I have great respect for those who served and put lives on the line for us. The fact is I understood these were very old machines and they could break at any time. I also had a very long nice talk to the mechanic that took care of one of the planes I rode in and felt very good about that conversation. very nice and informative man. I did understand that I could be putting my life in danger but hey I ride a bike year round. I hope they continue to make these shows safer and still allow people like myself to learn more about the history and experience it.