Inside a B-17
The pilot is buckled in his seat, further restriction for the movement liberty, and he then must take away 30 tons of steel and aluminum, loaded with fuel and bombs, of the ground.
The tension starts from the moment at which the accelerator pedals are moved forward on full throttle on the runway. The speed increases to 150, 200 km/h before the heavy bomber of the ground takes off. Deviating least already from the runway would make the tires burst and convert the aircraft to a light and column of smoke. The whole crew holds its breath. But the plane hasn't skidded, she's flying.
It will time now to lay out the oxygen mask so that the rubber himself slow into the skin einpresst. Now comes for the pilot the moment, his radio equipment so far turn on till the atmospheric perturbations and the hostile jammers are drowned. A deafening noise starts, however, no word may be ignored.
To press now will it time for the pilot to constantly direct its attention toward over and beside it flying machines to hold and with the other four gashebel and the controlling of the four variable-pitch propellers into the correct situation bring with a hand the steering shaft, with the feet the rudder control pedals against the hard suspension - in short to remain exact in the formation while the machines hunt 100 meters per second forward and in gusty air on and .starting from stampfen. Contactors begin now to search in their rotating turrets systematically the sky for hostile hunters that can fall themselves each instant on the federation. The navigator begins sweating its incessant counting and controlling.
Already after 2 or 3 hours the pilot feels pain in arms, legs and in the back; also the remaining crew feels rigid. The throat microphone begins to up-scrub the smallest shaving wounds in tormenting way; the edge of the life jacket rubs the cheeks wund. From the headphones, as soon as one flies over 6000 meters, an irritating noise sounds like a circular saw, which goes to one on the nerves. Cold weather creeps by the thick clothing. The oxygen mask presses itself on the face like a choking hand. Instinktiv would like to solve one it and away-tear; the reason forces however to omit it.