Taking Flight: Father’s Day Bucket-List Adventure

Larry George was surprised with a Father's Day adventure: A flight on a B-17 at Lone Star Flight Museum. Pictured (top, from left): Larry and Valerie George and daughter Kim Montgomery (bottom, from left) Larry's granddaughters Madelyn and Emma Montgomery. 

Since he was a child, Larry George had heard stories about his father, Gus, who flew on more than 20 missions as a pilot in a B-17 in World War II. Much later, Gus became sheriff of Fort Bend County. He passed away in 1989, but his legacy lives on with his family and in the law enforcement academy named in his honor.

For Father’s Day, Larry was surprised with an adventure of a lifetime: The women in his life – his wife, Valerie George, daughter, Kim Montgomery and granddaughters, Madelyn and Emma Montgomery – surprised him with a flight on a B-17 at Lone Star Flight Museum in Galveston. Larry had always wanted to fly in a B-17; it’s been a bucket-list item for him.

Gus George (pictured back row, far left) with his crew before one of their WW2 missions in 1944. He flew 13 missions as pilot with the 527th Squadron.

“It was a wonderful surprise and a dream come true,” Larry said. “It was a thrill to fly on the B-17 but sobering to think of all of the men that gave their lives during WWII.” 

The flight lasted about half an hour but the memories of this special day will last forever for this family.