The crash of a vintage B-17 bomber in Connecticut has shaken the tight-knit community of pilots who fly World War II-era planes.
Many pilots are taking time to reflect on the conflict between their love of vintage aviation and the risks it entails.
The plane carrying 13 people crashed and burned Wednesday after experiencing mechanical trouble on takeoff from Bradley International Airport. Seven people were killed and seven were injured, including an airport worker on the ground. The cause is under investigation.
Craig McBurney is a Connecticut pilot who flew the same B-17 for the Collings Foundation educational group in the 1990s. He says the deaths have hit the close-knit aviator community hard.
Aviation experts say there is only a small number of experienced pilots who can fly such vintage military planes.
