Nov. 1 Program Looks at the Second Lives of Military Aircraft

SEATTLE, Oct. 23, 2025—On Nov. 1, Museum of Flight docent and pilot Marva Semet will show how military aircraft sometimes assume entirely different roles as civil aircraft. The program will spotlight the Museum's planes that transitioned after mil duty. For example, after the Museum’s World War II Boeing B-17 bomber was retired from the military it was used to fight wildfires and star in feature films during the 1960s through the 1980s.

The event is at 2 p.m. and is free with admission to the Museum.

Images: The Museum of Flight's Boeing B-17F then and now. The top photo shows the plane modified for its service as a fire fighting aircraft in North Idaho during 1977, while the lower photo is of the same plane in 2025, now fully restored as the bomber it was when it rolled out of the factory in 1942. Photos 1977 ©Ted Huetter, 2025 Ted Huetter/The Museum of Flight.

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Media Contact:

Ted Huetter/Senior Public Relations Manager
T: 206.768.7105 C: 206.455.5360 Email: thuetter@museumofflight.org