The first time a B-17 ever took to the skies was over Seattle in July 1935. The four-engine plane departed from the Boeing hangar in Boeing Field.

It didn’t take long for the model to become a fixture in WWII, with 12,732 produced between 1935 and 1945. During the war, 4,735 B-17s lost in combat.

This weekend, the “Flying Fortress” is returning to the Seattle skyway, in all of its former glory.

And the aircraft is open to the public, available for flights and ground tours from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, April 7 and Sunday, April 8 at Renton Municipal Airport, 750 Perimeter Rd.

The plane “Madras Maiden” landed in Seattle on Monday, April 2 – to kick off a tour of the U.S. with the Liberty Foundation. The nonprofit is preparing its “2018 Salute to Veterans Tour.”

The organization’s mission is to serve as a living history museum in the air, to give visitors a chance to step back in time, whether they are on the ground or flying in the plane.

The Madras Maiden is one of only 12 B-17s still in flight. Built toward the end of the war, the plane never saw combat. Instead, it was used forresearch and development and is the only “Pathfinder” B-17 left in existence.

During the flight, guests are allowed to switch positions and stand in the feet of thousands of war heroes 70 years ago. The cost of the 45-minute scenic flight is $450 or $410 for Liberty Foundation members.

While the flight may sound costly, pilot Ray Fowler said it’s a deal compared to the B-17’s operating cost. The plane actually is worth more than $5,000 per flight hour. The Liberty Foundation spends more than $1.5 million each year to keep the B-17 airworthy and on tour.

“We spend tens of thousands of dollars bringing this plane across the U.S.,” Fowler said. “The only way to keep it flying is the public coming out and hopefully taking a flight with us.”

The Liberty Foundation is dependent on public interest in going on the flights and generous donors to keep the program going.

“This is one of the most iconic airplanes in history,” Fowler said. “People who know nothing about history know about a B-17.”

He said experiencing the plane firsthand is the ultimate history lesson. For more information about the flight, visit www.libertyfoundation.org.