The B-17 & WWII Aviation with Fred Bell, Palm Springs Air Museum

This week we’ve sat down with Fred Bell, the Managing Director and Vice Chairman of the Palm Springs Air Museum. Based here in Southern California, he works with and manages the museum from attracting visitors to flight operations, the host of Warbird Wednesdays, and a historian and preservationist of American aviation history. A proud ‘aviation affectionado,’ Fred’s family included a couple of WWII aviators that helped spark his interest in the subject, and his career and love for aviation history has led him to the Palm Springs Air Museum and its expansion in the last 15-20 years.

The Masters of the Air series on AppleTV+ is centered around the 100th Bomb Group in the 8th Air Force, and the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress features prominently throughout the series’ 9 episodes.

The B-17, Memphis Belle, at the Palm Springs Air Museum — *The Memphis Belle B-17 at the Palm Springs Air Museum*

Fred shared war stories, technical information about the planes, his input on how they are portrayed in the media, and the importance of preserving the hands-on history at places like the Palm Springs Air Museum.

You want to tune into this episode if you’re watching the Masters of the Air series, if you love or have an interest in WWII, or if you’re interested in aviation history. We hope you’re following The Masters of the Air DEBRIEF series, and please share today’s episode with Fred Bell with both friends and family.

Relevant Links from our Episode with Fred Bell:

Photos of Fred Bell

Recent Press – Fred Bell in Palm Springs Life

How Fred Bell Has Helped Grow Palm Springs Air Museum

Fred Bell reflects on how he has fostered the museum’s collection of military aircraft, as well as its attendance and support.

October 14, 2023

About 25 years ago, while Fred Bell was visiting the Palm Springs Air Museum with his kids, Captain John Duncan recruited him to the charity’s board of directors. Now, he reflects on how he has helped grow the museum’s collection of military aircraft as well as its attendance and support.

This growth has instigated the makeover of the museum’s entrance (currently underway) and expansion for its educational programs and new opportunities — such as the acquisition of aircraft.

The museum recently acquired a rare F-117 Nighthawk #833, a stealth fighter also known as the Black Devil (one of only 59 built), and is also displaying Walt Disney’s Gulfstream airplane, which is on loan to the museum and special to Bell because Disney is one of his personal heroes. “Having that touchstone here for the Coachella Valley is important,” Bell says, alluding to the desert’s history of innovation. “It’s kind of stepping out of that mold and using Disney to tell people, no, you don’t have to have bumpers on your vision.”

Dominating the expansion is the new Ronald M. Auen Learning Center, focused on science, technology and mathematics. There will also be new visitor amenities and a museum shop.

The museum has added the First Flight program to inspire young people ages 12 to 17 to become commercial pilots.

The venue also offers spaces to local events and philanthropic galas, including its own to celebrate aviation and support the museum.

How Fred Bell Has Helped Grow Palm Springs Air Museum

Make sure you follow and subscribe to The Indie Magazine Podcast wherever you’re listening!

Stream The Indie Magazine Podcast on Your Favorite Platform

Apple TV+ to premiere new documentary “The Bloody Hundredth” in celebration of the real-life heroes featured in its global hit series, “Masters of the Air”

Premiering Friday, March 15 and narrated by Tom Hanks, “The Bloody Hundredth” features rarely seen archival footage and exclusive interviews with the 100th Bomb Group airmen

On the heels of the premiere of its broadly celebrated, global hit series “Masters of the Air,” Apple TV+ today announced “The Bloody Hundredth,” a new documentary honoring the real-life heroes of the 100th Bomb Group. Produced by Playtone-Amblin and narrated by Tom Hanks, “The Bloody Hundredth” will premiere globally on Friday, March 15, 2024 on Apple TV+, just in time for the “Masters of the Air” series finale, and is executive produced by Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman.

Directed by Mark Herzog and long-time Spielberg collaborator Laurent Bouzereau, the hour-long documentary spotlights the true stories of several characters and real-life airmen featured in “Masters of the Air” including John Egan (played by Callum Turner), Gale Cleven (played by Austin Butler), Harry Crosby (played by Anthony Boyle), Robert “Rosie” Rosenthal (played by Nate Mann), Frank Murphy (played by Jonas Moore), Alexander Jefferson (played by Brandon Cook), Richard Macon (played by Josiah Cross), as well as veterans John “Lucky” Luckadoo, Robert Wolf, and many others. From the shock of Pearl Harbor to the joy of VE Day, “The Bloody Hundredth” is a record of what was endured and achieved by a group of young Americans when their country and the world needed them most.

Apple TV+ offers premium, compelling drama and comedy series, feature films, groundbreaking documentaries, and kids and family entertainment, and is available to watch across all your favorite screens. After its launch on November 1, 2019, Apple TV+ became the first all-original streaming service to launch around the world, and has premiered more original hits and received more award recognitions faster than any other streaming service in its debut. To date, Apple Original films, documentaries and series have earned 471 wins and 2,090 award nominations and counting, including multi-Emmy Award-winning comedy “Ted Lasso” and historic Oscar Best Picture winner “CODA.”

About Apple TV+

Apple TV+ is available on the Apple TV app in over 100 countries and regions, on over 1 billion screens, including iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Apple Vision Pro, Mac, popular smart TVs from Samsung, LG, Sony, VIZIO, TCL and others, Roku and Amazon Fire TV devices, Chromecast with Google TV, PlayStation and Xbox gaming consoles, and at tv.apple.com, for $9.99 per month with a seven-day free trial. For a limited time, customers who purchase and activate a new iPhone, iPad, Apple TV or Mac can enjoy three months of Apple TV+ for free.*