The player gets a profile card of a B-17 that tracks the damage to aircraft systems, weapons, and crews. There is a mission player's sheet that tracks all the events that happen during the flight. You also track your crews that way. There is a strategic display that is basically a map with zones marked on it. The little B-17 marker moves through the zones while you check for fighter encounters and random events.
Air combat is very, very simple but can be quite an anxious moment.
There are also special rules fo continuation of attack and the special tailgunner tactic of letting the fighter pass the B-17 before shooting at it. Once you get over a target, things get very hairy indeed. First you roll weather to see if your chances of hitting the target are affected. Next you roll for flak, which can shoot the hell out of your plane quicker than any fighter. Then you roll for fighter attacks.