http://www.collingsfoundation....ngs-of-freedom-tour/

http://www.collingsfoundation.org/events/


Since 1989, a major focus of the Foundation has been the “Wings of Freedom Tour” of WWII aircraft. This tour showcases two fully restored bomber aircraft: a B-24 Liberator and B-17 Flying Fortress. The newest addition to the Wings of Freedom Tour is a WWII P-51C Mustang dual-control fighter aircraft.

The Foundation’s 1944 vintage Consolidated B-24J Liberator is painted as “Witchcraft”, an 8th AF bomber that flew a record 130 missions over Europe as part of the 467th BG. The Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress flies as “Nine-O-Nine”, an 8th Air Force, 91st BG heavy bomber. The B-17 was the companion of the B-24 in thousands of wartime, bombing, and reconnaissance missions. Together they were the backbone of the daylight strategic bombing campaign of WWII. Joining the bombers is a P-51C Mustang escort fighter “Betty Jane”. The P-51 was affectionately nicknamed by the bomber crews as their “Little Friends”. The P-51 Mustang and the pilots who flew them saved countless lives in the skies and on the ground, and helped turn the tide of WWII. The P-51 is arguably the finest fighter aircraft in the history of aviation.

They used to visit my local airport but they stopped must be going on 10 years ago I miss seeing and hearing them fly.

The B-24 and P-51C are two of the most immaculately restored WWII aircraft in existence. I was taxiing in to my hangar and did a double take when I saw a P-51 in the adjacent T-hangar!! Apparently it had spark plug issues so I loaned the guys tools to get it fixed. The Collings Mustang is named Betty Jane; my mother was Bette Jane so I figured it was meant to be. I bought an hour of dual in the true two- place P-51C and, although expensive, fulfilled a lifetime desire to fly a Mustang.

My father and I went through them last year when they were in town - it appears that they won't be here this year.

It was interesting watching Dad tell me of moving around the aircraft. One of his jobs was to pull the pins on the bombs after takeoff. When they had the larger bombs, it was a quick job - when they had the smaller ones, he had to lean out quite a ways from the walkway while holding on to the walkway support - you couldn't put weight on the bombs or the attach points.

Fortunately, they never had to abort - he would have had to put all the pins back in before landing.

I have flown in both the B-24 and B-17. Well worth the money, although the flights are over too soon. It was an experience I will not forget.

This was in Weyers Cave on Oct 2011 when this guy took a ride and then came back and got the check book out after talking to his wife and signed up for another ride.

My dad helped build B-24s at the Willow Run plant outside Detroit, Michigan.

flashguy

Collings Foundation has taken Betty Jane (P-51C) out of the grind of flying daily with the Wings of Freedom Tour, and substituted their newly acquired TF-51D 2-place Mustang Toulouse Nuts. Schedule of when/where these stellar WWII planes are appearing:

http://www.collingsfoundation....ngs-of-freedom-tour/

For 2017 Collings is bringing their B-25 on tour along with the B-17, B-24 and TF-51D Mustang. I have 12 hours of formation flying behind the tail turret of the Planes of Fame B-25, but have never flown one... so I've signed up for B-25 driving later this summer :-)