Longtime readers of this blog may recall my affection for World War II-era bombers, or “warbirds,” as they are sometimes called. There aren’t many of these beautiful antique planes left, and even fewer are still in flyable condition — most of the surviving examples have been taxidermied for air museums, where usually you can only admire their exteriors from behind velvet ropes — so the opportunity to see a functional one up close or in the air is a rare treat.
On that note, here is the text of an email I recently received from my friend Dave Wall, who organized last year’s visit from the Collings Foundation‘s B-24 and B-17:
To all who might be interested:
The bad news is, it looks like the Collings Foundation Wings of Freedom Tour is not coming through Utah at all this year. I will write to them and see if we can’t maybe get them back next year.
The good news is, EAA’s B-17G “Aluminum Overcast” is scheduled to come to Ogden Hinkley Airport on June 17-19. I don’t have any more details at the moment. [Ed. note: details are here.] You can find out more about the plane at http://www.b17.org.
It is possible that the Collings Foundation did not schedule to come this year since Aluminum Overcast was previously scheduled to come here.
If you live anywhere near the Wasatch Front (that’s the combined Salt Lake-Ogden-Provo area, for you out-of-staters), I urge you to make the drive and see this piece of living history. If you can afford it, please consider taking a flight aboard her, too. The money goes to a good cause — keeping the plane flyable — and it’s an experience you’ll never forget. The plane will be here over Father’s Day weekend, so take your dad or your son, and think about all the other dads and sons who once flew aboard these fascinating machines under much different circumstances.
Just in case it’s too much trouble to click that link above, here’s the scoop: you’ll be able to tour the plane’s interior from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. each day, $10 for a family, $6 for adults, $5 for students, and free for WWII vets or children under 8. You can learn more by going to the EAA’s Website or calling 800-359-6217.
