From staff reports
The Wings of Freedom Tour will make a rare visit to the Concord Regional Airport from Oct. 31 to Nov. 3 as part of a living history display that travels nationwide.
What: The tour will include the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress “Nine O Nine” WWII Heavy Bomber, the Consolidated B-24 Liberator “Witchcraft” WWII Heavy Bomber, the North American B-25 Mitchell WWII Medium Bomber and a P-51 Mustang. Citizens will have the opportunity to visit, explore and learn more about these unique treasures of aviation history.
Visitors are invited to explore the aircraft inside and out — $12 donation for adults and $6 donation for children under 12 is requested for access to up-close viewing and tours through the inside of the aircraft.
Visitors may also experience the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to actually take a 30-minute flight aboard these rare aircraft. Flight experiences are a tax-deductible donation. Flights on either the B-17 or B-24 are $425 per person. P-51 flights are $2,200 for a half hour and $3,200 for a full hour.
For reservations, call 800-568-8924.
Where: The Wings of Freedom Tour will be on display at Concord Regional Airport in Concord.
When: The tour will arrive at Concord Regional Airport at 2 p.m. Oct. 31 and will be on display until the aircrafts depart Nov. 3 at 12 p.m.
Ground tours and display will be offer from 2-4:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 31; 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 1 and Sunday, Nov. 2; and 9 a.m.12 noon on Monday, Nov. 3. The 30-minute flight experiences are normally scheduled before and after the ground tour times above.
Who: The Collings Foundation is a 501(c)3 non-profit educational foundation devoted to organizing “living history” events that allow people to learn more about their heritage and history through direct participation. The nationwide Wings of Freedom Tour is in its 19th year and visits an average of 110 cities in over 35 states annually.
Why: The Wings of Freedom Tour travels the nation as a flying tribute to the flight crews who flew them, the ground crews who maintained them, the workers who built them, the soldiers, sailors and airmen they helped protect and the citizens and families that share the freedom that they helped preserve.
The rarity of the B-17, B-24 and P-51 — and their importance to telling the story of WWII is why the Collings Foundation continues to fly and display the aircraft nationwide. Find out more at http://www.collingsfoundation.org
For more, contact Hunter at [email protected].