The 'Wings of Freedom Tour' will be on display at Marana Regional Airport this weekend.
The planes are expected to arrive at the Marana Airport on Friday afternoon and will be on display until the planes depart on Sunday, April 9.
WWII veterans joined together to watch the aircrafts arrive at the airport.
Totten Warfield Sr. tells KGUN 9, "it brings back fond memories about being in Europe during WWII."
Another WWII veteran, Albert Arreola sat by the B-17 bomber and shared his memories about being a ball turret gunner.
"My knees were touching my shoulders and I was thinking about that," says Arreola.
Hours of ground tours and display run 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday, 9 am. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
Anyone interested can also experience the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to take a 30-minute flight aboard these rare aircraft.
For reservations and information on flight experiences, call (800) 568-8924.
According to a media release:
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 B-17, B-25 & B-24 were the backbone of the American effort during the war from 1942 to 1945 and were famous for their ability to sustain damage and still accomplish the mission. Despite the risks of anti-aircraft fire, attacking enemy fighters, and the harrowing environment of sub-zero temperatures, many B-17s, B-25s and B-24s safely brought their crews home.
The P-51 Mustang was affectionately known as the bombers “Little Friend” – saving countless crews from attacking axis fighters. After the war, many aircraft were scrapped for their raw aluminum to rebuild a nation in post-war prosperity and therefore very few were spared. The rarity of the B-17, B-25, B-24 & P-51 - and their importance to telling the story of WWII is why the Collings Foundation continues to fly and display the aircraft nationwide.
For more information, visit more by visit The Collings Foundation website.
