The Wings of Freedom Tour took Leesburg International Airport by storm Thursday afternoon.
As the sounds of vintage World War II military aircraft from the Collings Foundation filled the skies, area residents started making their way onto the tarmac at the airport to get a glimpse at three of the military planes – a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress, a Consolidated B-24 Liberator and a North American P-51 Mustang – that helped the Greatest Generation save the world from tyranny so many years ago. The planes will be on display from Thursday through Sunday.
“This is really special,” said Villager Karen Hager Ombrello, whose father, George Hager, was a first lieutenant and served as the navigator aboard a B-24 bomber in the Pacific Theater.
Ombrello, of the Village of Palo Alto, teared up when remembering her father as “the ultimate veteran.” She said he passed away 11 years ago and was always quite proud to have served his country with honor.
“He’d have stories of having a flight called early, early in the morning,” she said. “They had no mess hall, no lunch – nothing. And they’d be flying over the Pacific or wherever their mission was for 16 hours. They were cold and very hungry.”
Ombrello also said it was eye-opening to climb inside the B-24 that was on display.
“You see what narrow quarters those were,” she said. “When they talked about having to even kick out a bomb, there wasn’t a lot of space there.”
Civil Air Patrol Col. Larry Rogers was also quite excited about the weekend event that will give area residents the chance to get up close and personal with the vintage aircraft. He said his organization’s cadets will be working the event, serving as guides around the airplanes and handling parking for the large crowd that’s expected.
“This is an educational event for them,” he said. “We’ve got a couple of cadets who are World War II buffs and it is really special to them.”
Rogers, who spent 37 years in the army in special operations and retired as a colonel, said he’s particularly looking forward to chatting with the many WW II veterans who will attend the event his weekend.
“Knowing what they went through, it’s just heart-rendering to me,” said Rogers, who served in the Vietnam War, Desert Storm, Haiti and twice in Bosnia, last time as the NATO base commander.
Rogers, who also is a private pilot and has been on four Honor Flights with WW II veterans, said it’s amazing to think about what they accomplished in those vintage aircraft.
“They didn’t have GPS back then,” he said. “You talk about flying by the seat of your pants. Looking at the instrumentation they had, I don’t see how they did it.”
The WW II aircraft will be on display from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, Feb. 8 through Sunday, Feb. 10. The show is located at the north end of the main ramp at 8807 Airport Blvd. The price is $15 for adults and $5 for children under 12. Discounted rates are available for school groups.
Visitors also can take 30-minute flights aboard these rare airplanes. Flights on either the B-17 or B-24 are $450 per person. And those who want a real adventure can get some “stick time” in the P-51. The flight training is $2,400 for a half hour and $3,400 for a full hour. For reservations and information on flight experiences, call 800-568-8924.
The B-17 on display, named “Nine O Nine,” is one of only nine Flying Fortresses still operational in the United States. The B-24 Liberator, known as “Witchcraft,” is the only plane of its type still flying anywhere in the world. And the P-51 Mustang “Toulouse Nuts” fighter is the winner of the prestigious Grand Champion award for restoration.
The Nationwide Wings of Freedom Tour is celebrating its 30th year and visits an average of 110 cities in more than 35 states annually. It also is a flying tribute to the crews who served aboard those planes; the ground crews who maintained them; the workers who built them; the soldiers, sailors and airmen they helped protect; and the citizens and families who share the freedom they helped preserve.
B-17s and B-24s 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 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 German 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.
At each stop along the tour, members of the non-profit Collings Foundation encourage local veterans and their families to visit and share their experiences and stories with the public. Those interested in learning more can visit www.collingsfoundation.org.
