Wings of Freedom Visit Worcester

Courtesy of NECN.com

If you are a plane buff or even just an admirer of history you are in for a treat.  The Wings of Freedom Tour is in Worcester’s Regional Airport for a couple of days.

The tour brings historic planes to communities across the United States.  On display you will find the B-17, B-24 and P-51 planes.  You can tour the planes for a reasonable  fee.  They are $12 for adults and $6 for kids under 12.  Of course, World War II veterans get in for free.

NECN did a report where they show Mayor Lukes and her impressions of riding in one of the planes.  She was dressed the part, you can see she really appreciated the experience.

The tours are put on by the Collings Foundation.  Their mission statement:

The purpose of the Collings Foundation is to organize and support “living history” events that enable Americans to learn more about their heritage through direct participation. The original focus of the Foundation was transportation-related events such as antique car rallies, hill climbs, carriage and sleight rides, along with a winter ice-cutting festival in Stow, MA areas. During the mi-eighties, these activities were broadened to include aviation-related events such as air shows, barnstorming, historical reunions, Wings of Freedom Tour, Vietnam Memorial Flights, and joint museum displays.

With that in mind if you have some money to donate you can really ramp up the experience with Flight Experience Donations that range from $325 to $425 and actual flight training on the TP-51C “Betty Jane” that range from $2,200 to $3,200.  This goes toward the upkeep of the planes and running of the foundation.  You can actually give this as a gift to someone by purchasing “flight certificates” through the website.

Here is the remaining schedule for Worcester:

Walk Through Tour Times: (no reservations needed)
9/29/2009 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM
9/30/2009 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM

You can also catch them in Plymouth and Norwood after they leave Worcester.  Check the schedule for more specifics.

NECN changed it’s video archive so we are still looking for the original video we posted but here is their video from the most recent visit to the Worcester Airport: