Vintage aircraft land at Rockford airport
The Collings Foundation Wings of Freedom Tour is in town until Wednesday
ROCKFORD — Four vintage airplanes are on display at Chicago Rockford International Airport and you can tour the rare treasures and even take a 30-minute flight aboard one before they leave town on Wednesday.
The Collings Foundation's Wings of Freedom Tour features the B-17 Flying Fortress "Nine O Nine," Consolidated B-24 Liberator "Witchcraft," B-25 Mitchell "Tondelayo" bombers and P-51 Mustang "Betty Jane" fighter.
The B-17 is one of only eight in flying condition in the United States. The B-24 is the sole remaining example of its type flying in the world. The B-25 is best known for being used in the daring Doolittle raid on Tokyo, Japan during WWII. The P-51 Mustang was recently awarded Grand Champion for restoration at the EAA Oshkosh AirVenture.
The Wings of Freedom Tour will be on display at the airport until noon Wednesday. Hours of ground tours are as follows: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday and 9 a.m. to noon Wednesday. The 30-minute flight experiences are normally scheduled before and after the ground tour times. Tours cost $15 for adults and $5 for children under 12. Flights on the B-17 or B-24 are $450 per person. For complete details on tours and flights, call 1-800-568-8924.
