HYANNIS – Vintage World War II aircraft will land in Hyannis Monday afternoon for the annual three-day visit of the Wings of Freedom Tour.
Planes arriving this year include a B-17 Flying Fortress, a B-24 Liberator, a P-51 Mustang and a B-25 Mitchell Tondelayo.
“These planes really are [some] of the country’s most treasured planes,” said Hunter Chaney, director of marketing for the Collings Foundation. “They are like flying memorials to our World War II vets.”
The planes are expected to arrive at the airport around 2 p.m. and will be on display at the airports East Ramp until they depart around Wednesday at noon.
The Wings of Freedom Tour travels the country as a flying tribute to the flight crews, ground crews, builders and all the soldiers, sailors and airmen who have protected the U.S.
Chaney said the planes really honor those who fought in World War II and provides history for those who attend the tour.
“These planes really act as an excellent vehicle, an excellent catalyst to do just that. To engage people in the history,” he said. “Not only as a means to better understand it but it’s exciting and when folks get excited about something, typically, they want to learn more.”
Chaney describes the experience as an interactive history lesson and said it is not just the older generations that come out to see the planes.
“The younger generations are coming out and experiencing this part of our history and it still makes [a] lasting impact on people,” he said.
Chaney said that they get a strong turnout from World War II veterans when the tour comes to Hyannis.
“It wont be more than a couple years when most of these veterans will be gone,” Chaney said. “It’s important to remember the sacrifices these young men and women made for our freedoms and freedoms all around the world. We owe a lot to this generation.”
Admission to the event is $12 for adults and $6 for children. World War II veterans can tour the planes for free.
The tour also allows visitors to go up in the planes.
Bomber flights, which last 30 minutes, are $450 per person and the flights in the P-51 Mustang are $2,200 for 30 minutes or $3,200 for a full hour.
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