Review of the Wings of Freedom Tour (a photo essay)

(The "Wings of Freedom Tour" is an exhibit presented by the Collings Foundation.  The historical and airplane information was obtained from the tour.  All the photos in this article are mine and were taken using a Canon EOS 20D.  The photos have not been enhanced in any way and were only cropped for better viewing.)

I am not, nor will I ever be, one that wishes for war. I wish the world could exist in peace, however that is a dream. I am a big fan of history and aircraft though. Let a jet fly overhead and I try to catch a glimpse. Let someone offer me a trip in a plane to enjoy the view or skydive and I am all for it.

My love of history and aircraft prompted us to visit the Dothan Airport on Tuesday. I had a day off and the airport was sponsoring an exhibit. My fiancé thought it would be an interesting thing to attend. He arranged to surprise me by taking the day off work and take me to the exhibit. I found it to be such a magnificent experience, that I wanted to share it with you.

The day began with rain and the temperature was falling before lunch; however that did not deter us from bundling up and entering the airport with camera equipment in tow. We paid the gentleman at the door for the tour and he stamped our hands, instructing us that we could come and go as we pleased and this was a "self-guided" tour. As my feet hit the tarmac, my breath caught as I gazed at the three planes strategically placed before us.

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Wings of Freedom Tour 2008 - Featured by the Collings Foundation

B-17 Flying Fortress ~ "Nine-O-Nine"

The first plane we came to was the B-17 Flying Fortress, "Nine-O-Nine". This plane is phenomenal and is one of only fourteen of its kind still flying. It was built in April 1945 by Douglas - Long Beach, California. Other B-17s were also produced by Boeing Aircraft in Seattle, Washington and were under contract by Douglas Aircraft (Long Beach, CA.) and Lockheed Aircraft (Vega Plant - Burbank, CA.).

This particular aircraft came out of production too late to see any combat; however it was used in the Air/Sea First Rescue Squadron and the Military Air Transport Service.

The foundation presenting this tour, named this B-17 "Nine-O-Nine" in honor of a 91st Bomb Group, 323 Squadron plane of the same name which completed 140 missions without an abort or loss of a crewman. This plane represents the 8th Air Force. The original "Nine-O-Nine" had flown 18 trips to Berlin, dropped 562,000 pounds of bombs and flown 1,129 hours.

Stats of the B-17:

Wingspan - 103 feet, 9 inches

Length - 74 feet, 9 inches

Height - 19 feet, 1 inch

Empty Weight - 36,135 pounds

Max Weight - 72,000 pounds

Engines - 4 1200 HP Wrights

Armament - 13.50 Caliber Machine Guns

Crew - 10

Max Speed - 250 MPH

Service Ceiling - 35,000 feet

Range - 2,400 miles

B-24 Liberator ~ "Witchcraft"

This second aircraft was built in 1944 and delivered to the US Army Air Force. It was then transferred to the Royal Air Force. Under British Flag, the B-24 saw combat in the Pacific Theater operations. At the end of the war, it was abandoned by the RAF in Khonpur. In 1948, the Indian Air Force restored 36 of the B-24s and they were utilized until 1968.

This particular B-24 was left abandoned in India until a British aircraft collector (Doug Arnold) transported it back to England in 1981 (it was disassembled). He placed it for sale "as is" and in 1984; Dr. Robert Collings purchased it for restoration. In 1989 the restored aircraft flew as the 15 Air Forces "All American". In 2005, it was reborn as the 8th Air Force, 467th BG's "Witchcraft".

The original "Witchcraft" was a B-24H built by Ford in Willow Run, MI in 1944 and delivered to the 467the in Utah. The aircraft was assigned to Second Lieutenant, George W. Reed and crew to fly to England. On March 19th, after a 20 day flight over the Atlantic, the "Witchcraft" arrived safely at Station 145 in Rackheath, England. It began combat on April 10, 1944. Over the next year it flew in 130 combat missions and never turned back on a mission. It never suffered injured or killed crewmen. The last mission of the "Witchcraft" was on April 25, 1945 by the 467th Bomb Group.

The Collings "Witchcraft" flies in tribute to those who built, flew, and maintained the b-24 and all other Veterans of the Second World War. It is the sole flying example of a B-24 Liberator left in the world.

Stats of the B-24:

Wingspan - 103 feet, 9 inches

Length - 74 feet, 9 inches

Height - 19 feet, 1 inch

Empty Weight - 36,135 pounds

Max Weight - 72,000 pounds

Engines - 4 1200 HP Wrights

Armament - 10.50 Caliber Machine Guns

Crew - 10

Max Speed - 250 MPH

Service Ceiling - 35,000 feet

Range - 2,400 miles

B-25 Mitchell ~ "Tondelayo"

This particular B-25 aircraft was accepted by the US Army Air Corps in August 1944 and served as part of the AAF Flying Training Command. The training duties were done at over 12 different bases in the United States until January 1959.

During the following 25 years, the aircraft served as a civilian operated forest-fire fighting machine in the Pacific Northwest. In 1984, the Collings Foundation obtained the aircraft and had it restored by Tom Reilly Vintage Aircraft. In 2001, it was flown to Midland, Texas and repainted as "Tondelayo" by AVSource West.

The original "Tondelayo" was named by crew and Lieutenant Ralph Wallace. The painting on the aircraft was inspired by Hedy Lamarr's character in the movie, "White Cargo". In October 1943, the 500th BS was 4th Squadron of the 345th BG to attack shipping in Vunapope. Captain Lyle Anacker led the flight in the "Snafu", with Lieutenant Wallace in the "Tondelayo" and Lieutenant Peterson in "Sorry Satchul" in formation.

They claimed three ships in their wake and the attack was considered a success until the flight was jumped by avenging fighters. The "Sorry Satchul" was struck in the left engine and forced to ditch. The "Tondelayo" was hit in the right engine, which was shut down and feathered.

Captain Anacker and Lieutenant Wallace closed into a tight formation and headed home. Over Cape Gazelle, an estimated forty to fifty Japenese fighters dove upon them. More than 75 minutes were fought. The top turret of the "Tondelayo" ran out of ammunition and two crewmen balanced work passing gunbelts from nose to top turret while manning their waste gun positions, handling the radio, and taking turns clamping their hands over a severed gas line.

The "Snafu" became so damaged that Anacker was forced to ditch the aircraft. The "Tondelayo" pressed on flying only thirty feet over water and facing the Japenese fighters alone. Four of the fighters crashed into the water. Sergeant John Murphy, in the top turret, brought down five fighters and the remaining turned back. The "Tondelayo" landed in Kirtwina and flew again after repairs. The crews' valiant effort led to the Silver Star.

Stats of the B-25:

Wingspan - 67 feet, 7 inches

Length - 52 feet, 11 inches

Height - 16 feet, 4 inches

Empty Weight - 35,000 pounds

Max Weight - 72,000 pounds

Engines - 2 1700 HP Wrights

Armament - 10.50 Caliber Machine Guns

Crew - 4-6

Max Speed - 272 MPH

Service Ceiling - 24,200 feet

Range - 1350 miles

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My thoughts and feelings on this exhibit range from astonishment to a new found respect for our Veterans and the men and women that have fought and currently fight for this country. During our walkthrough of the planes, I envisioned the men that flew the plane, the ones that manned the machine guns, radios, and armed the bombs. As I walked along that small "catwalk" between the bombs, I thought how small the space was. As I passed the guns, I envisioned the gun shells piling up on the aircraft floor around me.

I can not pretend to understand what thoughts must have been in their minds as they went about the task of defending the United States. I can not imagine how uncomfortable they must have been in those seats during the flights and fights. I can not know what unimaginable torment they suffered or sacrifices they made. All I know is that I am eternally grateful for our armed services and I am thankful to be in America and an American Citizen.

If you have the opportunity to view the "Wings of Freedom Tour", I encourage you to do so. You can see the schedule of the tour here . If you have children, take them. Invite your family and friends. You won't regret it.

Side note: On Wednesday Floyd Mckemie, a waist gunner on a B-24 during WWII who was shot down over Germany and taken prisoner in 1944, was given the opportunity to fly in the B-24 which was on exhibit at the Dothan Airport. It was his first flight on a B-24 since being shot down. You can read the entire story here.