Historic military aircraft lands at Penticton, B.C. airport | 24CA News
The first of two iconic navy planes arrived in Penticton, B.C., Monday morning, quickly to be adopted by one other plane later this week.
The B-17 Flying Fortress touched down at Penticton Regional Airport and will probably be joined by a B-25 Mitchell on Thursday.
“The B-17, it’s a Flying Fortress called Sentimental Journey,” mentioned Commemorative Air Force floor operations coordinator Shirley Sukkel.
“We basically honour and educate and let people know about the sacrifices that were made in those days and the people and the engine and everything about the aircraft. It’s a living museum in your backyard here in Penticton.”
The two planes, from Airbase Arizona Flying Museum, are a part of a public exhibition hosted by the Penticton Flying Club.
The plane will probably be made accessible for excursions and a restricted variety of flights this week. Tickets to take a tour of the planes might be bought on the gate, whereas tickets for flights might be bought on the Commemorative Air Force web site.
“The tours are on the ground; you could walk from one end to the other for a slight fee. If you want to pay a little more, we’ll take you up in the air,” mentioned Sukkel.
“Just hit fly with us, pick the destination which is here in Penticton, and then pick your aircraft. It’s a pretty easy system to get you on board if you’d really like to kick that bucket list.”
Penticton is only one cease out of the group’s 16-week tour.
The Commemorative Air Force is a volunteer group, and members come from all around the United States and Canada, some from so far as England.
“I absolutely love it. My father did 35 missions in the same series of aircraft that I travel with today. So, I can’t possibly tell you the passion and the drive that I have behind it,” mentioned Sukkel.
“In my entire career, I’ve never loved anything or had such an outstanding experience as to just pay my way, volunteer, and come out and show everyone what we’re so passionate about.”
The B-17 was met on the bottom by native officers and veterans together with Jim DeMarce, Penticton Legion Branch 40 president, who served in Canada.
DeMarce has spent fairly a while within the sky as a skilled paratrooper and has 754 jumps below his belt.
“It’s really, really something, It’s unbelievable. For the people that work on these and keep them flying since the ’40s, because the war ended in 1945, these planes have been around a long time,” mentioned DeMarce.
“Being here is kind of special and brings back a lot of camaraderie because I did train with the American forces in the southern states and in Alaska, so it’s important to me in that respect.”
Meanwhile, the B-17 is certainly one of solely 5 at the moment flying on this planet. The mannequin was used extensively for operations in Europe between 1941 and 1945, nevertheless, this particular aircraft flew missions within the Pacific.
The B-25 was one of the crucial versatile plane within the Second World War. The aircraft, which is predicted to reach later this week, flew in Italy and Yugoslavia in 1944.
“We used to have two veterans here in Penticton, that were part of our branch, that actually flew in these during the Second World War,” mentioned DeMarce.
“I was with him, and they had him sign his name in the bomb bay doors, so that’s a little bit of nostalgia for me anyway.”
The group is welcome to tour each the B-17 and B-25 beginning Tuesday and the general public exhibition will wrap up this weekend with rides.
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