Last weekend, Worcester airport welcomed World War II planes and pilots for the start of a four-day spectacular ‘Wings of Freedom’ tour. The tour was organized by the Collings Foundation, which has been producing the tour for 23 years. Landing at the airport were a group of war veterans, like Robert Patterson, who flew a B-17 during World War II.
Patterson was on only his second mission when he was shot down. However, he went on to face another 23 missions and, now aged 91 years old, was experiencing being back in the plane for the first time since 1945.
The Collings Foundation aims to help Americans learn more about their heritage and background through taking part in living history events. Among the exhibits in the ‘Wings of Freedom’ tour is a B-24 Liberator, which is the only one of its kind fully restored and in flight. The tour also has a P-51 Mustang, which is the only one with a dual cockpit.
In addition to providing memories of the days at war for veterans, the yearly event also educates younger generations about life during the war and the flying machines used by the pilots. The tour was widely publicized, possibly utilizing the banner printing services of local printers. One spectator, Ken Gajewski, was able to fly in one of the planes and admitted that doing so helped him to appreciate what the pilots had to fly in during the war with Germany.
