Some of the rarest airplanes from the Second World War were on display at the Victoria Flying Club.
Large crowds came out to the club from Tuesday to Sunday to see the B-17 and B-25 bombers as part of the Flying Legends of Victory Tour.
“The public has been very good,” ground operations coordinator Gene Adkins said. “There has been a great turnout. The flying club has treated us very well. We appreciate everything they have done for us. They are helping us out in every way they can.”
People were able to check out a ground tour of the bombers, step inside them and even take a flight.
“Quite a few of our flights were sold out,” Adkins said.
The bombers were both built in 1944 and came from CAF Airbase Arizona.
“The airplanes fly in Arizona in the winter, and in the summer they go on tour throughout the United States and sometimes in Canada,” Adkins added.
There are only five B-17s currently flying, and there were over 12,000 built during the war.
“It was active during the war, but it did not see combat,” Adkins said. “We got it in 1978. Eventually, we got a hanger to work on it.”
Only 34 B-25s are flying today and approximately 10,000 were produced.
“There was a lot of corrosion in the airplane when we received it,” Adkins said. “It went through a 27-year restoration and has now been flying for about 13 or 14 years.”
The Flying Legends of Victory Tour’s mission is to educate the public about the role of aviation in history.
“Our motto is to educate, honour and inspire,” Adkins said. “We let the public know what our veterans have done in the past. We primarily focus on the Second World War. We’re honouring the veterans who served. We are also inspiring young people to respect the freedoms that we have.”
ALSO READ: Canadian Vietnam Veterans Memorial comes to Vancouver Island
