WWII Bombers Land at Van Nuys Airport

The sounds and sights of World War II will come alive again when vintage aircraft bombers return to Van Nuys Airport Sunday through Tuesday.

The event will mark the fifth year of a five-year Celebration of Freedom Tour organized by the Collings Foundation, which restores vintage aircraft.

The tour honors the contributions of World War II pilots and the glory of the planes they commanded, according to the foundation.

Bob Stane, local organizer and president of the B-17 Combat Crewmen and Wingmen Assn., remembers when so many of the aircraft graced the sky that some Los Angeles days had an “aluminum overcast” to them, he said.

Although the era was a tense period for the nation, it was an exciting time for kids, Stane said. “Pilots would skim the water along the coast until they reached a pier, at which point they would pull up just a few feet. You see, they used the piers for torpedo practice.”

The planes on display in Van Nuys have been painstakingly restored to pristine condition and feature all of their original equipment, including turrets, guns and Norton bombing sights, organizers said.

More than 50 pilots, gunners and other combat veterans will be on hand to retell their adventures of fighting the enemy and, in some cases, being the sole survivor of their crew.

The only fully restored flying B-24, one of the war’s workhorse planes, and a B-17 will be on display for public viewing from 3 to 6 p.m. Sunday, 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday and 8:30 a.m. until their 2 p.m. departure on Tuesday.

Those who can afford it--at $300 a ride--can experience the thrill of taking off and landing in one of the planes, both of which have seven allotted passenger seats.

Admission to the event is $7 general, $3 for kids 12 and younger.

All proceeds go to the cost of maintaining the planes.

Visitors should enter the airport at 7277 Valjean Ave., near the Airtel Plaza Hotel, and park in the hotel lot.

For information, call (818) 794-2902.