The arrival of two World War II antique planes will give
Hollister residents a chance to see and feel history on
Tuesday.
The arrival of two World War II antique planes will give Hollister residents a chance to see and feel history on Tuesday.
The Collings Foundation’s Wings of Freedom Tour will be at the Hollister Municipal Airport for the first time Tuesday through Thursday, displaying the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress and Consolidated B-24 Liberator.
Visitors will be able to tour the planes for a small donation and will have the chance to go up in them for a fee of $400, said Kory Stendell, coordinator of California for the Collings Foundation.
The fee and donations, which cover the planes’ maintenance and helps support the nonprofit foundation, is well worth the experience, Stendell said.
“It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity,” he said. “You can’t even put a value on it.”
Those who can’t afford taking a pricey ride in one of the planes should still attend just for the chance be a part of this rare event, said Gordon Machado, chairman of the Airport Commission.
“You see (these types of planes) on the History Channel or on movies,” Machado said. “This is live history, it’s not TV… People should come to take advantage of this opportunity.”
The rare planes are on a 10-month, 120-city nationwide tour. Hollister is one of 19 California cities the planes will stop in.
Neither plane ever saw combat during the war, but the B-24 on display is the only one in the world that is still able to fly. There are several other B-17s left, but they are also very rare, Stendell said.
A chance to see these tangible remnants of the past help people remember those who died for America and shows homage to their memory, he said.
“It supports the American way of life. If it wasn’t for these aircraft it’s a good chance we wouldn’t be speaking English,” he said. “And all this is going by the wayside. We can’t just let it go into oblivion.”
The planes will be on display from 3 to 7 p.m. on Tuesday; 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Wednesday; and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Thursday. Reservations for plane rides are encouraged; call 978-562-9182.
