PRESS RELEASE — WWII pilot Bud Anderson will captivate the audience as guest speaker for the Atlanta Warbird Weekend’s “Dinner with an Ace,” at 7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 12 at the 57th Fighter Group restaurant, Dekalb-Peachtree Airport. Tickets are $125 for this limited seating event, which was sold out last year. This is a rare event to hear first-hand about WWII from one of the dwindling number of heroes who flew the aircraft and experienced the battles. Tickets can be purchased HERE.
Several vintage aircraft are joining the spectacular fleet of P-51 Mustangs that will be on display for the second Annual Atlanta Warbird Weekend (AWW) Sept. 12-13 at Dekalb-Peachtree Airport (PDK). This year’s theme will be a “Gathering of Mustangs”, a rare collection of P-51 Mustangs along with a B-17 “Memphis Belle”; British RAF Spitfire; German FW-190; Stearman biplane; DC-3 and other famous WWII aircraft. Atlanta Warbird Weekend is open free to the public from 10 a.m.to 4 p.m. Plenty of parking will be available for $10 per car. All of the planes will be on display and rides will be available in the Dixie Wing’s P-51, Douglas SBD-5 dive bomber and an LT-6 Mosquito. “This weekend is dedicated to the remembrance and celebration of the men, women and machines of the Greatest Generation,” said Jay Bess, program coordinator. “AWW is a catalyst that brings together organizations, aircraft and people to keep this history alive, and to engage the public and businesses to preserve the spirit of America’s shared past. “Our goal is to create “hands-on” history that brings the era alive and inspires in a way that goes beyond textbook learning,” Bess said. CAF “This event helps us fulfill that mission, increases awareness of the Commemorative Air Force in Atlanta and raises much-needed funds for restoration and preservation of our historic aircraft.”
Veterans groups, re-enactors and educational displays will engage the public with the aircraft and their stories. AWW also will include businesses on the field, such as the 57th Fighter Group restaurant, a WWII fighter-themed business owned by Georgia Aviation Hall of Fame recipient Pat Epps.
Rides on the CAF aircraft can be purchased in advance (HERE), for a once-in-a lifetime opportunity. Rides are popular with veterans who remember these vintage aircraft, and are equally appreciated by younger aviation fans who never had an opportunity to experience flight in an historic 70-year-old warplane. Rides may be purchased during the show if space is available. Ground tours of these rare aircraft will be available for a modest fee, which helps cover the cost of restoring and touring them.
About Commemorative Air Force Dixie Wing
The Commemorative Air Force (CAF) is a non-profit organization dedicated to flying and restoring World War II aircraft. Based in Dallas, Texas, the organization has more than 12,500 members and operates a fleet of more than 160 World War II aircraft. The CAF was founded to acquire, restore and preserve in flying condition a complete collection of combat aircraft that were flown by all military services of the United States, and selected aircraft of other nations, for the education and enjoyment of present and future generations of Americans. More than just a collection of airworthy warplanes from the past, the CAF’s fleet of historic aircraft, known as the CAF Ghost Squadron, recreates, reminds and reinforces the lessons learned from the defining moments in American military aviation history. The Dixie Wing, based in Peachtree City, Ga., was approved as the 83rd CAF unit on Feb.28, 1987, and has since displayed its collection of vintage World War II aircraft in numerous air shows throughout the United States. The wing is a non-profit, tax-exempt “flying museum” that relies on contributions of time and funds to carry out its mission.
Rides on the CAF aircraft can be purchased in advance HERE
Tickets to the “Dinner With an Ace” can be purchased HERE
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Born in Milan, Italy, Moreno moved to the U.S. in 1999 to pursue a career as a commercial pilot. His aviation passion began early, inspired by his uncle, an F-104 Starfighter Crew Chief, and his father, a military traffic controller. Childhood adventures included camping outside military bases and watching planes at Aeroporto Linate. In 1999, he relocated to Atlanta, Georgia, to obtain his commercial pilot license, a move that became permanent. With 24 years in the U.S., he now flies full-time for a Part 91 business aviation company in Atlanta. He is actively involved with the Commemorative Air Force, the D-Day Squadron, and other aviation organizations. He enjoys life with his supportive wife and three wonderful children.
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