The Commemorative Air Force’s Capital Wing, based in Culpeper, Virginia, is collaborating with the Delaware Aviation Museum Foundation of Georgetown, Delaware at a number of air shows this year, and has just announced their Warbird Showcase 2022 Tour Schedule. A variety of their well-known WWII-era aircraft will be performing in twelve cities spread across six states in tribute to the thousands of men and women who built, maintained, and flew these magnificent flying machines during their nation’s time of need. At each of these stops, members of the public will have the opportunity to purchase flight experience rides in any of the aircraft.
Restored to pristine condition, the vintage military aircraft taking part in this tour will include the following aircraft:
‘Grumman’ TBM-3E Avenger BuNo.91426 Doris Mae – torpedo bomber
North American B-25J Mitchell 44-30734 Panchito – medium bomber
Stinson L-5B Sentinel 42-98758 Gayle Ann – FAC (Forward Air Controller)
Boeing/Stearman N2S-4 Kaydet BuNo.30107 – primary trainer
A ride in any of these aircraft will allow the lucky person to sit in the very same seats which those of an earlier generation did 80 years ago when these aircraft help defend our nation. These flights are often deeply emotional experiences for participants, because the sensory connection to the past is so present – the roar of the engines, the vibrations rumbling up through the seat, the distinctive scent which every aircraft from this era projects, the view, and the way an aircraft feels in flight – it is impossible not to reflect upon what our forebears must have witnessed and endured within these aircraft during WWII.
To find details about the full tour schedule or advance ticketing for any warbird ride, please click HERE; reservations for B-25 seats can also be made by calling +1 (443) 458-8926. Please visit the Delaware Aviation Museum Foundation’s link HERE for more information about the B-25 and the flight adventures available. Flight seats not sold in advance will be available for sale on-site at Warbird Showcase events. Rides are priced to fit almost any budget and range from $105 to $1,300 depending upon which aircraft and position you choose to experience. The scheduled warbirds will appear at each event subject to pilot and aircraft availability, maintenance, weather, and sufficient advance flight sales.
This year’s Warbird Showcase tour will see several new programs added to the schedule. On Saturday, April 23rd, a low-key event at Culpeper Regional Airport in Culpeper, Virginia will offer the public a chance to ‘meet and greet’ Capital Wing members and pilots as well as the opportunity to purchase warbird flight experience rides. Mother’s Day weekend (May 7th/8th) in Warrenton, Virginia will see the debut of ‘Women and Girls Can Fly!’, an event where those attending can speak with three of our female pilots. One of these women flies the B-25 (and she is a retired Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 Captain), another flies a vintage Fairchild F24 (and a Dassault Falcon 7X bizjet during her day job), and the third is a student pilot who flies a Piper TriPacer.
At the Mid-Atlantic Air Museum’s WWII Weekend (June 3-5) in Reading, Pennsylvania, riders in the TBM Avenger will be flying during the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Midway, the pivotal battle in the Pacific Theatre where TBM Avengers were heavily involved. And on July 3rd, those attending the Independence Day celebrations at Eastern West Virginia Regional Airport in Martinsburg, West Virginia will enjoy flybys from the TBM Avenger and Kaydet bi-plane, as well as fireworks at night.
Other cities on the Warbird Showcase tour schedule include Cumberland Maryland, Ashland/Richmond Virginia, Frederick Maryland, Manteo North Carolina, Raleigh North Carolina, Hagerstown Maryland, Leesburg Virginia, and Georgetown Delaware. Click HERE to check the complete schedule. The Capital Wing and Delaware Aviation Museum Foundation are both non-profit 501(c)(3) organizations and staffed entirely with volunteers. For more information, please contact [email protected] or [email protected].
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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