Local News in Brief : Classic Bomber Alights
- Share via
Aviation enthusiasts will have a chance to sit at the controls of a World War II bomber when “Sentimental Journey,” the world’s only fully restored B-17 Flying Fortress, goes on display this weekend at Santa Monica Airport.
The plane will be open to the public outside the airport’s Douglas Aerospace Museum from 9 a.m. to sundown Saturday and Sunday.
The bomber flew reconnaissance missions in the Philippines. After the war it was used to drop flame-retardant borate on brush and forest fires in California. It was purchased and restored by a group of nostalgic World War II airmen in 1978.
Members of the Arizona Wing of the Confederate Air Force, a private group of aviation hobbyists, spent five years repainting the plane and installing original machine gun turrets and control panels, organization spokesman John D. Wolven said.
“It’s a real labor of love,” Wolven said. “We’re preserving a piece of America’s history.”
Sign up for The Wild
We’ll help you find the best places to hike, bike and run, as well as the perfect silent spots for meditation and yoga.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
