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‘Wings of Freedom’ flys through Santa Barbara

A piece of World War II history flew through Santa Barbara as part of a 110-city trip.

The Mustang, Liberator and the Flying Fortress were on display and open for visitors at the Santa Barbara Airport.

“It’s a great way to connect with the veterans, the kids. This is living history and this is what makes it so rewarding and so unique,” said Kerry Bean, a volunteer pilot for the tour.

During the war, more than 18,000 B-24 planes were built and the Wings of Freedom Tour has the last flying one.

“So this literally is a piece of living history,” said Bean.

NewsChannel 3 took a trip back in time by stepping in the B-17 bomber.

The nearly 75-foot-long plane has some tight squeezes but the cramped space and details gave people a sense of what the pilots and crews worked with.

“This is what a 500-pound bomb would look like,” said Bean. “You see it has Hitler’s address here. That wasn’t atypical. The guys would add a personal touch.”

The tour is a tribute to those who served in World War II and some family members of those veterans came out to see the planes.

“I’m bringing Asher here to see what his great-grandfather flew. He flew 31 missions out of England. He led the 8th Air Force on a mission. He was a group leader and a wing leader,” said Bob Streeton as he held his grandson.

Although little Asher might not grasp the significance of the day, his grandfather wanted to share the family history.

Wings of Freedom Tour Schedule:
5/13-5/15 Santa Barbara
5/15-5/17 Monterey
5/17-5/25 Mountain View
5/26-5/28 Livermore
5/29-5/31 Vacaville
5/31-6/2 Sacramento
6/3-6/5 Reno, NV
6/5-6/7 Santa Rosa
6/7-6/9 Concord

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‘Wings of Freedom’ flys through Santa Barbara

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