Take Flight

Aviation Tour Brings Rare World War II-Era Planes to Venice

This is your chance to view or even fly in a B-24 bomber or a P-51 fighter.

By Rachel Suwak January 17, 2020

Vintage Consolidated B-24 Liberator

The Collings Foundation received the B-24 in the 1980s and put more than 97,000 hours into restoring the plane back to flying condition. The restorers chose “Witchcraft” for the plane's nose art in honor of an original plane that flew 130 missions without losing any crew or abandoning a mission.

Photography by Collings Foundation

Vintage Consolidated B-24 Liberator

The B-24 Liberator on the tour is the last flying plane of its kind. It was once the most mass produced plane in American history, but after the war was over, “most B-24s were scrapped for their parts and metals," says Collings Foundation director of marketing Hunter Chaney. "Our B-24 happened to survive by a unique set of circumstances after it flew with the Royal Air Force in World War II."

Photography by Collings Foundation

North American P-51 Mustang

If you look closely, you will see the name "Toulouse Nuts," which is a play on words. There is an old story that says that pilots and their trainees would take their airplane to the mechanic and the mechanic would ask how the plane is flying. The pilot would say, "It sounds like there's a loose nut in there," and the mechanic would reply, "Yeah, it sounds like there's two loose nuts in there."

Photography by Collings Foundation

North American P-51 Mustang

P-51 flight training is available for 30-minute and hour-long sessions.

Photography by Collings Foundation

North American P-51 Mustang

This plane was endearingly known as "Little Friend" to bombers during World War II. Bomber pilots loved to see the quick and effective plane join them on missions because they had a greater chance of being successful.

Photography by Collings Foundation

The Wings of Freedom Tour will be displaying an exceptionally rare collection of aircraft from the World War II era, including the last still-flying B-24 bomber and a P-51 fighter, at Venice Municipal Airport from Jan. 23 to 26. The event was created by the Collings Foundation, a Massachusetts-based nonprofit that works to honor veterans and educate Americans about aviation history.

Visitors are invited to explore the aircraft inside and out. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children under 12. Thirty-minute flights aboard these exceptional airplanes are also available. Flights on the B-24 are $475 a person, while the P-51 flight costs $2,400 for a half hour and $3,400 for a full hour. For reservations and information on the flight experiences, call (800) 568-8924. For more information about the event, click here.

Venice, Florida History, Airplanes, World War II, Aviation

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