Three very old birds Wings of Freedom is a two day event held at North Central Airport. Only three planes are displayed, but the three are among the most famous aircraft every built. Everyone with even a passing interesting in WW2 or aviation will recognize the name B-17 Flying Fortress, B-24 Liberator and P-51 Mustang. These aren’t replicas but are among the few actual flying examples. The cool thing about the event is that you not only get to look at the planes but you also get to go in them. Actually crawling around inside a B-17G or B-24J is an incredible experience. The planes look so huge on the outside but the insides are so packed with guns, ammo, fuel, boxes and other crap that it’s almost impossible to move. Sure I gained a few pounds over the summer but I’m still not that fleshly, but I had to literally force myself through some of the openings. Going across the bomb area I had to turn sideways and almost inhale. These machines were built for war and not comfort, quite different than a commercial airliner. Another thing that stuck me was how flimsy the planes felt. Very thin skin that felt like I could put my fist through it. I can’t imagine how flying at 30,00 feet, unpressurized in 60 below zero, with the noise and vibration and zillions of people shooting at you must have felt to the crews. Only increases my admiration for their courage and sacrifice. The 12 dollar admission was a bit steep and there were only three planes but it was still very cool. Just looking at pics can never give the same experience as actually going in the planes. At least for a short time, in a very small way I got to know what it was it was like for the men who had to fly and fight in these machines. Three very old birds
