Aug 01, 2024

Collection of vintage aircraft makes stop at Iowa airport

Posted Aug 01, 2024 8:03 PM

(Radio Iowa) - A squadron of rare airplanes from the World War Two era has landed in central Iowa, all of which are open for tours as well as for flights.

Cheryl Hilvert, tour leader for the Air Power History Tour, says the largest aircraft in the collection is a heavy bomber, a B-29 Superfortress. Nicknamed "Fifi," it's one of just two B-29s in the world that's still flying. There's also a T-6 Texan, a Stearman biplane, and a C-45 Expediter that are available for rides, as well as a P-51 Mustang. The tour's only Iowa stop this year is at the Des Moines International Airport.

Hilvert says they're working to keep history alive by educating the public "about the tremendous contributions of our greatest generation." There is a fee to tour the airplanes on the ground, and a much larger fee to take a ride in one. The squadron will be in Des Moines through Sunday.