2 military airplanes to visit Unity airport for tours, rides
Two military airplanes will visit Arnold Palmer Regional Airport in June for rides and tours, said Gabe Monzo, Westmoreland County Airport Authority executive director.
The B-29 Superfortress, named Fifi, and a B-24 plane will make the trip to Unity through the Commemorative Air Force, a Texas-based museum of military aircraft. Monzo said Fifi will be the largest airplane to ever land at the Unity airport.
“It should be pretty impressive,” he said.
The event will be held over five days leading up to Father’s Day on June 19. Tours and rides on the planes will be available for a fee.
Commemorative Air Force started when a group of ex-service pilots began collecting World War II aircraft in an effort to preserve them, according to its website. The museum now has more than 175 planes.
The organization offers the Living History Flight Experience program for dozens of aircraft. Fifi, a World War II bomber, was being used as a missile target in the 1970s when members of the group found it. The B-29 was flown for several years before being completely restored, according to the group’s website.
Rides on Fifi cost between $600 and $1,700.
Renatta Signorini is a TribLive reporter covering breaking news, crime, courts and Jeannette. She has been working at the Trib since 2005. She can be reached at rsignorini@triblive.com.
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