The Collings Foundation from Stow, Massachusetts annually visits over 150 locations nationwide with their vintage Warbirds helping promote aviation's living history.

Collings’ Wings of Freedom Tour, which includes authentically restored WWII bombers (B-17 Flying Fortress, B-24 Liberator and B-25J Mitchell), kicked off its 16th season in 2005. The tour typically begins in Texas before stopping in Arizona and heading to the west coast.

Wings of Freedom Tours offer the opportunity to see vintage WWII bombers up close and tour through the authentically restored aircraft or experience a once-in-a-lifetime flight aboard the Warbird for the ultimate immersion into history.

This gallery was shot during April 2005 at Falcon Field in Mesa, Arizona. Falcon Field (FFZ) is an airport with historical roots and was named after the British hunting bird. The base officially opened in September 1941 as a pilot training base for British Royal Air Force pilots during World War II, with the first training flight of a Boeing PT-17 "Stearman" biplane. When the war ended, Falcon Field was turned over to the City of Mesa and has become one of the 10 largest airports in the United States in terms of based aircraft.

Included are the Collings Foundation’s B-17 Flying Fortress “Nine-O-Nine” and B-24 Liberator “Witchcraft”. All photos were taken hand-held under ambient light.

Thanks for dropping by.