The Capital Wing of the Commemorative Air Force will honor America on the 20th anniversary of 9/11 by bringing two of its WWII warbirds to the Wings and Wheels Expo at the Hagerstown Regional Airport on Sept. 11.
Appearing at the event organized by the Hagerstown Aviation Museum will be a General Motors TBM Avenger torpedo bomber of the Capital Wing and a Stinson L-5 Sentinel.
The TBM Avenger was the largest and heaviest single-engine bomber of WWII. The Avenger’s 14-cylinder radial engine produces 1,900hp and its wings fold back against the fuselage for storage on aircraft carriers. The Stinson L-5 was a WWII liaison airplane and the first to be used as a Forward Air Controller aircraft.
Warbird Rides in the TBM Avenger and Stinson L-5 will be available for Saturday, Sept. 11, and should be purchased in advance at the Capital Wing bookings website www.capitalwingwarbirdrides.org.
All flights will originate at the event location 14211 Basore Drive, Hagerstown, Md. Any unsold flights will be available for purchase onsite the day of the event.
“Warbird rides are an opportunity for the public to sit in the same seats as did the crew of our aircraft in WWII. And feel the same power of the engines at take-off just as they did. And smell the same smells they did,” said Pete Ballard, Warbird Rides Coordinator for the Capital Wing. “Providing these warbird rides is a part of the CAF mission to honor the thousands of men and women who built, serviced and piloted the vintage WWII aircraft we keep flying,” he said.
In addition to the TBM Avenger and Stinson L-5, there will be many other warbirds flying and on static display including the B-25 twin-engine twin-tail bomber Panchito, Fairchild PT-19 Cornell, C-82, C-119 and C123.
The Capital Wing is an all-volunteer non-profit organization based in Culpeper, VA with over 100 members and is a Unit of the Commemorative Air Force whose mission is to educate, inspire, and honor through flight and living history experiences.
The CAF now ranks as one of the largest air forces in the world with a fleet of more than 175 aircraft. By bringing its TBM Avenger Doris Mae and L-5 Gayle Ann to Hagerstown for the public to see, hear and fly in, the Capital Wing can think of no better way to celebrate the mission of the Commemorative Air Force.
CAF Capital Wing aircraft rides sell out quickly, so it is recommended those interested purchase early. For frequently asked questions regarding flight requirements, check-in times, cancellations and changes, contact [email protected].
The Capital Wing and the Commemorative Air Force are non-profit 501(c)(3) organizations and ticket purchases may be tax-deductible.
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