CAF AirPower Tour Summer Dates Announced

PRESS RELEASE – The Commemorative Air Force’s (CAF) iconic Boeing B-29 Superfortress bomber, FIFI, along with other AirPower Tour aircraft, starts a 24 city, 6 week tour in Birmingham, AL May 18-22. She will also perform in two air shows prior to the start of the tour, the Barksdale AFB Defenders of Liberty Air Show April 30-May 1 and the Spirit of St. Louis Air Show May 14-15. FIFI is currently the only flying B-29 Superfortress in the world.

While on tour the B-29 will be accompanied at many stops by the P-51 Mustang Gunfighter and a variety of other World War II aircraft including the beloved C-45 Expeditor, Bucket of Bolts; a T-6 Texan; a PT-13 Stearman; and others. Each year the CAF AirPower History Tour provides powerful history lessons to audiences across the United States. Their collection of flying military aircraft brings the sights, smells, sounds and stories of World War II aviation to the public at large. Visitors can view the aircraft up close, watch them fly and purchase rides in many of them. Advance ride reservations can be made at AirPowerTour.org.

The Boeing B-29 Superfortress, first flown in 1942, began active service in 1944 and is best known as the aircraft whose missions over Japan helped bring about the end of World War II. It was designed as a replacement for the older B-17s and B-24s, with longer range and greater bomb loads. The B-29 was also used in the Korean War in the early 1950s and was a staple of the U.S. Air Force until the late 1950s.

The tour schedule for May through early October:

• St. Louis, MO, May 14-15 (Spirit of St. Louis Air Show)
• Birmingham, AL, May 18-22
• Farmingdale, NJ, May 25-29
• Hagerstown, MD, May 30-June 1
• Reading, PA, June 3-5 (World War II Weekend)
• Nashua, NH, June 8-12
• Albany, NY, June 15-19
• Pittsburgh, PA, June 22-26
• South Bend, IN, June 29-July 3
• Aurora, IL, July 15-17
• Dubuque, IA, July 18-20
• Janesville, WI, July 22-24 (Heavy Bomber Weekend)
• Oshkosh, WI, July 25-31 (EAA AirVenture)
• Peoria, IL, August 3-7
• Springfield, IL, August 10-14
• Omaha, NE, August 17-21
• Cheyenne, WY, August 22-25
• Broomfield, CO, August 26-28
• Grand Junction, CO, August 31-September 4
• Las Vegas, NV, September 7-11
• Monterrey, CA, September 14-18
• Modesto, CA, September 21-25
• Sacramento, CA, September 29-October 2
• Prescott, AZ, October 5-9
• Lubbock, TX, October 12-16

About the CAF’s B-29 Superfortress, FIFI:

FIFI was acquired by the CAF in the early 1970s when a group of CAF members found her at the U.S. Navy Proving Ground at China Lake, California where she was planned to be used as a missile target. The airplane was rescued and restored and flew for over thirty years until 2006 when the chief pilot made the decision to ground her pending a complete power plant re-fit. What followed was an extensive four year restoration that included replacing all four engines with new custom built hybrid engines. FIFI returned to the sky in 2010 and since that time has traveled coast to coast attracting large crowds at every tour stop. Learn more about FIFI and her tour schedule at www.AirPowerTour.org.

About the Commemorative Air Force:

The Commemorative Air Force honors the men and women who built, maintained, and flew in these airplanes during World War II. The organization believes that is best accomplished by maintaining the airplanes in flying condition; taking the airplanes to the people allowing them to experience the sight and sound of the aircraft in flight.

Collecting, restoring and flying vintage historical aircraft for more than half a century, the Commemorative Air Force ranks as one of the largest private air forces in the world. The CAF is dedicated to Honoring American Military Aviation through flight, exhibition and remembrance. A non-profit educational association, the CAF has more than 13,000 members and a fleet of 165 airplanes distributed throughout the country to 76 CAF units for care and operation. For more information, visit www.commemorativeairforce.org.