Mark Harris

The Republic | azcentral.com

Four World War II-era planes flew into Deer Valley Airport Monday afternoon during the Wings of Freedom tour.

The Wings of Freedom tour flies the aircraft to 110 cities throughout the year and is run by the Collings Foundation, a Massachusetts-based non-profit group devoted to preserving aviation history.

The four planes that will stop at the Deer Valley airport through Wednesday include a P-51 Mustang fighter plane. The other three are bomber planes, including a B-17 Flying Fortress, a B-24 Liberator, and a B-25 Mitchell, all restored to be in working condition.

The tour allows people to take a half-hour flight on the rare planes — but not at a low price. Rides in the bombers cost $400 and above, according to the Collings Foundation. Once the bombers are in the air, the tour allows people to move about the aircraft and experience all of its positions.

Flights on the P-51 Mustang are even more expensive: $2,200 for half an hour and $3,200 for a full hour. However, the tour does allow the guest to take control and fly the fighter outside of takeoff and landing.

Each of the bombers has an interesting story.

The B-17 Flying Fortress, named Nine O Nine, served as a rescue plane in the Caribbean at the end of WWII. According to event coordinator Mike Harlow, the plane had a conformed boat that was used to rescue soldiers.

In 1953, the B-17 was moved to Nevada, where it was a bomb periphery target and withstood three atomic-bomb test blasts. After 20 years of cooling off, it eventually made its way to the Collings Foundation.

Witchcraft, the B-24 Liberator, was on lend lease to the British Royal Air Force during WWII and was flown out of India in the Pacific Theater, Harlow said.

B-24s were the most numerous planes the allies built in WWII, but Harlow said that the tour's B-24 is the last one flying.

The B-25 Mitchell, named Tondelayo, was used as a training plane during the war and did not leave the continental United States until it was used as a fire-patrol plane in Alaska. The Collings Foundation later reconfigured it back into a WWII bomber, Harlow said.

Bob Preising, a volunteer for the Wings of Freedom tour, said he operated a similar bomber during his service in the Air Force during the 1950s.

"I was a lower left gunner on a RB-36 bomber," Preising said. "I have three years flying in the Air Force. I flew 1,200 hours in three years."

Preising also said that he sometimes explains aspects of the planes or talks about his flying experiences with guests.

The four planes arrived from Marana Regional Airport near Tucson and are scheduled to visit Phoenix-Mesa Gateway and Scottsdale airports before flying to San Diego after this weekend.

For more information, visit the Wings of Freedom tour website.