Collings Foundation Grounds Air Tour for WWII Aircraft

The Collings Foundation is ending its decades-long Wings of Freedom tour and putting its aircraft on permanent display at its Massachusetts museum.

Meg Godlewski

Thursday, November 30, 2023 at 05:16 PM ET

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Aircraft from the Wings of Freedom tour will be put on display at the Collings Foundation American Heritage Museum. [Courtesy: Hunter Chaney]

Key Takeaways:

The Collings Foundation has ended its "Wings of Freedom" nationwide flying exhibition, choosing to place its historic WWII aircraft into a permanent museum display in Massachusetts, citing a shift in focus to education and fewer WWII veterans.
This decision, along with an FAA ban on paid flights for the foundation, stemmed directly from the fatal 2019 B-17 "Nine-O-Nine" crash, which killed seven people and was attributed to pilot error, maintenance deficiencies, and safety system failures.
The article highlights broader concerns for B-17 operations, noting other recent accidents and an FAA airworthiness directive that has led to the grounding or display of several remaining B-17s.

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“In the wake of the 2019 B-17 Flying Fortress accident…” The message begins in the Collings Foundation American Heritage Museum newsletter, “We are moving forward on our long-term plans to bring the aircraft from a nationwide flying exhibition to permanent display here in Massachusetts.”

For decades, the Wings of Freedom tour brought World War II aircraft to thousands of aviation fans at airports across the country, offering rides for a price aboard the Boeing B-17G, B-25, B-24, and P-51D.