World War II-Era Aircraft Visit World’s Third-Busiest Airport

Vintage Boeing Stearmans make a stop on a special mission for Dream Flights.

Ryan Ewing

Friday, September 20, 2024 at 03:48 PM ET

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Edited By: tccjeremy

Vintage aircraft at DFW Airport [Courtesy: Dream Flights]

Key Takeaways:

Vintage Boeing Stearman biplanes, originally World War II trainers, made a special visit to Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport.
The visit was orchestrated by Dream Flights, a nonprofit charity providing free "adventure of a lifetime" flights to veterans across the U.S.
During the DFW event, Dream Flights flew its 7,000th participant, 99-year-old WWII veteran Carlyle Hayes, along with three other senior veterans.

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With its top speed of 124 mph, the Boeing Stearman wasn’t exactly built for the hustle and bustle of a major international airport in 2024. The over-90-year-old aircraft were first developed in the 1930s and became widely used as trainers throughout World War II.

Nearly 11,000 Stearmans were built, but only around 1,000 are still flying. Earlier this week, a handful of these biplanes descended on Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport for a special mission.