Warbird Gathering Offers Free Flights For WWII Vets
About 90 vintage military aircraft have registered to take part in the Gathering of Warbirds and Legends in Topeka, Kan., from Aug. 2-4 and in keeping with the cooperative and community-service nature of the event, Second World War vets are being offered free rides on rare aircraft from the era. “We have owners lined up who are donating their airplanes and their gas to fly these vets,” said organizer Dan Gryder in an interview with AVweb. He said vets and the family members of vets can go to the event website to register for a flight in aircraft that helped win the war. They don’t have to be former pilots or aircrew. Anyone who served can get aboard. Some of the rarest aircraft still flying will be there and there will be a re-enactment of the D-Day airborne assault with aircraft that were used that day dispensing skydivers using vintage-style round parachutes. “The event itself is a departure from the usual airshow format in that only warbirds are involved and all net revenue will be distributed among the aircraft owners and operators.”
About 90 vintage military aircraft have registered to take part in the Gathering of Warbirds and Legends in Topeka, Kan., from Aug. 2-4 and in keeping with the cooperative and community-service nature of the event, Second World War vets are being offered free rides on rare aircraft from the era. "We have owners lined up who are donating their airplanes and their gas to fly these vets," said organizer Dan Gryder in an interview with AVweb. He said vets and the family members of vets can go to the event website to register for a flight in aircraft that helped win the war. They don't have to be former pilots or aircrew. Anyone who served can get aboard. Some of the rarest aircraft still flying will be there and there will be a re-enactment of the D-Day airborne assault with aircraft that were used that day dispensing skydivers using vintage-style round parachutes. "The event itself is a departure from the usual airshow format in that only warbirds are involved and all net revenue will be distributed among the aircraft owners and operators."
The cost of fuel, parts and other related expenses have stretched many warbird owners and Gryder said many are rethinking their participation in public events. Gryder said participants in the Gathering of Warbirds and Legends, who registered in advance for "slots" to take part, will get free refreshments and avgas at $2 a gallon. The event coincides with the closing weekend of AirVenture Oshkosh and Gryder said many of those attending will use Topeka as a convenient and inexpensive stop on their way back to their bases. He said the non-profit format of the event could become a template for warbird displays as the huge costs of maintaining the aircraft keep increasing.
