WWII Aircraft and Flight Demonstrations in Salem Fathers Day Weekend

[PiratePast40]

Salem, OR - McNary Field Airport (SLE) - The Collings Foundation

We don't see much in the way of older warbirds here in Oregon so this is a chance to get up close and personal. If it's like years past, they'll do flybys and demo flights several times a day. If you've never been inside a B-17 or B-24, this is your chance. They are getting more and more rare so don't know how many more years you'll have the opportunity. If you like the sound of radial engines and the sweet music from a Rolls Royce Merlin engine, you'll get your fix here. It's going on Saturday and Sunday.

There's an RV club that also does some formation flying if they can make it this year. Pretty impressive, even more so from a group of civilian owners flying homebuilt aircraft. I think a lot of the members are from the Independence airport.

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[DB is Here]

Do they do this annually? I'd love to make this last year.

 

[Hop Sing]

I went last year when they were in Aurora and it was awesome! There's nothing like the sound of a radial engine starting up!

 

[Goosebrown]

Do they do this annually? I'd love to make this last year.

If you figure that out, please let me know how you do that.

 

[PiratePast40]

I was wrong about this being the annual event sponsored by the B-17 restoration group. This was put on by a different group but still very much worth it. The $15 admission got you access to the B-24 and B-17 and ability to walk through each one of the aircraft. Normally, it'll cost you $25 to $50 to go through each one of them. Pretty impressive to see what those young men went through in unpressurized machines at 30,000 feet and 20 below zero temps while fighters and flack are trying to blast them to their deaths. Also saw the P-40, P-51, and B-25 Mitchell flying several times.

Now - the annual fly-in sponsored by the B-17 Alliance B-17 Alliance Foundation and Warbirds over the West Warbirds Over the West is August 10th & 11th.