A B-17 Flying Fortress, a P-51 Mustang, and a B-24 Liberator – part of The Collings Foundation’s Wings of Freedom tour – were scheduled to arrive Monday, but rain delayed their flights.
Visitors are welcome to tour the inside of the vintage aircraft and 30-minute flights also are available, organizers said.
Viewing the exterior of planes is free. Interior tours of the B-17 or B-24 will cost $12 for adults and $6 for children under 12 years old.
Flights aboard the B-17 or B-24 cost $425 per person per flight while P-51 flights are $2,200 for a half hour and $3,200 for a full hour. Reservations can be made through the Collings Foundation at (800) 568-8924. Donations are tax-deductible.
The planes will be parked on the ramp behind the Radisson Hotel, 3455 Skyway Drive, from 9 a.m. to noon today for ground tours and viewing. They’ll depart at noon.
Posted in Local on Wednesday, May 19, 2010
The Collings Foundation’s Wings of Freedom tour will bring a B-17 Flying Fortress, a P-51 Mustang, and a B-24 Liberator to the Santa Maria Public Airport from Monday through Wednesday.
American warbirds, crucial to winning World War II, are coming to the Central Coast next week. The Collings Foundation’s Wings of Freedom tour will bring a B-17 Flying Fortress, a P-51 Mustang, and a B-24 Liberator to the Santa Maria Public Airport from Monday until Wednesday.
Visitors are welcome to tour the inside of the vintage aircraft and 30-minute flights also are available, organizers said. Viewing the exterior of planes is free. Interior tours of the B-17 or B-24 will cost $12 for adults and $6 for children under 12 years old. Flights aboard the B-17 or B-24 cost $425 per person per flight while P-51 flights are $2,200 for a half hour and $3,200 for a full hour. Reservations can be made through the Collings Foundation at (800) 568-8924. Donations are tax-deductible.
The planes are scheduled to arrive Monday afternoon at the airport and will be parked on the ramp behind the Radisson Hotel, 3455 Skyway Drive, until Wednesday.
Hours for ground tours and display are from 2 to 5:30 p.m. Monday; 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Tuesday and 9 a.m. to noon Wednesday. Flights are typically scheduled before and after ground tour times.
The B-17 is restored and painted as the 8th Air Force, 91st Bomb Group’s “Nine-O-Nine” which flew a record 140 missions over enemy territory during World War II without an abort of lost crewman. It’s one of only nine of its type flying today in the America, organizers said.
The B-24J has been restored and repainted as the 8th Air Force, 467th Bomb Group’s “Witchcraft” that flew 130 missions with no crewman injured or lost.
The dual control P-51C Mustang, named “Betty Jane,” honors Col. Charles M. McCorkle, commander of the 31st fighter group based in North Africa and Italy. He recorded 11 confirmed enemy kills in the air — 6 in a Mustang named “Betty Jane.”
The versions of the B-24 and P-51 are the only flying examples of their types in the world, according to organizers.
Santa Maria is part of a 110-city nationwide “living history” tour to promote education and awareness of World War II air power, The Collings Foundation said.
The local visit is hosted by the Santa Maria Museum of Flight. Wings of Freedom has come to the airport five of the past seven years and typically has a good turnout, said Mike Geddry Sr., Museum of Flight president.
A barbecue from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Monday is being planned to welcome the flight crews, he said. For reservations, call the museum at 922-8758. Prices have yet to be set.
For more information on the Massachusetts-based organization and its planes go to www.cfdn.org
Staff Report posted in Local on Saturday, May 15, 2010
By Julian J. Ramos/Staff Writer jramos@santamariatimes.com
Although no grades will be handed out after a drill simulating a plane crash Wednesday at Santa Maria Public Airport, officials from the city and the airport said the exercise served as a valuable test run for a real-life incident.
Coordinated chiefly by the Santa Maria Public Airport District and the Santa Maria Fire Department, which is contracted by the airport to handle fire services, the drill is a test of coordinated emergency services between several area agencies, officials said.
A full-scale drill, held every three years, is an important test of the effectiveness of the airport’s emergency plan, said Chris Hastert, airport general manager. Overall, Hastert said Wednesday’s results were satisfactory. “I couldn’t be more pleased,” Hastert said.
The mass-casualty scenario was meant to simulate a 30-passenger airliner crash on the runway with a post-collision fire and leaking fuel. A yellow school bus served as the downed aircraft and a plume of simulated white smoke from a canister represented the fire in the aircraft.
Hancock College Emergency Medical Services (EMS) students acted as victims for the drill, while others portrayed families and friends.
About 100 members from various agencies — American Medical Response, county fire and Sheriff’s departments, and the county’s Emergency Medical Services Agency, for example — participated.
There is no pass or fail for the exercise, rather it is a valuable tool to gauge what works and what does not, Hastert said.
Going over notes detailing observations from evaluators is the next step for airport and city officials. The process is anticipated to begin next week.
It was the first such drill at the Santa Maria Airport, also known as SMX, for Hastert since becoming general manager in October 2008.
The two-hour exercise took between two and three months to plan, and was the first in which the city fire force was one of the lead agencies organizing the scenario, said Jeff Jones, Santa Maria’s fire chief. There were many critical, moderate, and minor injuries along with 17 fatalities among the 29 souls on board, he said, describing the drill during a press conference.
Shortly after the mock plane crash, the city’s “crash” unit vehicle assigned at the airport sprayed water from a cannon to simulate a foam blanket around the aircraft that would allow the victims and firefighters to exit the fuselage safely. Victims were taken off the aircraft and into a hangar where they were divided up by the severity of their injuries.
American Red Cross staff members were on hand to support first responders to the incident and to aid crash victims and their families.
The airport remained open for normal operations during the exercise, which was held in an area away from the runway and close to the airport fire station and the former Space Coast Flight Center facility.
In August 2008, the city assumed the airport contract from the Santa Barbara County Fire Department to provide Aircraft Rescue Firefighting (ARFF) services as mandated by the Federal Aviation Administration. Under FAA regulations, the airport must supply aircraft rescue staffing during every takeoff and landing of commercial flights and large charters. The specialized staff must be on hand to respond 15 minutes before and after each flight.
Posted in Local on Thursday, May 6, 2010
A simulated plane crash is scheduled for today at Santa Maria Public Airport.
The airport will remain open for normal operations during this exercise, and people in the terminal, Pepper Garcia’s restaurant and general aviation areas will be notified of the drill, city of Santa Maria officials said.
The drill – involving the city police and fire departments, Santa Maria Public Airport District, and many other agencies – is scheduled from 10 a.m. to noon.
Posted in Local on Wednesday, May 5, 2010
A simulated plane crash is scheduled for Wednesday at Santa Maria Public Airport, city of Santa Maria officials announced.
The airport will remain open for normal operations during this exercise, and people in the terminal, Pepper Garcia’s restaurant and general aviation areas will be notified of the drill, the city said.
The mass-casualty scenario is meant to simulate a 30-passenger airliner crash with a post-crash fire and leaking fuel. A school bus will represent the downed aircraft, a canister of simulated smoke will be used to represent the fire, and Allan Hancock College students will act as victims for the drill, while others will portray families and friends.
The drill – involving the police and fire departments in Santa Maria, Santa Maria Public Airport District, and many other agencies – is scheduled from 10 a.m. to noon.
For more information, call the City Manager’s Office at 925-0951, Ext. 372 or Airport General Manager Chris Hastert at 922-1726, Ext. 15.
April 29, 2010
