KAMLOOPS — It’s a World War Two plane that has done its fair share of flying and fighting during the last 73 years.
While no longer in battle, the B-25 Bomber is still going strong in the air, and all this week it’s in Kamloops as part of the Flying Legends of Victory Tour across Canada and the U.S.
WATCH: Full report by Chad Klassen
“This airplane actually flew in World War II, went over to Europe and flew. It was based in Corsica and actually dropped bombs and had missions in Italy and Yugoslavia,” said pilot Col. Spike McLane.
Sitting part of the year at the Arizona Commemorative Air Force Museum, it’s let out on occassion to tour.
“It’s very thrilling,” said McLane, who flew commercial before starting to fly the bomber. “It’s a very exhilarating airplane. It’s very agile. It performs exactly the way it did in World War II.”
This type of B-25 bomber was key in the American raids on Tokyo in 1942 — the U.S. retaliation four months after Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbour. The famous raid was made into a movie Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo in 1944.
“This is fantastic. I don’t think Kamloops has brought in anything like this before,” said Monte Dauncey, president of the Kamloops Flying Club. “This is living history. This bomber actually flew in 15 combat missions in the Second World War. We feel extremely fortunate that we were able to work with the Commemorate Air Force out of the United States.”
For the flight crew, touring the bomber around North America is about education, wanting people to know about its history.
“That’s the whole purpose, to educate, especially young people of what World War II was all about and the sacrifices that were made to win that war.”
The B-25 Bomber will be in Kamloops all week at the Executive Flight Centre. You can visit the tarmac for a $2 entry fee. It’s $15 per person and $25 a family to take a walk through the plane.
There’s still room on some of the flights going Friday, Saturday and Sunday. It’s $325US for a waist gunner compartment seat at the back of the plane and $650US for a flight deck jump seat up front by the pilots.
For more information, you can visit the Flying Legends of Victory Tour website here.
