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Vintage warbirds to descend on Valle Saturday
Annual High Country Warbirds Fly-In begins at 8 a.m. at Planes of Fame Museum

Visitors to the Planes of Fame Museum in Valle get an up close look at a vintage aircraft. The museum’s collection will be on display along with flown in P-51 Mustangs Saturday. Ryan Williams/WGCN

Visitors to the Planes of Fame Museum in Valle get an up close look at a vintage aircraft. The museum’s collection will be on display along with flown in P-51 Mustangs Saturday. Ryan Williams/WGCN

VALLE, Ariz. - For vintage airplane enthusiasts, nothing beats a fly-in event featuring warbirds flown in World War II. A variety of planes will be on the ground and in the air at the High Country Warbirds Fly-In held at the Planes of Fame Museum and in Valle-Grand Canyon Airport this Saturday.

Two P-51 Mustangs and a B-25 are among the aircraft scheduled to fly in for the event.

Planes of Fame Museum Curator Bob Reed said there are more P-51 planes still flying than any other war bird, mostly because they're what he called "hotrods." People tend to want to keep them restored and up and running.

There will be plenty of up-close warbird flying action on Saturday and also a meet and greet session and symposium with the pilots from the P-38 National Association.

Planes from the Chino, Calif. Planes of Fame Museum will make the trip and land at the airport. According to Reed, the museum's P-38 will not make the trip this year due to mechanical problems.

"It's in Chino, so you don't want to fly across the desert in something as rare as that," Reed said.

Reed said the Valle museum's T-28 may take to the air the day of the Fly-In.

Inside the museum itself, three dozen aircraft will be on display along with vintage automobiles. Food and craft vendors will be on hand and parking is free. Admission is $8 for adults and $2 for children with five and under children free of charge. Gates open at 8 a.m.

Along with the warbirds, Reed said a large number of private planes will fly in for the event. But, he said the P-51 is the real star of the day.

"If you want to see or hear a P-51 flying it's a day to come out here," Reed said. "It's a unique sound. It's kind of a rare sound. If you're lucky in your lifetime you get to hear one or see one fly. Very distinctive."

For some, a ride in the air in a vintage fighter plane is thrill not to be passed up. Becoming a member of the Planes of Fame Museum affords one the chance.

Membership rides will be available for those that make a $700 membership donation to the museum. And according to Reed, northern Arizona is a fantastic place to experience a warbird up close and personal.

"Here is probably one of the most unique places you'll go for a ride," Reed said. "You get into other areas and there are a lot of restrictions. Here, you're not dealing with all those restrictions."

Donations, membership, attendance and gift shop sales all help to keep the museum operational but Reed said it is the museum's affiliation with the Chino location that keeps the Valle location in business.

For Reed, keeping history alive and not forgotten is the most important mission of the museum. He works hard to create compelling displays recounting the role of the aircraft and their pilots in key moments in combat.

"It's one of those things where we're kind of unique," he said. "The displays are what people are looking for. They tell stories. It brings back a lot of memories for the old timers."

For more information visit www.planesoffame.org or call (928) 635-1000.


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