EAA’s B-17 and Ford Tri-Motor Arriving at Manassas Airport

Manassas VA,- Step back in time and experience history when two rare, historic airplanes visit the Manassas Regional Airport October 20-23, 2016. The 1929 Ford Tri-Motor was among the very first mass-produced airliners from the new “Golden Age” of flight, and the 1945 B-17G bomber is one of the most iconic images of World War II, a vivid link back to the brave men and women of the “greatest generation.” Few of these aircraft exist now outside museums, but you can watch these two beautifully restored planes fly and even buy rides on both of them at Manassas. The bomber will also be open for ground tours.

Both airplanes are owned and operated by the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA), a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization promoting aviation through educational offerings and opportunities to participate in aviation. Revenues from the rides and tours help cover the maintenance and operations costs of keeping these living museums flying.

Rides are available on the Ford Tri-Motor from 2:00 to 5:00 PM on Thursday, October 20, and from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM on Friday through Sunday, October 21-23. Adults are $75 and children are $50, and every seat on the “Tin Goose” is a window seat. If you purchase flight tickets online at www.FlyTheFord.org or by calling 800-359-6217 before October 20, you can save $5 off each adult ticket. Rather than being scheduled for a specific time, flights are filled each day on a first-come, first-served basis; check in with the ticket agent in the terminal as early as possible on the day you're going to fly.

B-17 flights on Aluminum Overcast are available Friday through Sunday, October 21-23, from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM. After the last flight each day, the bomber will be open for walk-through ground tours, typically from 2:00 to 5:00 PM. Buy your ground tour tickets on-site; they're $10 for an individual or $20 for a family, but veterans and active duty military are free, and children under 8 are free with a veteran or paid adult.

The B-17 flight experience is truly unique; you're buckled in only for takeoff and landing, so – personal mobility permitting – you get to explore the airplane during flight, even spending a few minutes in the bombardier's seat in the glass nose, watching the pilots up in the cockpit, walking through the bomb bay and the radio room, and taking pictures from the machine gun positions in the waist. Your B-17 ticket is for a specific scheduled flight; arrive at the airport and check in at the trailer at least an hour before your flight time. B-17 ride tickets are $435 for EAA members and $475 for non-members, irrespective of age. If you purchase tickets online at www.B17.org or by calling 800-359-6217 before October 20, you can save money; advance purchase tickets are $409 for EAA members and $449 for non-members. If you're a non-member buying multiple tickets, your first purchase makes you an EAA member, so your companion tickets would be at the member price.