During the last week of August, a team from the Commemorative Air Force (CAF) was at Pangborn Airport with 2 WWII aircraft. The CAF pilots and crew based out of Mesa, AZ brought a B-17G named Sentimental Journey and a B-25J Mitchell named Made in the Shade to Pangborn for 4 days of flying and static display.

As the CAF does with most of their visits across the country, they offer free flights to a few local veterans in the community and our own past Commander and Quartermaster, Dave Schwab, was selected for this honor.

On Saturday, August 30, Dave put on his warrior face and showed up for the initial crew brief at T-minus 60 before mission take-off. After the safety brief, he donned his flight suit and joined the rest of the crew in a pre-flight inspection and walk-around of the B-17 named Sentimental Journey. The crew discussed entry and exit procedures for the aircraft, where their crew positions were on the plane, as well as emergency procedures.

Briefings completed, the crew boarded the aircraft for a 30-minute mission that took them up the valley to the Leavenworth and Plain areas and then returned Pangborn.

During the flight, the guest crewmembers were allowed to walk around their section of the B-17 and experience what it felt like to relive a small portion of our WWII Army Air Corps bomber crews’ adventures. Dave’s job on this mission was to man one of the .50 cal machine guns located in the waist of the B-17.

With no enemy planes spotted and no ammunition expended, the crew valiantly returned to base without a scratch, mostly…. On Sunday, our Sr Vice Commander Steve Johnson suited up and flew a similar mission, except his route took the crew upriver to the Lake Chelan area.

Both comrades said the flights were incredible as they experienced the smell of hydraulic fluid and the vibrations from the 4 Wright “Cyclone” turbo-supercharged radial engines as the aircraft cruised at a speed of 175 mph. These were the exact same conditions felt by our WWII bomber crews over 80 years ago.

They both definitely marked this off their bucket list, so start saving your quarters now. These flights will set you back $400-$500 per person if you also want to join the crew on a future flight.

The Commemorative Air Force was founded to acquire, restore and preserve in flying condition a complete collection of combat aircraft which were flown by all military services of the United States, and selected aircraft of other nations, for the education and enjoyment of present and future generations of Americans. More than just a collection of airworthy warplanes from the past, the CAF’s fleet of historic aircraft, known as the CAF Ghost Squadron, recreate, remind and reinforce the lessons learned from the defining moments in American military aviation history.

Collecting aircraft for nearly a half a century, the CAF now ranks as one of the largest air forces in the world. Today the CAF has approximately 13,000 members and a fleet of more than 175 aircraft representing more than 60 different types—including planes from several foreign countries and other military conflicts since World War II.

In 2025, the CAF planed all their missions in the western part of the country.  Next year they’ll be touring on the eastern part of the US.  Hopefully the planes and their crewmembers will be returning to Pangborn in 2027.

I’ve included below an article from the CAF website that talks about a 103-year-old B-17 tail gunner that visited this same plane after it arrived in Walla Walla (which was the next stop after departing Pangborn).  Talk about full circle.

WWII Tail Gunner’s Final Visit with ‘Sentimental Journey’

WALLA WALLA, Wash. (September 22, 2025)— The Commemorative Air Force (CAF) Airbase Arizona had the rare honor of hosting a World War II veteran for what would become his final visit. SSgt. Harold Reed, a tail gunner who flew 27 combat missions in B-17 Flying Fortresses, visited the CAF’s iconic B-17 Sentimental Journey during a tour stop at Walla Walla Regional Airport in early September.

Though Reed once dreamed of being a pilot, wartime needs placed him in the tail gunner’s seat—one of the most dangerous positions aboard a Flying Fortress. He endured bitter cold, enemy fire, and near-misses on every mission. His survival through 27 missions was a testament to both skill and luck, as casualty rates for bomber crews were staggeringly high.

On Saturday, September 6, 2025, eight decades after serving in combat from the tail of the Flying Fortress, Reed was reunited and once again climbed aboard the bomber. While visiting the touring aircraft, he would take part in a time-honored tradition: signing the aircraft’s bomb bay doors, where hundreds of veterans before him had left their names. His signature, carefully scrawled alongside theirs, now stands as a permanent reminder of the men who risked everything flying into combat over Europe.

Later that evening, at age 103, Reed peacefully passed away at a cared living facility, surrounded by family.

A week later, Virgil Hatfield, CAF Media Specialist, received a call at CAF headquarters. Reed’s caretaker called to let the CAF know that Reed passed just after his touching visit with the CAF’s B-17. The caretaker wanted to share that as Reed’s body was being taken from the care home, Sentimental Journey passed overhead. The caretaker said, “It was almost as if it were a final salute.”

The CAF extends its condolences to Reed’s family and friends, while honoring the memory of a man whose bravery helped secure victory in Europe. His story—and his name etched inside Sentimental Journey—will inspire future generations to remember not just the aircraft, but the people who gave them meaning.