London Ont. to host 'Bucket List' B-17 flight for 97-year-old UK man

They are both well over eight decades old, London is hosting two vintage American warplanes this week.

A B-17 named ‘Sentimental Journey’ and a B-25 named 'MAID in the SHADE' are in the forest city, both in flying condition thanks to a U.S. travelling museum.

'MAID in the SHADE' was spared the scrap heap after surviving battle damage in the Second World War and went on to serve as a commercial aircraft.

Pilot Larry Kline says that the B-25 has had a colourful service record, “It did time as a bug sprayer. It worked for a copper smelter for a while, and then it was actually going to be sold for parts, and in 1980 it was acquired by the Commemorative Air Force."

Each of the planes is a flying museum and among the last of their kind.

Based in Arizona, the volunteer-based Commemorative Air Force chose London as one stop of its Flying Legends Victory Tour. Its goal is to offer flights and ground tours of the aircraft. Fees collected throughout the tour are used to keep the planes flying.

The vintage planes take to the skies on Friday.

Their arrival here prompted one man to travel all the way from England to see them, 97-year-old Henry Bennett. He flew from Reading, England thanks to his Grandson, who wasn't going to let him miss a chance to fly on Sentimental Journey - ensuring that his grandfather had the chance to tick a flight on the bomber off of his bucket list.

Sentimental Journey's moniker is the perfect headline for the story behind Henry's trip to London, as a boy, he was lucky to survive the German Blitz over London.

As the war progressed, Henry lived on the coast near an American airbase. Now a teenager nearing combat age, he made friends with the crews and watched them fly.

The reality that some didn't come back stayed with Henry. To honour them, two decades ago he tracked down the opportunity to be reunited with a B-25, eventually finding Sentimental Journey.

Weather prevented that flight, but now with more promising weather, sometime this weekend he said that he’ll finally fly. "I'm a very stubborn person of course. And so I don't give up on anything!"

Neither do the aircrews who care for these planes.

Bob Gates is in charge of ensuring MAID in the SHADE is in flying condition fit for the famed Doolittle raid air crews who've signed her bomb bay door. Gates said that this aircraft is 'tougher' than any modern-day airliner, "You have got to remember, this airframe was designed to take a certain amount of battle damage. The next 737 you fly on, well, it doesn't weigh an ounce more than it absolutely has to because weight equals fuel."

But for these two warbirds, strength equals longevity. Longevity to tell the story of those who flew and supported these planes.

The planes are in town through Sunday, with tours Friday to Sunday, 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. - head down to 2480 Huron Street.