It’s been over 75 years since the largest air armada the world had ever seen lifted into the skies over Europe but on Friday May 7, 2021, history will come alive when three vintage warbirds roar into Shreveport Downtown Airport led by the most iconic aircraft of WWII: the B-17 Flying Fortress Texas Raiders.
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The United States built over 12,700 B-17’s and only five remain actively flying in the world today. The iconic bomber Texas Raiders was the first Flying Fortress to be operated solely for the sake of education and use as a flying museum. She is an accurately restored B-17, bristling with machine guns and featuring period-specific equipment. Joining the bomber in Shreveport will be two other vintage aircraft including the popular T6 Texan advanced trainer in which thousands of U.S. airmen learned to fly and a twin engine Navy transport in which the whole family can fly together.
The event is being held in conjunction with the Barksdale AFB 2021 Defenders of Liberty Airshow the weekend of May 8-9
Aircraft Rides
The T6/SNJ trainer and the BE18 transport will be available for rides at the Shreveport Downtown airport from Friday noon until Sunday afternoon. Specific flight times are in the appropriate forms below.
The B-17 will be available for Living History Flight Experience rides Saturday, and Sunday afternoons at Shreveport Downtown. Flight times will 3 and 4 PM each day. Rides can be booked using the B-17 Ride form below. There will be no LHFE flights from Barksdale AFB, so your only chance to ride the B-17, or the other planes, is from Shreveport Downtown Airport. So - remember if you go to the air show on Saturday you can ride on Texas Raiders on Sunday and vice versa.
Flights on the B-17 start at $475; flights on the T6 are $380, and seats on the Navy transport are only $100.
Those who wish to fly can call 855-FLY-A-B17 (1-855-359-2217) or reserve on line at B17TexasRaiders.org or see more on Facebook.com/B17TexasRaiders
Aircraft Tours
There will be no aircraft tours at the Barksdale AFB due to COVID restrictions. The 2 planes at Shreveport Downtown will be available to the public from approximately noon Friday and 10-5 Saturday and Sunday.
The B-17 will return to Shreveport Downtown on Saturday and Sunday at approximately 2:00 PM and will be open for tours until approximately 5:00 PM, except for flight times
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The public is invited to enjoy on-board tours with the aircraft crews during this period. Admission to the tour event is $10/adult, $5 for children under 12, and $20 for a family of up to 5 and includes access to all the aircraft for cockpit tours. Again, there will be no tours of the B-17 at the airbase, so you only chance to get up close and personable with Texas Raiders and her crew will be in these sessions at Shreveport Downtown.
Don’t miss this must-do summer event! Put your hands on history and see historic American military aviation up close.
In an effort to provide the safest possible environment for crews and attendees, extra sanitization procedures will be in place, as well as social distancing. Face coverings are required for aircraft access. If you plan to take a tour, please bring your own mask/covering.
Ride the C-45/Twin Beech "Little Raider"
Experience the magic in the sky with a flight on the Commemorative Air Force twin engine Beech 18. Painted in Navy colors and sporting an Admiral’s stars, the Twin Beech seats four passengers in cozy comfort as she lifts into the sky. You can fly the whole family over Shreveport. Children age five and over are welcome when accompanied by an adult. Each flight is approximately 20 minutes in the air, and includes a safety briefing and photo opportunity with the pilot. Seats in the cabin are $100 each. NOTE: 3 seats must be sold for the flight to go To purchase a ride call 1-855-FLY-A-B17 (1-855-359-2217) or reserve on line at www.B17TexasRaiders.org or use the form below
Ride the T6/SNJ trainer "Sassy"
The AT6 Texan/SNJ was the final rung of the training ladder for combat fighter pilots in WWII. After months of work in trainers with less power and lower performance, those that cut the mustard were moved on to the Advanced Trainer 6 Texan (or SNJ if you were a Navy pilot) - their final hurdle. Come take a ride in the plane that taught our heroic pilots how to fly combat maneuvers in a fast and powerful plane that launched them to the next step - P-47's, P-38's, Corsairs, and P-51's - the combat fighters that helped win the war. Rides are about 25 minutes in the air and include a safety briefing and photo op with the pilot.
The video below shows you how to board the T6/SNJ
Please use this form to book your B-17 flight
