Here’s Why You’ll Be Seeing WWII-Era Bomber Flying Over Wisconsin Cities In October

I'm a bit of an aviation nut. I've spent countless hours reading about planes, watching documentaries, and playing flight simulators. I tend to take notice when I see an interesting plane in the sky.

Just last month, I spotted a Chinook Helicopter flying over Duluth. That's not something you see every day. We also had the Duluth Air Show in town, which brings some unique planes overhead, too.

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If you keep an eye out, you may see another unique plane flying in the skies over Wisconsin this week. A restored World War II-era bomber is making some stops and even allowing people to join them for a flight.

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The Berlin Express is a B-25 Mitchell Bomber. B-25s were being developed right at the start of World War II. After the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, the United States was thrust into World War II in both the European and Pacific Theaters of War.

America needed a morale boost after the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor. President Franklin D. Roosevelt wanted to send a message and bomb Japan immediately. They gave the job to James. H Doolittle. He trained his crews to launch B-25 Mitchells of the USS Hornet Aircraft Carrier. In what some believed was a suicide mission, they took off and headed for Tokyo on a one-way trip.

The bombers could not return to the aircraft carriers because of fuel and the fact they weren't designed to land on a carrier. So they were to bomb Tokyo, head to China, and land there. The raid was a success in the fact that they did bomb Tokyo, boosting America's morale, while also sending a message to the Japanese public that they were under threat.

The Experimental Aircraft Association (EEA) has had this B-25 Mitchell on display in their museum for decades. The Berlin Express has been fully restored and is now touring across the country to honor World War II veterans, as well as inspire a new generation of aviation enthusiasts.

The bomber will be doing flights in Superior, Wisconsin at the Bong Airport from October 13-15. Ground tours will be available, and you are to contact the flight crew for more information at 920-379-4244.

Next, the bomber will be in Racine, Wisconsin on October 27-29.

You also can register for a flight. The cost for a non-member of EAA is $475, and members are discounted at $425