WWII history takes to the skies

Two of the fighters scheduled to take to the skies at the Flying Heritage Collection’s free Fly Day on June 20 made history as America’s top ace-makers during World War II. The U.S. Army’s North American P-51 Mustang flew in Europe and the Pacific. Flyers of the legendary P-51 are credited with shooting down some 4,950 enemy fighters. A total of 275 Mustang pilots became aces — shooting down five or more enemy planes in combat. The only fighter to surpass this impressive score was the Grumman F6F Hellcat. Flown in U.S. Navy and Marine Corps service, almost entirely in the Pacific, Hellcat pilots dispatched 5,168 enemy planes. A total of 307 flyers that operated Hellcats became aces.

You can see them both, along with the Zero and P-40 Tomahawk, in the air this Saturday, June 20, at the FHC’s Pacific Legends free Fly Day at Paine Field.