City of New Smyrna Beach issued the following announcement on Sept. 24.
101-year old Army Air Corps veteran Fred Laponzina took to the sky from New Smyrna Beach's Jack Bolt Field this afternoon in a Boeing Stearman PT-17 biplane as part of Operation September Freedom, a national effort to locate and honor as many World War II veterans as possible with free Dream Flights in 2021.
"Fred mentioned what a great time he had and what an honor it was to fly with us, but truly the honor is ours," said Crew Chief Alyson Rieken about Laponzina, who flew missions as a B-24 Liberator tail gunner during the war.
Founded in 2011, Dream Flights is a nonprofit organization established and dedicated to honoring seniors and military veterans. Through donors, community support, and volunteers, the foundation provides flights in Stearman biplanes, the same aircraft used to train many military aviators in the late 1930s and early 1940s. Following the war, thousands of surplus aircraft were sold on the civilian market and became popular as crop dusters, sports planes, and for aerobatic and wing walking use in air shows.
"All I can say about the PT-17 is that it's awesome," said pilot Tim Gardner. "Flying a piece of American history and being able to honor the Greatest Generation is truly a privilege.
Would you like to know more? Please visit www.dreamflights.org to find out how to contribute to their mission, request a Dream Flight, and more.
Original source can be found here.
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