Air Force Thunderbird and B-17 Airshows Commemorate Aviation Day

At the midpoint of their respective national tours, the Air Force Thunderbird and B-17 Demonstration Squadrons will both celebrate the development of aviation on National Aviation Day this week. The popular Wings of Freedom Tour showcasing the B-17 is making stops this summer in Trenton, NJ (8/14 - 8/17) Wilmington, DE (8/17 - 8/19) and Hagerstown, MD (8/19 - 8/21). The Air Force Thunderbird Tour will make a stop on Aviation Day (the birthday of pioneer Orville Wright) this August 19th in Atlantic City. Visit the corresponding Wings of Freedom and Thunderbirds Air Show websites for complete schedule information. For a more comprehensive look at the history behind these legendary aircrafts, viewers can enjoy the Janson Media DVDs B-17: Flying Legend and America's Team: Being a U.S. Airforce Thunderbird. America"s Team documents all the exciting details of the Air Force Thunderbird"s air show for a full season. Viewers get a chance to see what it takes to create the awe-inspiring demonstrations seen by millions of people around the world. Rarely seen moments include a &'patching ceremony&' where an enlisted person becomes a member of the team after weeks of study, and the loading and unloading of tons of equipment as the team goes from location to location. For more information on the Air Force Thunderbirds, please visit their website. Produced by Fortress Films, B-17: Flying Legend examines the importance of WWII"s most famous airplane and raises awareness about the importance of keeping the remaining B-17s flying for generations to come. It covers the history of the airplane, and the stories of brave men who flew them, and looks at the people today who struggle to keep these flying museums in operation. Almost 13,000 B-17s were built during the war. Sixty years later only 13 still fly. Unless awareness is created to help with this preservation, in the near future B-17s will only be found in static displays. For more information, please visit the B-17: Flying Legendhomepage.