By COOPER SLOUGH
Hays Post

A national treasure dating back to World War II landed at the Hays Regional Airport on Monday. Maid in the Shade — a B-25 bomber — touched down in front of a crowd of eager onlookers just after noon as part of the Arizona Airbase Aviation Museum’s 2016 Flying Legends of Victory tour.

The goal of the Flying Legends of Victory tour is to celebrate the legacy of the men and women who flew these aircraft, and provide the public the opportunity to experience the aircraft up close.

The bomber’s volunteer crew includes Jim Swanke, Don Rader, Tom Earl, Roland Smith and Rich Petty.

Manufactured in early 1944, Maid in the Shade is a rare warbird — one of only 34 flying B-25s left in existence. It flew 15 total missions, 13 over Italy and two over Yugoslavia. According to the crew, its main role was to bomb enemy oil fields, which crippled the enemy’s ability to manufacture planes, tanks, and other mechanized vehicles.

B-25s are classified as medium bombers and have a range of 1,350 miles.

Daily tours are taking place through Sunday, June 12, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Flight times are 9, 10 and 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Saturday and 9, 10 and 11 a.m. and noon Sunday.

Flight times are subject to change in order to fill space.

For more information or to reserve flights, contact (602) 448-2350 or [email protected]. Rides are being scheduled now.

Flight deck area seats are $650 each, and waist gunner seats are $395 each.