B-25 Mitchell Doolittle Tokyo Raid 75th Anniversary At The National Museum Of The U.S. Air Force

Doolittle Tokyo Raid 75th Anniversary In Dayton Ohio

The B-25 Mitchell Doolittle Tokyo Raid 75th anniversary reunion happened on April 17, 2017, at the National Museum Of The United States Air Force.  The image below is from the public aircraft display on April 16, 2017.  The Tokyo Doolittle Raiders were American heroes, and these military aircraft honor those brave airmen. I am for hire as an aviation photographer.

These B-25 WWII-era aircraft flew in for a few days for this event and landed at the historic Wright Field. This is part of Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. It sits at the southwestern corner of the property along Airway Road and Woodman Drive. My entire life I have driven by this section of “the base” as we locals call it. I never imagined any planes landing on it. It turns out that in the last 10-12 years, the runway has been used to land many airplanes. Some of those have been for special events. Others have had their final takeoff and landing coming to rest in the NMUSAF permanent collection.

For several years I have been part of an elite group of local aviation photographers who get special access. We photograph arrivals and special events at the Air Force Museum. It is amazing to be on the flight line just 100 feet to the south of the runway as historic bombers, fighter jets, and refueling tankers make their way to Dayton. On some occasions, it is the plane’s final flight with the rest of its life spent in Dayton. For others such as the B-25, it is just a quick 2-3 day event for visitors to enjoy the vintage airplanes.

The Flight Line

The flight line is not glamorous at the Air Force Museum. Driving out to our photography spot is bumpy, grassy, and full dust. Because it isn’t often used, the road is in shambles and the grass is high. It would not make sense to have a nice in and out road just for a few landings every few years. Do we complain about the high grass and lack of facilities? Absolutely not! We are grateful for the opportunity to photograph these aircrafts from a place that most cannot.

Other Air Force Museum Photography Blog Posts

Air Force One Aviation Collection In Dayton Ohio Air Force Museum

XB-70 Valkyrie At The National Museum Of The USAF In Dayton Ohio

Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey Landing At The National Museum Of The U.S. Air Force

C-47 Fly-In And Paratrooper Jump From The Tico Belle And The Placid Lassie

KC-135R 60-0329 Landing At The National Museum Of The U.S. Air Force Dayton

A National Museum Of The United States DC-3 Fly In Dayton Ohio

Behind The Scenes At The National Museum Of The U.S. Air Force Dayton

Fly-In Of B-29 Fifi, B-20 Liberator Diamond Lil, T-6 Aircraft Landing At Air Force Museum

Check out my other professional aviation photography. #AVgeek #AviationPhotographer