One of the most iconic planes from World War IIÂ is the B-17 Bomber - a plane that protected our country back in the day, and one of those B-17 Bombers flew into Allen County as part of the "Summer Flying Legends of History" tour.
The plane, called the "Sentimental Journey" was restored and flown by the Commemorative Air Force Museum out in Arizona, and is a rarity among its type.
"The B-17 bombers, they made about 12,700 of them back during World War II; there are only 10 left that are flying, and this is one of them," said Brian Smith, a loadmaster with the Commemorative Air Force Arizona base.
The tour is traveling all around the Midwest and up into Canada, and it's a fun way for both volunteers and sightseers to get a taste of U.S. history.
"We think it's a lot of fun for the kids and really anyone of any age because unlike most groups ,we let you get into our plane," Smith said.  "One of the things that we do is when the plane is parked and they open up the bomb bay doors, we encourage people to take a look at those bomb bay doors - because what we've done is we started this tradition a few years ago - if you flew in a B-17, if you help build them or help support them in World War II, we let you sign the doors."
Of course, the plane gathered a lot of people - for some who came to watch the plane land, history is a hobby, and seeing the bomber up close was something special.
"I'm a big fan of of old vintage planes and vehicles and things so I saw this in the paper and I thought that this would be a cool experience for me to go out," said Jared Young.
And for others, there's a deep connection between the plane and their family's past.
"We have a real history with this plane; I had a brother in World War II, two other brothers who were in the military, my husband's father was in World War II, and we have a lot of vets in the family, so it's always an interest," said Deb Riepenhoff.Â
Whatever the reason, getting close to the plane was something that people of all ages will be sure to remember.
