A piece of history from the Second World War flies into London Thursday.
Fifi, a Boeing B-29 Superfortress from the 1940s, will land at the London International Airport around noon.
The stop is part of the Commemorative Air Force (CAF) AirPower History Tour and is the first time the iconic bomber has come to Canada. Fife is one of only two remaining B-29s in the world that can still take to the skies. Londoners interested in seeing it up close will have their chance from 9am to 5pm Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
"We encourage families to come out because there are important stories about World War II that aren't being taught today in regular schools," said Kim Pardon, CAF B-29/B-24 squadron spokesperson. "That is the reason we keep the airplane flying - to pass on the stories of the greatest generation to future generations."
Aviation enthusiasts will be able to walk around the exterior of the aircraft and tour its cockpit. Flights in the B-29 can also be purchased.
The bomber is best known as the aircraft whose missions over Japan helped bring an end to the Second World War. It was also used in the Korean War and was a staple of the U.S. Air Force until the late 1950s.
CAF members found Fifi at a U.S. Navy Proving Ground in China Lake, California in the early 1970s and saved the aircraft from being destroyed.
"We looked for several years for a B-29 that we could make airworthy and we finally found one. The Air Force gave us permission to take it out of the desert. It had been there because they were going to use it as a missile target. So we saved the airplane. We brought it back to Harlingen, Texas and we did a three-year restoration," said Pardon. "We have been flying the airplane ever since."
The London stop is one of only eight the AirPower History Tour is making in Canada this year. It moves on to Windsor next week.