A pair of B-17 Flying Fortresses like this one will offer rides in Tucson in April, and one will be joined by a B-24 Liberator and a B-25 Mitchell. All are World War II-vintage bombers.

John Gress / The Associated Press 2001

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If you've ever dreamed of sailing the skies in a World War II bomber, there may be no time like the present in Tucson.

But it'll cost ya.

Four vintage bombers will touch down in the city in April, offering rides at about $400 a pop. The events are sponsored by two nonprofit foundations that use the money to help keep the rare old warplanes running.

The Old Pueblo has become a favorite stopover for such outfits because our warm-weather city has all the attributes they look for.

"Tucson is a hot spot because it has so many retirees and it's a bit of a mecca for aircraft enthusiasts," said Andrew Boehly an archivist at the Pima Air and Space Museum.

Normally, the vintage bombers only show up every few years. This is the first time in recent memory they'll be here twice in the same month.

Next Saturday and Sunday, a B-17 Flying Fortress operated by the Georgia-based Liberty Foundation will be selling rides for $395 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Then, on April 17, 18, and 19, the Collings Foundation of Massachusetts is bringing in a B-17, a B-24 Liberator and a B-25 Mitchell. The B-17 and B-24 rides cost $425, the B-25 prices range from $325 to $400. Hours are from 1 p.m. to 6. p.m. on the 17th and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. the other two days.

Each group flight is a half-hour long. All of them take off from the executive terminal of Tucson International Airport, at 7081 S. Plumer Ave.

Liberty Foundation spokes-man Scott Maher said the rides tend to be most popular with World War II vets, but "we've had everything from a 5-year-old to a 103-year-old woman."

Keeping the old aircraft going is a "labor of love," said Nollie Srivastava, spokeswoman for the Collings Foundation. The restored bombers can cost $4,000 an hour to operate once fuel, maintenance and other costs are factored in, she said.

Only three organizations nationwide offer such rides. Maher, of the Liberty Foundation, said the groups normally try to avoid being in the same city around the same time. But Tucson is getting two visits in April because one of them is timed to coincide with a veterans' reunion, he said.

There aren't many vintage bombers still airborne, Maher said. The two B-17s hitting town next month, for example, are among just 14 still flying. The B-24 is the only one still flying, according to the organizers of the two events.

For more information, call the Liberty Foundation at 1-918-340-0243 or the Collings Foundation at 1-978-562-9182 or visit the www.libertyfoundation.org or www.collingsfoundation.org Web sites.