GEORGETOWN, Texas, May 01, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — On May 6, 2026, Dream Flights will dedicate the Spirit of Texas—a restored 1943 Boeing Stearman that once trained military aviators near Corpus Christi—and begin a nine-city tour across Texas, honoring nearly 100 World War II, Korean War and Vietnam War veterans with open-cockpit flights.
Eighty years after it first trained military aviators—and following more than 10,000 hours of restoration—the Spirit of Texas is flying again with a renewed mission. As Dream Flights’ eighth Stearman, it joins the organization’s fleet of vintage biplanes dedicated to honoring senior veterans with the freedom of flight.
The statewide tour begins in Georgetown and concludes June 9 in Horseshoe Bay, with additional stops in Pflugerville, Brookshire, Fort Worth, Lubbock, Big Spring, San Antonio and Castroville. View the full tour schedule here.
Since 2011, Dream Flights has honored more than 8,000 veterans nationwide—including nearly 500 in Texas—at no cost to them or their families. At each stop, pre-selected veterans from senior living communities and the Texas State Veterans Home will take part in a Dream Flight experience, soaring roughly 1,000 feet in an open-cockpit biplane.
“This airplane once trained a generation to serve—now it honors them,” said Darryl Fisher, founder of Dream Flights. “Our veterans take off at 90 and land feeling 30 years younger.”
Built in 1943, the aircraft trained pilots at Corpus Christi-Cabaniss Field during World War II before later serving as a crop duster. It was eventually acquired by Texas resident and U.S. Coast Guard veteran Shelly Tumbleson, who donated it to Dream Flights to support its mission.
After six years and more than 10,000 hours of restoration by Dream Flights volunteers—including certified A&P mechanics—in Dayton, Nevada, the aircraft has been returned to airworthy condition. It is now based at Dream Flights University in Castroville, where volunteer pilots—many of them retired military and commercial aviators—train and remain current.
Following the Texas tour, the Spirit of Texas will join Dream Flights’ fleet of Stearmans on the 2026 national tour, honoring nearly 800 veterans in senior living communities. “It’s just the beginning for this aircraft, and it’s joining a mission that’s already changed thousands of lives,” said Fisher.
About Dream Flights
Carson City, Nev.-based Dream Flights (formerly the Ageless Aviation Dreams Foundation) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to honoring America’s senior military veterans with a life-changing experience: an open-air flight in a vintage Boeing Stearman biplane. All flights are provided free of charge, supported by national partners including Sport Clips Haircuts, American Airlines, Allied Pilots Association, Veterans United Home Loans, Vital Life Foundation and Incite Strategic Partners. Visit: www.dreamflights.org.
Contact: Wendy D’Alessandro / Dream Flights / 561-251-3151 / [email protected]
Access photos/broll here: Spirit of Texas Media Kit
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/01053624-f447-4dff-96d3-a75e9897c857