BOYERTOWN PA – Those interested in the history of World War II can take advantage of a chance to fly in a war-era bomber, and also support the General Carl Spaatz National USAAF Museum in Boyertown.
The Spaatz Museum, at 10 Gen. Spaatz Ave., is holding a fund-raising contest through May 26 (2025; Monday) that offers four winners the opportunity to be aboard a 25-minute flight in “Panchito.” The fully restored North American B-25J Mitchell medium-range bomber was made famous by the Doolittle Raid in 1942, and went on to serve in multiple theaters of war.
Panchito will be part of the 34th annual Mid-Atlantic WWII Airshow weekend, scheduled for June 6-8 (Friday through Sunday) at the Mid Atlantic Air Museum, 110 Museum Dr., Reading.
The Spaatz, in partnership with the Delaware Aviation Museum Foundation, is conducting the fund-raiser to assist in covering operational costs in Boyertown. It hopes to raise $6,000 this year. Tickets for the drawing cost $10 each, and are available for purchase online. Winners must be at least age 18 to fly. The Panchito raffle is sponsored by Milestone Financial.
Additionally, during the raffle period all paid Spaatz Museum visitors will receive one free raffle ticket with their admission.
Winners can dress in appropriate costumes to take their flight, if they wish. “We allow them to get fully interactive in the flight,” museum founder Keith Seiwell says. He hopes raffle buyers will visit the Spaatz Museum. “No other museum in the United States does what we do. (Its guests are) actually participating in history directly,” Seiwell adds.
Inspired By Heroes
Gen. Spaatz served as the first chief of staff of the U.S. Air Force. His military accolades included commanding the U.S. Strategic Air Forces in Europe, which led to the defeat of Germany during World War II. He also supervised the bombing of Japan by the B-29, including two atomic bomb missions.
Seiwell’s work on the museum drew inspiration from his father’s military service as a bombardier navigator during World War II. He has been fascinated by the war’s aircraft, and built model planes throughout his childhood.
In 2015 Seiwell, a 30-year U.S. Marine Corps veteran, began exploring the possibility of creating a museum to honor Spaatz, a Boyertown native. Years of focus groups, community meetings, and fund-raisers followed.
Then, in late 2018, Seiwell began building the 6,000-square-foot General Carl Spaatz National USAAF Museum on land leased from the Boyertown Auto Museum. The fully interactive living history museum opened Oct. 2, 2021.
Open Thursdays Through Sundays
The museum features an immersive escape room, and an experience that enables visitors to recreate actual roles of WWII-era machine gunners, bombardiers and others.
“I wanted to build a museum where people would want to stay,” Seiwell says. “Young people aren’t taught too much about WWII. The best way to really focus on young people was to develop an interactive museum” to keep young people engaged.
The museum is open Thursdays through Sundays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. for self-guided and interactive tours, as well as escape rooms.
Photos provided to Travels With The Post by the General Carl Spaatz National USAAF Museum
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