A restored World War II bomber is headlining the Wings over the Rockies Museum History Comes to Life Showcase this weekend in Centennial.

The Yellow Rose, a North American twin-engine B-25 Mitchell, is operated by the Commemorative Air Force Central Texas Wing, and is the same model pf plane used in the Doolittle Raid over Tokyo in 1942, said Saturday morning’s copilot Andy Maag.

“(Flying it) is very humbling,” Maag said Saturday morning. “It’s an honor for us to be able to keep the history alive.”

Maag and pilot John Bixby flew a short VIP and media flight to begin the showcase Saturday morning. Taking off from the Wings Over the Rockies bay at Centennial Airport, the plane flew over Arapahoe County for about 15 minutes.

The occasion was special even for employees of the airport, some of whom took photos in front of the aircraft and were onboard for the flight. Before the flight, the man driving the fuel truck pulled out his phone and took a few photos of the plane.

The olive green and tan pattern on the plane’s outside is based on that of aircraft that flew in the Southern European Theater of the war, Maag said. The pilot also noted how different it is to fly the plane in Colorado’s high altitude environment.

“Piston engines don’t develop as much power (at higher altitude),” Maag said. “The sight picture when you fly at higher altitudes is also different, it feels like the ground is going by faster because it is, even though it reads the same on your airspeed indicator.”

For Maag, the experience of flying in the restored aircraft instigates both awe for living in a piece of history as well as a reflection upon the sacrifices that many made while flying similar planes.

“It’s one thing to look at a plane like this in a museum, it’s another thing entirely to experience a flight in it,” Maag said. “But it’s not the same, nobody’s shooting at us, we’re doing this on a beautiful, sunny day. That wasn’t always an option for the people flying them in World War II.

The showcase will last through the end of the day Monday. Visitors of the exhibit will be able to see the inside of the plane, which has been fully restored to its operational wartime condition, or have the option to buy a ticket for one of its several half-hour flights per day.

Those interested in learning more about the exhibit can find more information on the Wings Over the Rockies website.