WWII Veteran in Texas celebrates 101st birthday in plane he flew over 80 years ago
CASTROVILLE, Texas (CBS, KYMA) - A World War II veteran in Castroville, Texas, celebrated his 101st birthday on Tuesday, December 30, 2025 by returning to the skies in the same type of aircraft he flew over 80 years ago.
The footage was captured by Dream Flights, who said that the aviator, B.L. Craighead Jr, celebrated his milestone birthday by soaring 1,000 feet in the air in a restored WWII-era biplane.
The aircraft, a 1940 Stearman biplane, was used to train military aviators during WWII, Dream Flights said.
Dream Flights is a non-profit organization which provides senior veterans the chance to ride in an open-air flight in the cockpit of a WWII-era biplane.
