DALLAS — The six victims who died in the air show crash Saturday in Dallas adored the planes they flew.
The two World War II-era aircraft involved were a B-17G and a P-63F, according to the Commemorative Air Force.
In July, victim Craig Hutain was interviewed in front of the P-63F and gushed about its rarity at an air show in Oshkosh.
“I’m standing here in front of a P-63F,” he said.
“It’s actually one of one P-63F in the entire world. One of two that was ever made.”
The P-63F, Hutain explained, was not just rare, it was also unique -- seating just one pilot.
“It’s a neat airplane to take to a show because a lot of people have never seen one. My number one comment I always get is, ‘I’ve never seen one of these before, it’s really dynamite!’” he said.
Next, the B-17.
Victim Kevin “K5” Michels beamed in June when he told reporters in Bowling Green about the plane’s storied past.
“There were 12,731 of these built during World War II,” Michels said in an interview.
“Today, there are just five. Only three of those tour, and Texas rangers is one of them!”
An iconic bomber plane, “K5” said he flew the B-17 to honor all the WWII airmen who never made it home.
"They never got a chance to grow old, they never had a chance to have families. And those sacrifices are the reasons we have freedoms today," he said.
Moreno “Mo” Aguiari, is a pilot, Commemorative Air Force member and publisher of Vintage Aviation News.
He told WFAA that victim and veteran Dan Ragan flew the same B-17 he served in all those years ago.
"Think about how awesome that is, you serve and then 50, 60, 70 years later you get to maintain the plane you flew with," Aguiari said.
Aguiari also recorded the interview with Hutain from July.
“I’m sure these six guys would want us to continue doing what we do,” Aguiari said.