D-Day Squadron To Kick Off Epic Journey With Statue Of Liberty Flyover

posted in: Flyovers, Warbirds | 4
Douglas C-47 Skytrain/Dakota "Placid Lassie" - AirshowStuff

Members of the D-Day Squadron, a group of US-based DC-3s and C-47s heading to Europe to mark the 75th anniversary of D-Day in June, are preparing for some special festivities before their epic transatlantic journey.

Eleven of the participating aircraft will be gathering in Oxford, Connecticut this week for a series of events to kick off the trip. Throughout the week, the aircrews will receive critical training and safety briefings, conduct practice and ride flights, and drum up support for the expensive effort with a special flyby of New York City and the Statue of Liberty on Saturday, May 18th. They will then head north to Goose Bay in Canada, where they will meet up with four other aircraft from the group before crossing the ocean to eventually arrive in the UK at the beginning of June.

Once in the UK, the group will join other DC-3s and C-47s from around the world as part of the Daks Over Normandy project. The approximately 30 aircraft will conduct rides and demonstration flights in the UK before traversing the English Channel 75 years to the day after a massive airborne raid launched ahead of the D-Day landings in Normandy. After the flying concludes, the D-Day Squadron aircraft will return to the US via the same “Blue Spruce” transatlantic route.

As you can imagine, the effort to assemble this many vintage aircraft is not cheap. Donations of all sizes and types are welcomed! You can learn more and show your support at DDaySquadron.org and DaksOverNormandy.com.

4 Responses

  1. PAM ARNOLD

    Here in Montana, we have been involved with the “Miss Montana to Normandy” project since its inception a year ago. She will be making the trip; leaving her home base in Missoula, Montana on 16, May. This DC-3 (NC 24320) is from the Museum of Mountain Flying.

  2. Kenneth Strohm

    “Whiskey 7” and “TICO Belle” are neither one with the D-Day Squadron for this event.

  3. Dave King

    What an impressive line-up to see those Wartime painted DC-3s.

    My Dad was there on Omaha beach with the R.A.F. The group that covered advanced fighter cover for the army, all landed on Omaha Beach. Not many know that. But there is some info, in R.A.F.onOmahabeach. He went on through the Battle of the Bulge and came home.

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