23 April 2019
More than thirty Douglas C-47 ex-military WWII aircraft are expected to fly across the North Atlantic in May to join in the 75th anniversary commemorations of D-Day, the invasion of Normandy.
The D-Day Squadron will join up at Waterbury-Oxford Airport in Oxford, Connecticut on 12 May 2019 for a week practising critical skills such as formation flying, survival skills training, oceanic procedures and European Union operations training.
On Saturday, 14 May, the entire D-Day Squadron (conditions permitting) will fly in formation from Oxford, up the Hudson River in New York, over Manhattan Island, and around the Statue of Liberty.
“It’s very likely we’ll never see an event like this again,” said Moreno Aguiari of the D-Day Squadron.
“There are only a few members of the Greatest Generation still with us, so we wanted to put together the most significant tributes we could to honor their sacrifice and commitment. These tributes will start here and then extend all the way across the Atlantic.”
The C-47s will depart Waterbury-Oxford Airport on 19 May, going via Goose Bay Airport (CYYR) in Newfoundland, Canada, Narsarsuaq Airport (BGBW) in southern Greenland, Reykjavik Airport (BIRK) in Iceland.
There’ll be a final refuel at Prestwick Airport (EPIK) on the west coast of Scotland before making the final leg to Duxford Airfield (EGSU), north of London.
Once at Duxford Airfield, the D-Day Squadron will join with its European counterpart, Daks over Normandy, for combined events.
The combined fleet of historic aircraft will cross the English Channel on 5 June, fly over Normandy, France, and participate in multiple events at Caen-Carpiquet Airport from 5-9 June 2019.
